My name is Matas and when asked, I consider myself an intern – always learning. However, research, strategy, business development and idea generation are the cornerstones of my work.
I want to pull back the curtain and give you a glimpse into what my job actually entails, including everything you need to know about idea generation and the misconceptions surrounding creators. Hint: It’s more calculated than it seems.
Let’s go.
What should I do?
Being an Innovation Manager means I am hired to create new and innovative products and help others create theirs. The aim is to guarantee these products high quality and a unique marketing strategy.
Ultimately, there is nothing extraordinary about innovation. It’s just a magical term that’s hard to describe and seems to have a certain mystique surrounding it. However, I would describe it as taking two old things and figuring out how to create something new from them.
It’s very rare that we come up with something completely unique – it’s often more about expanding on something that started a long time ago.
Thus, I encourage specific principles of team thinking. I also help people get into a certain framework that helps them structure somewhat creative thinking, in order to come up with more imaginative ideas and better products that would appeal to the market.
Principles of idea generation
Not a single leading innovator or creator in the world was a magician or possessed superpowers. They simply followed the principles that helped them find their solutions. Let me briefly explain these principles.
Principle number 1 is research. You need to know as much as possible about the world and feed your curiosity. Research the niche that interests you and gather as much information as possible.
The next step is to review this information. Refine it and look for patterns between what was created and what failed, then analyze it. Do some experiments.
The third principle is to do nothing related to what you have sought. This is what artists and musicians do too: they step back and do nothing. Instead, they focus on something new. What do I mean by that?
Let’s take a look at some famous examples. As some believe, Newton was lying under a tree when an apple fell on his head, and he then became aware of gravity. Edison came up with the idea for the light bulb while sitting on the toilet. Ideas came to their minds while they were doing something unrelated.
This happens because the first step you take is thorough research and experimentation. After leaving the topic, the information consolidates and the brain filters out everything that is unnecessary and connects the patterns between what is meaningful.
The 4th step is where you need to get to work. You understand the concept, create briefs and prepare pitches. Think about how you will talk, explain and write about this idea. This also involves creating an MVP prototype, etc.
I’ve noticed all of these steps talked about in different contexts, but the one I admire the most is in a little book called “A Technique for Producing Ideas” by James Webb Young, which I highly recommend reading.
The Best Startups Start in Your Mom’s Garage
To be honest, creators and innovators are often very glorified. People think that those who create something are mysterious and special beings. However, creating something is just hard work. There is a book called “How to Make a Horse Fly” by Kevin Ashton, which analyzes many great inventions and their inventors and defines, in great detail, their attitude through their life stories.
As Kevin Ashton described it, and I completely agree with him: creating is more of a monotony than an adventure.
It’s the early morning hours and late nights: long hours of work that risk failing or being cut or erased – a process without progress that must be repeated daily for years. The beginning is difficult, but continuing is more difficult.
Those seeking a glamorous lifestyle should not pursue art, science, innovation, invention, or anything that requires novelty. Creation is a long journey filled with many wrong turns and dead ends. The most crucial thing creators do is work. The only thing they avoid at all costs is giving up.
It’s all about the time, effort, and work you put into thinking and problem-solving.
I’ve noticed that engineers create the best products because they immerse themselves in an area for years and then say, “I see a missed opportunity in the market and I can seize it.” »
Additionally, there is a saying that “the best startups start in your mother’s garage.” In fact, it serves as a laboratory for the creator and the inventor. They cut themselves off from the world, read, research, experiment, analyze, etc.
It doesn’t matter where it happens, as long as you gain knowledge and know how to translate that knowledge into perspective. You need to determine whether the world needs your idea and whether it solves a problem.
Your passion is the greatest driver of innovation
Every idea begins with the desire to solve a problem, whether it’s yours, your father’s, your neighbor’s, or the world’s.
Ultimately, the most revolutionary ideas are those that save or improve lives. As a species, we all strive to create a better environment for ourselves – this is coded in our DNA. We are like parasites seeking to thrive in our environment.
I’ve also noticed that ideas fueled by passion are often the most successful. Because you are trying to solve a problem that affects you personally, you have a problem.
The greater the pain, the greater the passion to resolve it.
Do you feel like you have any of these ideas? Check out our Co-founded program.
Matas Olendra
Head of Innovation
