Page 106 - 100 Great Business Ideas: From Leading Companies Around the World (100 Great Ideas)

shoe string. , in automillislcs to hold down haticrics and spane 101
tires, to hold togelli(r 1),I rts of an experimental car designed CREATIVE
by Pontiac, to bind parts of airplane wings together, and to PROBLEM
SOLVING
hold stamps to a letter carrier's mailbag. In fact, Velcro is a TECHNIQUES
component of over 5000 patented products.'"
91
Here's another example of multiple uses:

Bruce DeWoolfson reasoned that if vending machines could
spit out cans and bottles for a few coins they could just as
easily spit out a few coins for empty cans and bottles, which
could then be recycled. His firm places these "redeemer"
machines in store throughout the states where recycling is
mandated by law. The firm grossed $18 million in 1986. 37

You can use the same approach to find solutions to other
problems. For instance, are you looking for a name for a
product? Listing possible uses for it may suggest a good
name.

49/23. THE NAPOLEON TECHNIQUE

Pretend that you are someone famous and try to solve the
problem from that person's perspective. 38 Your assumed
identity may give you new perspectives on a problem. For

example, what would Isaac Newton do if he were confronted
by your problem? General George Patton? Napoleon?
Mother Theresa?

50/24. ORGANIZED RANDOM SEARCH

For many people a favorite way of coming up with new ideas

is to pick a page of a dictionary at random
and use the words on that page to gen-
erate ideas the way one uses a
verbal checklist. You could use
any book, even a catalog. Sim-
ply pick a page and look for words.
Then use a two-dimensional matrix to
compare the words on that page with an
object or problem and/or its attributes. Sometimes you sim-
ply pick a word on that page and begin to make associa-
tions. This technique is often used by artists, writers, and
others who depend on creativity for a livelihood. Managers