Where good ideas come from

Steven Johnson

Where good ideas come from

22min

22min

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Where do great ideas come from? What type of environment favours innovation? Behind most great discoveries, in any field, there are some recurring patterns: in Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson identifies seven models of innovation, which also have a lot in common with the history of human evolution. From Darwin and Freud, to Silicon Valley startups, Johnson brings to light the common characteristics of innovation hubs and of the greatest innovators ever known.

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Analysis and key concepts

01.

"Eureka" moments are just a myth: innovation happens through incremental developments, according to the "adjacent possible" model

02.

Liquid networks are ideal environments to connect and complete ideas

03.

The most innovative ideas evolve over time like slow intuitions, not like sudden revolutions

04.

Serendipity and accidental connections generate new ideas: this is why ideas should circulate freely

05.

Making mistakes is a necessary part of the process of innovation and evolution

06.

Innovation thrives by reinventing and reusing the old through the model of “exaptation” or, external adaptation

07.

Platforms are stepping stones for innovation

08.

Quotes

09.

Take-home message

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Many useful tips to:

  • Increase your ability to think creatively.
  • Understand how important connections and your network are for creativity.
  • Value sharing rather than competing.
  • Learn to nurture your intuition.
  • Understand that making mistakes is an important step on the road to innovation.

Steven Johnson (1968), is an American journalist and writer who has written several best-sellers on the juncture of science and technology, which have been translated into over a dozen languages. He is the host of the Emmy-winning PBS series “How We Got to Now” and the American Innovations podcast. He founded the online magazine FEED, and has written for many publications including Wired, TIME, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Nation. Johnson has appeared on numerous television programs to discuss technology, science, and culture.

Publishing house:

Penguin UK

Year:

2010

Pages:

344

ISBN:

978-1594485381