“When you see a good move, don’t make it immediately. Look for a better one.”

George Bernard Shaw once said, “Few people think more than two or three times a year. I’ve made an international reputation for myself by thinking once or twice a week.”15 As Shaw knew, hustle and creativity are antithetical to each other. You can’t generate breakthroughs while clearing out your inbox. You must dig the well before you’re thirsty

When we immediately launch into answer mode, we end up chasing the wrong problem. When we rush to identify solutions—when we fall in love with our diagnosis—our initial answer hides better ones lurking in plain sight.

THE NEXT TIME you’re tempted to engage in problem solving, try problem finding instead. Ask yourself, Am I asking the right question? If I changed my perspective, how would the problem change? How can I frame the question in terms of strategy, instead of tactics? How do I flip the thumbtack box and view this resource in terms of its form, not its

The key to making the relationship work is combinatory play. The scientists learn some engineering, and the engineers learn some science.

Everyone—and I mean everyone—is a walking imperfection. Even genius isn’t blunder-proof.

When people ask Gaiman for advice on how to be a writer, his answer is simple: “Get bored.”48 Stephen King agrees: “Boredom can be a very good thing for someone in a creative jam.”

Near misses are a rich source of data for a simple reason. They happen far more frequently than accidents. They’re also significantly less costly. By examining near misses, you can gather crucial data without incurring the costs of failure.

Amazon takes a similar backward perspective on its products.84 Amazonians write internal press releases for products that don’t yet exist. Each press release functions as a thought experiment—the initial vision of a breakthrough idea. The document describes the “customer problem, how current solutions (internal or external) fail, and how the new