Good - How to generate ideas

(1)

How to start?

Last year, while I was working as an executive at an advertising agency in Chicago, I got a call one day from a Western manager at a prominent magazine.

He said he had an urgent matter and wanted to see me immediately. Not long after, he burst into my office, panting for breath.

“We have a meeting today,” he said. “We have a meeting of our sales staff in the West. The focus of the discussion is on how to improve our sales.”

"In our discussions, we tried to analyze the sales methods used by other successful publishing house salespeople. Among all of them, we paid special attention to the success of 'Mr. Kobler' from American Weekly."

“When we looked at why he was so successful, we all came to the conclusion that it was all about one thing. They weren't just selling places, they were selling ideas.”

"

"So..." he continued enthusiastically. "We've decided what to do. From now on, we won't sell our places at all. Starting tomorrow morning, we'll be selling our beliefs individually."

This is probably because you only care about appearance. That's why we have come this far to discuss it, I replied.

"Not yet," he continued sadly.

“It’s true that what we can see and should do is sell ideas. But what we end up with is that we’re confused about how we’re going to get ideas.”

"So, why did I come here?"

"I think you can tell."

"You must have produced a bunch of advertising ideas. How did you get these? My boys are waiting for a response from me."

Now I understand. I thought the question was so trivial, and if the person asking it wasn't so serious, I would have laughed out loud at this point.

I've never been asked a more ridiculously simple question at this point. I'm not at all capable of giving a helpful answer to this.

I understand that "How did you come up with this idea?" is not a stupid question. There may be an answer to this. I often think about it.

(2)

The formula of experience

One idea I've been thinking about is that there's a mysterious quality to the stories of little islands that suddenly appear in the middle of the Southern Ocean, lending a touch of romance to the stories.

According to ancient seafarers, the map depicted a beautiful, circular coral island that suddenly appeared on the dark blue sea. A magical, ethereal atmosphere hung above the small island.

I think it's the same with ideas. They just appear suddenly, just above the surface of the mind. Like a magical, ethereal atmosphere.

But what scientists know is that the tiny coral islands in the Southern Ocean are the result of countless hours of work by invisible reef builders working just below the surface.

So, I have to ask myself this: "Is a concept the same? The surface of consciousness."

"Is it just the final result of a long, invisible series of conceptual processes happening underneath?"

If that were the case, we could identify these processes. Only then would we be able to consciously follow and apply them. In short, a method, a formula, could be developed to answer this question. How did you come up with the ideas?

Now, what I want to offer you is the result of a long period of thinking about these questions. It includes the results of closely evaluating the work of people who produce the same ideas as me in the organizations I work with.

I conclude that this is the production of ideas, like the precision of a process like Ford's production of cars. It is the production of ideas by the brain, which can learn and control a "method of operation" like a line that produces cars in batches. Using it effectively, like using any manual tool effectively, requires a lot of practice in the technique.

If you're wondering why I'd want to throw away this precious formula of discovery, let me tell you, it's because this experience taught me two things.

The first is that the formula is so simple to explain that people who hear it actually believe it.

The second reason is that while it is simple to explain, in practice it requires compliance with the most difficult types of intellectual tasks. Not all recipients use it.

That way, I can broadcast this formula without any real fear of ridicule in the marketplace where I make my living.