The Idea Hunter: How to Find the Best Ideas and Make them Happen

Preface: Why Hunt? xi

Introduction: Brilliance Not Required 1

Already Out There 3

Ready to Unlearn 7

1 Know Your Gig 11

The Discernment 13

The Circle of Competence 17

Gigs Matter 19

The I–D–E–A Principles

Interested

2 Be Interested, Not Just Interesting 25

Curiosity at the Trading Post 28

Learning Machines 29

Your Brain is Open 33

Defining Your Own Hunt 36

Ideawork #1: Selling the Best Hour of the Day to Yourself 39

Diverse

3 Diversifying the Hunt 47

The Color of Your Ideas 49

When Weak Ties are Strong 51

Widening Your Intellectual Bandwidth 54

Bridging Distant Worlds 58

Ideas are Everywhere 61

Ideawork #2: The I’S and T’S 65

Exercised

4 Mastering the Habits of the Hunt 71

The Practice of Ideas 73

Begin with an Eye 75

Observing at the Ritz 77

Erecting a Personal Platform of Observation 80

Write It Down 83

Get It Moving 86

Observe Yourself 88

Ideawork #3: Assembling an Idea Portfolio 91

Exercised

4 Mastering the Habits of the Hunt 71

The Practice of Ideas 73

Begin with an Eye 75

Observing at the Ritz 77

Erecting a Personal Platform of Observation 80

Write It Down 83

Get It Moving 86

Observe Yourself 88

Ideawork #3: Assembling an Idea Portfolio 91

Agile

5 Idea Flow is Critical 101

The Case of the Guitar Strings 104

Creating Idea Spaces at Pixar 106

Finding the “Informal Bosses” 110

Letting Ideas Percolate 112

When It’s Time to “Kill” Ideas 115

Ideawork #4: Ready, Set, Launch 121

6 Create Great Conversations 129

“Continuers” and “Terminators” 132

The Value of a Naive Question 136

Preparing for the Big Conversation 138

Epilogue: Thoreau and the I-D-E-A Assessment 143

References 151

Acknowledgments 161

About the Authors 165

Index 167