How to Solve Impossible Problems
I love impossible problems. Am I insane? That is hotly debated. But the reason I love impossible problems is there are so many possible innovations in every impossible problem. In fact there are at least 225 possible solutions to most seemingly impossible problems.
That’s a lot of innovation.
Very little is truly impossible. Most seemingly impossible problems result from assumptions that hide the solutions. The typical impossible problem is the result of two competing goals. If you improve one feature the other suffers. The goals compete. You want to improve both but can’t so it seems impossible.
How do you solve impossible problems? Break the problem in two and solve each part separately.
For instance electric vehicles solve a lot of problems. Electric cars are very efficient and don’t produce any point of use toxic emissions. The problem with electric cars is they can’t drive very far on a single charge.
Even with a lot of improvements in battery technology electric cars just haven’t gained the type of range most people would like. Recharging takes a long time so an electric car isn’t good for long trips.
How do we solve it? Break the problem in two and solve separately.
The goals are low point of use toxic emissions, and long range. If we break out long range we can solve that a number of ways.
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Breaking Out of Average
Creating Passionate Users: Attenuation and the suck threshold. A great article on the mindset needed to be an innovator. Most people and the businesses they work in are good enough. They got past the “I don’t suck” threshold but really don’t move much beyond that.
The article talks about being the best in the world. I prefer to be the best possible. Being the best in the world is a scarcity mindset, just another way of dividing up a limited pie. If the world stinks then being best doesn’t say much.
Read the article, its lively and challenging and touches on neurology, a subject I’ve spent a lot of time studying.
WCBN – Interactive Technology Interview – Part 1 – 2006 Dec 19
We discuss viral marketing, the online TV show I produce being spotlighted on Veoh.com, video advertising systems such as Revver.com, BitTorrent, Creative Commons, and business models that use file sharing and how artists and other creators of intellectual works can get paid for their works in a world of unlimited file sharing.
WCBN – Interactive Technology Interview – Part 1 – 2006 Dec 19
WCBN.org radio University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Predictive Innovation Training
Predictive Innovation: Core Skills Book
RoundSquareTriangle.com