Where Do Ideas Come From?

by Laurent Simon Associate Professor

of Management, HEC Montreal MosaiC

Everyone whos ever taken

a shower has an idea. Its the
person who gets out of
the shower, dries off and does
something about it
who makes a difference.
Nolan Bushnell Founder, Atari

We are all, potentially, great generators of

ideas. Just as we are all potentially, as Mr.
Bushnell notes, great takers of showers. The
real challenge lies in giving expression to
these ideas, in sharing and enriching them,
and ultimately making them happen. Linuxs
story is one of the great creative stories
of our timeits the story of giving life to
ideas. With that in mind, we offer three key
insights into the creative lifecycle of ideas
_
Ideas come from itches and dreams
It started from an itch
,
recalls Linus Tor
valds, head of the Linux initiative. And
like any small itch, the longer you leave it
the bigger it getsand the more it needs
scratching. So it is with creative thinking,
which often originates in the discovery of
solutions to minor, day-to-day problems,
practical frustrations and dissatisfactions
rather than any kind of earth-shaking, revo
lutionary vision. Though thats good, too.

It started
from an
itch
Linus TorvaldsLinux

Linuxs real-life creative contribution goes

further than mere software development
it speaks to a dream of freedom, autono
my, ingenuity and the belief that its possible
to play with the big boys on the program
ming block. The evolution of Linux parallels
the evolution of ideas generally: from the
problem comes the idea, which then ignites
the dream and fuels the project. The larger
and crazier the dream, the more inspiring
and mobilizing the project becomes.
Which brings us to the second key to capi
talizing on creativity: you can dream small
or dream big, just dont dream alone.
_
Ideas come from people
To blossom and to spread, an idea needs
to be nurtured. And more than anything,
it needs to be shared. Its time to let go
the myth of the lone creative genius and
acknowledge that great creators, discoverers
and inventors are also social connectors and
activators. Linux initially emerged from net
works of hackers, hobbyists, militants and
activists, but only really started growing as
a community of believers.

Research Partner

At the urging of Torvalds, the active core of

programmers quickly expanded as a loose
ly structured ecosystem of many satellite
communitieseach contributing its microcreativity to advance and enrich the central,
kernel ideawhile
seducing new contribu
tors with the sexiness of this new science of
ideas. Its a process thats not unique to Linux.
Major breakthroughs in arts, science and
technologyPicasso did it for Cubism,
Alexander Fleming for penicillin, and John

Release
early
and
often

Build and analyze, say the web pundits.

Release early and often, say the software
developers. IDEO, the industrial design firm,
recommends developing concrete scenarios,
giving them flesh through fast prototyping,
and then building markets around the
prototypes. Showcasing and test-driving
prototypes facilitates fast learning, which
in turn accelerates creativity and drives the
actualization of functional solutions. Put
ting ideas into action also functions as a
guarantee of new and more ideasa kind of
self-fulfilling prophecy of progress.
As managers, movers and shakers, addressing
the tough challenges of our times will require
rethinking strategies, processes and products/
services. There are no recipes or cookbook
required, just a profound and collective de
sire to act. We need to rethink our thoughts
through others; we need to hack our own
practices. We need to reset, reframe and
re-launch our organizations and institutions.

Dyson for the vacuum cleanerare almost But most of all we need to remember that the
always characterized by a pivotal social mo idea is only as good as the action that follows it.
ment, at which point the idea gains traction
with potential supporters and contributors.
This moment has much to do with the abili
ty to generate excitement around an idea and
grow it until it reaches a general threshold
of recognition and acceptance. But in order
to convince people, the idea also needs to
become tangible and concrete. In short, it
Catch
needs to get its feet on the ground. And then
of
the day
it needs a push.
_
Ideas for a better world: HBRs List of Auda
Ideas come from actions
cious Ideas for Solving the Worlds Problems.
Programmers embarked on the Linux jour Harvard Business Review. January 2012.
ney as soon as they saw that the operating Pp. 49-64.
systemdespite the flaws inherent to a
work-in-progresswould actually work. Where Good Ideas Come From. Steven
Thomas Edison, who didnt invent the Johnson. Riverhead Books, 2010.
light bulb, but improved its filament and
held its patent, was recognized for his abil
ity to prototype, test and gain knowledge
from his experiments. In the present day,
sketching, blueprinting, building mocks-ups
and prototyping, for example, appear as
standard practices in the most innovative
organizations.

Making Ideas Happen. Scott Belsky.

Portfolio, 2010.
An online community of ideas leaders:
the99percent.com
Moon ShotsA global community of
management renegades:
moon-shots.ning.com

C2-MTL

Creative Answers To Commercial

Questions
Montreal, May 22 - 25 2012
Set in the creative hotbed of Montreal,
C2-MTL is a collaborative and immersive
conference that inspires right + left brain think
ing through a smorgasbord of exhibitions,
multimedia presentations, conceptual spaces,
projections, collaborative workshops and a
creativity boot camp. The multifaceted event
site will consist of an innovation village
where participants will be challenged to
explore new ideas, in various forms.
Curated by international creative company
Sid Lee in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil,
Fast Company and HSM Global, C2-MTL is
reinventing the business conference to find
Creative Answers to Commercial Questions.
For tickets and information visit C2MTL.com