Methods for Generating Ideas for AI Startups

This week, Denis Kalyshkin together with Anna Naumova ran a brainstorming session and generated 141 AI startup ideas. Sixty people participated. Denis talked about the focal object method and the double diamond framework and showed how to apply them in practice. In general, this approach can be used to find creative solutions to almost any problem—from choosing a gift for your spouse to competing with a rival. It helps expand your associative thinking and generate bold ideas you may not have considered before. However, it requires a good mood and turning off judgment and “expert mode.”

How the double diamond method works:

• Stage 1: Write down all ideas the team can come up with (without discussing whether they are good or bad).

• Stage 2: Select the ideas we like.

• Stage 3: Brainstorm again, generating ideas on how to further develop the concepts selected in Stage 2 (again, without judging quality).

• Stage 4: Choose the most promising ideas to take forward.

To generate ideas in Stages 1 and 3, you can use the focal object method, which we applied during the brainstorming session. Here is how it works:

• First, choose any object. In our case, we chose a “dumpling.” The more unusual the object, the better.

• Then, come up with 30–40–50 properties of this object. Such a large number is necessary because the first 10–15 properties will be obvious, while the interesting ones appear later.

• Choose one property, preferably from around the 15th onward. For example, in our case, we had “colorful” and “slippery.”

• Start generating ideas around what a “colorful AI startup” could be. For instance, it could be a solution for converting black-and-white photos into color.

To conclude, I want to share an example I heard in one of the creativity courses. I’m not sure whether it’s a real case or just a story, but it clearly illustrates the application of the methods described above.

At a ski resort in the Alps, there was a problem: ice buildup formed on power lines, causing wires to break. Management invited a team to solve the issue. The team brainstormed for a long time. Eventually, they hit a dead end, and the facilitator suggested that each participant take a walk to a nearby village, buy any object, and explain how they would use it to solve the problem (this is the focal object method).

One participant bought a jar of honey. He suggested placing the jar on top of a utility pole. A bear would come out of the forest, climb the pole, the pole would shake, the snow would fall off, and ice would stop forming. This was Stage 1 of the double diamond.

The response was that the idea itself was, of course, absurd, but the concept of shaking off snow through vibration could actually work (Stage 2 of the double diamond). Then the team started brainstorming ways to create vibration in the power lines (Stage 3 of the double diamond). Eventually, the solution described below was selected (Stage 4 of the double diamond).

In the Alps, skiers often break their legs and have to be evacuated from the slopes by helicopter. Helicopter blades create strong air vibrations. As a result, the team proposed having helicopters fly along power lines.

Honestly, it doesn’t really matter how realistic this story is. It clearly demonstrates how each of you can arrive at original solutions. I wish you success in finding business ideas.

P.S. If you liked the method and managed to come up with something interesting using it, please leave a comment. If you want to learn more, please subscribe to Denis Kalyshkin in LinkedIn.