I was putting the finishing touches on “Turning Ideas into Market-Winning Products” and decided to include a reference to Steven Johnson’s enlightening and entertaining TED talk titled “Where Good Ideas Come From.”
Coincidently, I am sitting in a coffee shop writing this – an environment Johnson says fosters innovative thinking. I think so too!
The philosophy of developing ideas, he asserts, includes the following concepts:
- The coffee house concept – tapping into different sources for ideas, which are then combined and built upon – is the normal wellspring of innovation.
- Ideas come from a network of people, rarely from an individual.
- Looking for ideas must be purposeful.
- Provide space for “hunches” to develop.
The video is very good. Among the important concepts, the example of creating a neo-natal incubator for use in third world countries, using a design that can be maintained locally, teaches several important lessons.
The primary responsibilities for an organization are product management and innovation. They deliver value to customers. They're also exciting responsibilities for those properly equipped. That is my job - equipping product managers and innovators. 
