Brainstorming is a group discussion technique used to generate creative ideas and solutions to problems. It involves spontaneously contributing ideas without judgement, building on others' ideas, and aiming for quantity over quality of ideas. The key steps are to define the problem or goal, gather a diverse group of people, establish rules like avoiding criticism, write down all ideas, and follow up on the most promising concepts. Brainstorming helps organizations innovate by collecting many perspectives to identify new opportunities and solutions.

1. Brainstorming
for fun and profit
Alexei Kapterev

2. Q: What is brainstorming
anyway?
A: I have no idea… Let’s
brainstorm this!

3. Agenda
➊ What is a brainstorm?
➋ Why brainstorm?
➌ How to brainstorm?

4. What is a brainstorm?
Brainstorms at INDEX by Jacob Bøtter

5. How do you get new ideas?

6. «
The way to get good ideas is
to get lots of ideas and
throw the bad ones away.
— Linus Pauling,
Nobel Prize winner
Frozen Brainstorm by Steve Jurvetson

7. brainstorm [breɪnstɔːm]
A spontaneous group discussion to
produce ideas and ways of solving
problems.
Oxford American Dictionaries

8. Invented by Alex Osborn
around 1938

9. What did he mean?
or
Storm Storm

10. Why brainstorm?
Brainstorms at INDEX by Jacob Bøtter

11. It helps to innovate
➊ Gather the data
➋ Brainstorm
➌ Criticise
➍ Implement

12. It’s a great way
to get new ideas

13. It makes work more fun

14. «
Brainstorming is ... what
the clients really buy.
— Ethan Rasiel,
The McKinsey Way

15. How to brainstorm?
Brainstorms at INDEX by Jacob Bøtter

16. ➊ The brief
➋ The people
➌ The set
➍ The process
➎ The follow-up

17. Step 1:
The brief

18. « The cardinal rule of
brainstorming is that you
cannot do it successfully
in a vacuum.
— Ethan Rasiel,
The McKinsey Way

20. Before starting:
➊ Prepare the fact sheet
➋ Formulate the question

21. «
Brief is everything.
— Steve Schildwachter,
FCB Global

22. Step 2:
The people

23. Not “experts only”

24. Invite different people

25. Remember:
you need new ideas

26. Present them
the information
(and better not just in a written form)

27. The IDEO experiment
Task: design a new toy

28. 3 brainstorming groups:
Written brief No brief Went to a toy
shop
Which did the best?

29. 3 brainstorming groups:
Written brief No brief Went to a toy
shop
Of course.

30. Step 3:
The set

31. Something to write

32. Something to eat

33. Something unusual*
* You know, for the atmosphere!

34. Step 4:
The process

35. «
The problem is never to get
new ideas in, the problem
is to get the old ideas out.
— Dee Hock,
Visa International

36. «
The point of brainstorming
is the generation of new
ideas. So start with tabula
rasa — a clean slate.
— Ethan Rasiel,
The McKinsey Way

37. Start with a clean slate

38. Let’s stretch by Raj Taneja
Start with a warmup

39. There are lots of them

40. Next, announce:
?  
Problem Target amount Time Rules
of ideas

41. The rules are:
➊ Go for the quantity, not quality
➋ Absolutely no criticism
➌ Weird ideas are welcome
➍ Transform others’ ideas

42. Yes, but...
Yes, and...

43. Avoid moderation!
Moderator by Konstantin Voschanov

44. Remember:
you need new ideas

45. 
But be strict
with the rules.

46. Write whatever they say,
exactly as they say!

47. Got a stupid idea?
Say it out loud.
Just to get rid of it.

48. Stuck? Use creativity aids.

49. Go with the flow!

50.  
The amount
Time’s up?
reached?

51. Now filter what you’ve got.

52. Good?
Bad?
The criteria should be
clear from the brief.

53. And if you are lucky...
Yes, this is gold.

54. What’s ahead? Decide
on your next steps.

55. Step 5:
The follow-up

56. Tell the team about the results.
This is a great opportunity to say...

57. And... this is it.
Brainstorms at INDEX by Jacob Bøtter

58. Recommended books:
The McKinsey Way The Art of Innovation
by Ethan M. Rasiel by Tom Kelley

59. Questions?
Alexei Kapterev
ak@realtimestrategy.ru
www.realtimestrategy.ru