You might want to revise your idea about an idea
An idea MAY NOT necessarily be innovation
In the last issue, my contemplation was primarily on demarcating a distinctive line between creation and creativity. I also attempted to strike a difference between an idea and an assignment. In this issue, I will be focusing on the various traits of an idea. Here’s my two cent. Most ideas are either an attempt for innovation or improvisation — pretty much what we call problem-solving. There are some ideas, though, that are identifications and elaborations of existing problems, while some others are conceptualizations of new paradigms or unseen problems. Ideas can also be analysis and critique of other ideas or they can be hypothesis formulations. Many ideas, interestingly, are none of these but rather, just pure creative writings.
Ideation is ALWAYS a social phenomenon
If I have to characterize ideas in general then, I think, there aren’t too many ideas one can conceive that do not obey these two laws:
- An idea is a composition of simpler ideas.
- An idea intrinsically implies teamwork — whether direct or indirect.
One might be able to buy the first law, but what about the second law? How is it a teamwork when I am, say reading up some articles in Scientific American, or perhaps, watching Iron Man to build the robot cleaner for my mom (see the previous issue if you are too curious about this)? Imagine that I have googled up a lot of content so far and I am really on my idea now. So, where is the team here? Interestingly, if one looks deep enough, one can understand that I have actually gotten a virtual, invisible team backing my idea — a team that is distributed, whose members do not even know each other. But I have with me all their documented answers, experiences, research, failures, expressed in the form of books or papers or web pages. And yes, they are the bees — the collective smartness in action without being aware of the “emerging intelligence”. It was an inter-dependent and causal thread of observations, failures, and success that gave me the recipe to make my mom happy. Don’t you think that this makes it even more important that we behave like active bees, instead of passive ones, by knowing each other and enriching each other’s ideation process? Do share your views.
Ideas are RARELY stolen
Well, this is unbelievably true. If you have an idea and you feel you should not be sharing it then either that’s not an idea worth sharing, or you have no idea how less important your idea execution is to others! Most people would love to have the new gen Apple Airpod but very few would be willing to build it if there had been an idea leak out of Apple. Even if a few Bravehearts do emerge still it would be a big deal to quickly get the right team who would be equally enthusiastic in getting that Airpod done before Apple does it. And, this is not because Apple is a giant but because we are primarily consumers at heart, and not inventors or entrepreneurs. But say, in the worst case scenario, somebody does get it going after the hassle of teaming up and beats you in the “race”. Well, then don’t you think you have either been too lazy yourself to execute it or the idea execution was just too trivial? :-) But interestingly, we don’t quite realize it often that there will be a lot of people who would advertently (and inadvertently as well) help you in polishing that dream idea of yours. You might even stumble upon soul mates who would embark upon your adventure, adopting your baby as theirs! It seems that sharing is too good to believe :-).
Do you love sharing? In any case, do share your thoughts on sharing ;-) ! The next issue will cover something quite controversial — collaboration. What’s so controversial about something that we do all the time? That’s what I am going to explain, but till then adieu.
