IdeaLabOr, How to Generate to a Good Idea in About an Hour

Shashi Jain | @skjain2

Hi, I’m Shashi

• TiE Youth Curriculum designer, mentor, instructor• Intel IoT Innovation Manager• Organizer, Portland 3D

Printing Lab• Founder of MatterCompilers

Life Begins Where your Comfort Zone Ends. -NEALE DONALD WALSCH

IdeaLab Workshop Timeline• (:05) Overview / TYE Oregon• (:10) Practice / Ice Breaker• (:35) Develop Ideas

• (:10) Idea Expansion – Generate lots of ideas• (:10) Idea Contraction – Mine the best concepts• (:15) Teamwork: Develop a 1 minute pitch

• (10) Present

What is a Viable Idea?• An Idea in which you’d invest your time and money.

• Evidence of Product-Market fit• Customers with a big problem to solve• Product that eases customers’ pain

• The right product for the right customer at the right time.

LEAN

So what happens if you’re stuck?

IDEALABHow we kickstart TYE Oregon

“The best way to have a great idea is to generate lots of ideas.”

Linus PaulingFather of Molecular Biology

Nobel Peace Prize and Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Born in Portland, OR | OSU Graduate

Create one great idea in one hour in 4 simple steps.WHY ARE WE HERE?

And the Four Steps Are…• Choose Limits (Goal, Theme, Time)• Create a Lot of Ideas• Multiply those Ideas• Optimize for Practicality

Ice Breaker – Practice Generating Ideas• Create a lot of ideas

• Quantity Matters

• Think Horizontally, Vertically, Laterally, Humorously, Seriously, Practically…

• Suspend Judgment

• Challenge Status Quo

Let’s Get Crackin’• Goal: MINIMUM of 25 different uses

• Theme: A daily object (you’ll see)

• Time: 5 minutes

• Prize 1 – Most Ideas (quantity matters!)

• Prize 2 – Most Unique Idea (quality matters!)

Pair of SOCKS

Ready for IdeaLab?• Step 1: Generate Ideas (:05)

• Write 1-2 word concepts formed around the charter statement

• Step 2: Multiply Ideas (:05)• Create more concepts based on the charter statement

• Step 3: Create Customer Concepts (:10)• Use keywords to create several product or service concepts

• Step 4: Develop & Pitch Your Concept (:15)• Form small groups and develop 1 min pitch

Ideas

Ideas

concepts

pitch

Draw this on three sheets of paper

This is your Idea Canvas

Charter Statement

Ultimate 3D Printing

Step 1a: Generate Ideas•Write 1-4 word concepts related to the charter.•One concept per sticky note.•Don’t constrain yourself•Quantity! (best:60)

Instant, Custom

Food

Charter Statement: Ultimate 3D Printing

Step 1b: Generate Ideas

•Choose 4 sticky notes at random• Place them in the corners of the idea canvas•Do this for THREE idea canvases

Charter Statement: Ultimate 3D Printing

Step 2a: Multiply Ideas

• Pass your sheets of paper to someone else• I’ll tell you how• Your goal: End up with

none of your own pages

Step 2b: Multiply Ideas

• Write 1-2 word concepts below each sticky, in each corner.• These should be

inspired by all the words on the page.• Spend ~1 minute per

corner.

Charter Statement: Ultimate 3D Printing

mobileiPhoneAndroid

Regenerative

Implantmedical

Portable

MutantBio

Step 2c: Spread Your Ideas

• Pass your sheets of paper to someone else• I’ll tell you how• Your goal: End up with

none of your own pages

Step 3: Create Customer Concepts• Write one-sentence

product concepts in the center diamond. • Use the charter statement

and the words written on the page.• It’s ok if you can’t use

them all.• Repeat for all your idea

canvases.

iPhone 10 is a 3D Printed, implant with tattoo controls.

Charter Statement: Ultimate 3D Printing

mobileiPhoneAndroid

Implantmedical

tattooart

mehndi

Step 4a: Create a Pitch

• Divide into small teams• Discuss the concepts in the

center diamond of your idea canvases

• Pick one concept you’d like to work on

• Feel free to add/combine your ideas!

Step 4b: Create a 1min Pitch

• Who are you?• What is the problem you

solve?• What is your product or

service?• Who is your customer?• What is your story?

Present1 MIN PITCH

Three Takeaways

Set Clear Charter & Goals

Combine Ideas, Shamelessly

Create Urgency

Shashi Jain | @skjain2

Backup

Takeaways1. Set a Goal- Just enough to get to the next step

2. Combine your ideas! Innovation is a team sport

3. Time Limit Creates Sense of Urgency

4. Ideas are easy to generate. Execution is everything.

5. TYE is 10x more fun than this!

Basics

• Set a Goal, Theme, Time Limit

• Expansion + Mixing / Contraction / Honing phases

• Concepts -> Ideas -> Practicality

• Output: Pithy, Practical Presentation

How Again?

1. Set Goal2. Choose a Direction / Theme3. Set a Time Limit