How do new ideas emerge (study case: Spreadshirt)

[Torsten]

This is a follow-up discussion on our previous conversation Bionade from the land of Ideas? in which we explored the origin and nature of ideas. Michael suggested we start a new topic so everyone can share their views on how good ideas emerge and materialize.

So how do you measure the value of an idea? I think we can agree that everybody will have their own definition of the term 'a good idea'. To give our discussion some direction I'd like to propose the following: We can run a some type of workshop in which we introduce a new concept, a new company, a new product, a new service or any combination of those components. By analyzing novelties we can come up with a pattern that shows how new ideas are created and developed.

Here is an example: Spreadshirt is new word, a new company and in a way it's also a new philosophy. Their founders could see a few years into the future and had a couple of brilliant ideas paired with a strong will to succeed. The word spreadshirt is a clever combination of spread and shirt. There a many associations with these two words such as spread the word, spreadsheet, a good spread etc. Spreadshirt started in 2001 as a German idea and now it's spreading throughout the world via the Internet.

They already have subsidiaries in many European countries and in the US. The vast majority of start-up Internet companies are founded in the US from where they move to Europe. With Spreadshirt it's vice versa. They have been able to create a brand their customers love and a company their employees can identify with. In addition they share their infrastructure with a growing network of affiliated web sites enabling them to share the Spreadshirt success story.

We could analyze the concept in detail but first let's hear your ideas on this...

TOEIC listening, talks: Sports club executive introduces new basketball coach

[Svem1]

Has found on the site Personal progress an interesting articles about generation of useful ideas