Read about the Academy Experience
08/02/2011: Brainstorming with Sarah Bishop from StartingBloc
Posted by Administrator on July 12, 2011 at 5:19 PM EDT
My What a Big Brain You Have
How does an entrepreneur generate a winning concept or product? Where is the next big idea going to come from? While we can't tell you what it will be or who it will belong to, it's a fair bet that the earliest stages of the idea will stem from a brainstorming session. Sarah Bishop from StartingBloc says that there are two central rules to establishing a super productive brainstorming session: 1. No Negativity 2. Enforce Time Limits.
The goal is to set expectations. Time limits help keep a group focused on ideas. A "no negative responses" rule helps keep a group on track. The number one reason for a failed brainstorm is that some sour person shoots down idea after idea. Bishop suggests ways to troubleshoot the frustration of "No". The phrase "Yes and…" is a very useful workaround. In addition, it's a good idea to contribute reasons you like an idea to keep people in the flow of the moment.
Students engage in several brainstorms over the course of this seminar, warming up with "The Bottle Exercise": Write down all the uses of a plastic bottle you can think of. After sharing ideas with each other, the class moves on to several more brainstorming activities including:
» A Product Ideas Brainstorm
» A Marketing & Advertising Brainstorm
» A Target Markets Brainstorm
Bishop consistently encourages participants to ask, "Why is brainstorming important?" and "How can we use the ideas we just generated." The seminar finishes with a brief Marketing 101 discussion that covers the 4P's of marketing: Price, Product, Place, and Promotion. A classic piece of entrepreneurship advice is this: You should be a part of your target market. However, it's clear that strong brainstorming practices allow young entrepreneurs to move beyond this restraint.
