We do this simply by outlining (physically writing down) each value and the differences between the qualities of that product or service (lets call it, "thing"). Differences are the manifestation of a change in industry that propagates into a product for monetization. Simply said, find what makes you tick and why. What makes your passion different from others and why does your company's or your product's qualities matter? The "thing" is then an outcome from the information landscape that achieves a viable difference in people's lives.

Dismantling a product or service, brand or identify (again were calling this a "thing"), one can best start with describing the relationship between ideas and their differences to what is currently out there in the market. Its a systematic process, and one should start by not only looking at the "thing's" innate qualities but also measuring the values that inherently alters their lives. Viewpoints become essential in this case. As one can talk about the "thing's" differences and qualities they must isolate their biases. We have worked with businesses that can't do this. We have worked with businesses that can, and the difference between the outcomes is fairly outstanding.

Repeat: Differences are the basis of good ideas

Why do differences matter? Differences are a reflex. They are an instant jolt the minute something changes in your landscape of perception. Take a look around your environment and find something that you haven’t seen before.

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Let's Practice: Finding difference in products on your desk, in the car or at home.

Maybe it’s on the ceiling, the walls, or a poster that is hanging in the cubical next to you. It’s obvious and it’s human nature to think, “I think I have seen this type of product before. - there are 100's of similar pens out there”. It’s actually quite normal for the brain to absorb something new and then perceive it as something we have seen a hundred of times before. This is called a contextual bias and is dangerous to creativity and invention. The solution is looking at the different qualities of the item (say the pen), color, shape, grip, holder, glide, pressure points, and then ask questions on things it's either missing, maybe hidden or maybe not invented yet - is it digital? Why not? Why couldn't it talk?

Just as you find differences in your immediate physical world, you can find difference in a theoretical context. This is a brain activity that expands beyond the physical natural landscape and begins to create things that don’t exist yet. You do this every day and most likely your greatest ideas come from going to a new place, trying a different dry cleaner or speaking with people you haven’t before.

Human Motivation, 3rd ed., by Robert E. Franken states that creativity comes from “being able to view things in new ways or from a different perspective. Among other things, you need to be able to generate new possibilities or new alternatives. Tests of creativity measure not only the number of alternatives that people can generate but the uniqueness of those alternatives. the ability to generate alternatives or to see things uniquely does not occur by change; it is linked to other, more fundamental qualities of thinking, such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability, and the enjoyment of things heretofore unknown”. (page 394).

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Connectivity

You can’t possibly find differences in your world by doing the same thing every day. Period. Ideas come from other entities and they are all inherently connected, built on top of different scenarios and all have a shared signal attribute. Connectivity.

Now this isn't to say to spend $3000.00 dollars a month on the hottest incubator club. But it does put to light that to mentally and physically explore your interests in a different way, you have to be inconvenienced. Do go to a different website or go to an incubator pitch night at your local cafe. Do something you haven’t seen or experienced before. Let people talk first and ask them question that are deeper than their perception of the weather. Understand other perspectives and spend time in your board rooms searching for differences in your employee’s cognitive frame of mind. At school sit in a class that you’re not scheduled for (oops sorry professors). Find group members that are most quiet and pair them with the loudest.

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Bottom line. Differences must be sought after (you physically have to search for them or make something that causes differences) and opportunities must be hunted (and you have to have a keen shot). Differences are the basis of creativity and in creativity your elasticity of solutions heightens. Finding the disruptive nature of your product is key to finding the absolute key to solving your market’s problem.