Trend Hunter CEO Jeremy Gutsche's second book, Better and Faster sets a framework that makes it easy to generate new ideas for business. After penning Exploiting Chaos, one of the most unexpected tactics that still rings true from Gutsche is to "Take your best idea and throw it away." While this may seem counterintuitive, the principle is that the more you throw out ideas—even the best ones—the more you'll be required to come up with new possibilities. By doing so, you force yourself to continually one-up your best and learn not to rely on reserves or ideas that have performed well in the past.
This kind of Protectiveness is one of the pitfalls of the Farmer, described in Better and Faster as a person who continually repeats and optimizes past successes. Eventually, the Farmer's tried-and-true methods will fail as times change. In contrast, the idea-generating Hunter must stay sharp and continually adapt to survive.
To learn more about generating ideas, the traps of a Farmer and the instincts of a Hunter from Better and Faster, pick up a copy HERE.
Throw Away Your Ideas
To Generate New Ideas, Better and Faster Advises Letting Go
Trend Themes
1. Throw Away Ideas - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Encouraging the practice of discarding ideas to stimulate the generation of new and better ones.
2. Continuous Improvement - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Emphasizing the need to continually one-up existing ideas and not rely on past successes.
3. Adaptive Thinking - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Promoting the idea of staying sharp and adapting to new challenges and trends.
Industry Implications
1. Business Consulting - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Consulting firms can advise businesses on the importance of discarding ideas and constantly improving to stay competitive.
2. Innovation Management - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Companies specializing in innovation management can help businesses create a process that encourages throwing away ideas and adapting to change.
3. Professional Development - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Institutions and programs that focus on professional development can incorporate the concepts of throwing away ideas, continuous improvement, and adaptive thinking into their curriculum.