Methods of the Masters

A blog on the art & science of creative action.

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Make It To Make It Better

Philippe Barreaud, Head of Michelin’s Customer Labs, has a hard-won portfolio of insights from leading global innovation for 20+ years. Here, he revels in the paradoxes of prototyping as a toolkit.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Decompartmentalize

One of the most trajectory-shifting inputs for Phoebe Yao’s start-up came when she least expected it: not during a mind-blowing mentor meeting arranged by a VC, but in a chance encounter with a friend in the park. 

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

The Problem With Solving Problems

I had the privilege of thinking alongside the brilliant Kim Scott, and shared some insights on her “Radical Candor” blog. Re-posting here with her permission. Feedback welcome!

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Look for What’s Right

The definition of “genius” changes as teams shift between convergent and divergent modes — and what gets rewarded should, too.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Host A Shoot Out

Rick Rubin is one of the most successful music producers of all time, in any genre. His has more in common with technology innovators like Steve Jobs than some fans might suspect.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Don’t Abandon Your Idea Just Yet

Early stage founder gets devastating feedback on a rough concept pitch. What should she do? Don’t give up quickly! Make small tweaks before making big pivots.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Don’t Avoid Failure

What if eliminating failure reduces the likelihood of a breakthrough? There’s lots of research that suggests that’s the case.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Cultivate Broad Correspondence

Charles Darwin wrote an astounding 15,000 letters to over 230 collaborators across more than 10 different scientific fields. He understood the value of sharing partially-formulated ideas.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Set Obscene Deadlines

Some of the most creative people I know — from Lin Manuel-Miranda to Whitney Burks — share a common, creative secret: “obscene, ostentatious deadlines.”

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Delay Decisions

One of the most famous studies of creativity was conducted by a former spy-master. The insights he pioneered about productive, effective creativity never cease to surprise…

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Keep The Night Watch

B.F. Skinner’s strict working habits reveal not only how he became such a prodigious writer, but also how he became such an inventive researcher: he made the most of his nights!

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Keep A Junk Pile

How do you increase the velocity of experimentation? According to Thomas Edison, “To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.”

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Make Scrappy Experiments

Innovators from Edison to Netflix teach us that while every innovator should know how to craft clever experiments, yet one clever experiment is hardly sufficient… you’ve got to get scrappy.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Commission A Portfolio

We tell students at Stanford to create portfolios of early stage directions for a simple reason: it increases the likelihood of success. Research shows that we’re unlikely to select our highest-potential idea.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Encourage Youth to Explore

A theme has emerged in my study of breakthrough thinkers: the role that parents play in shaping aspirations. Breakthrough parents plant bold dreams in their kids’ hearts!

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Have Lots More Ideas

Linus Pauling succinctly describes the essence of productive creativity: “The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.” Sounds simple enough. But just how many is “lots”?

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Be Scientific

Entrepreneurial endeavors are fraught with risk. Rigorous, scientific experimentation is the best way to resolve the uncertainty.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Strengthen Your Memory

In her legendary memoir on writing and life, Anne Lamott shares a simple but crucial tip for avoiding one of the worst feelings that can ever befall an individual in the midst of creative pursuit.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Buck Convention

Plato, Newton, and Einstein all demonstrate that, when you’re on the brink of ushering in a new era, you’ve got to be willing to resist well-intentioned opposition.

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Jeremy Utley Jeremy Utley

Host A Listening Party

Bon Jovi took an unconventional approach to deciding which tracks to include on their third album. We should all be glad they did.

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