Ideation & Brainstorming
You've validated a problem worth solving. Now it's time to generate solutions! Great ideation is about quantity first, then quality. In this lesson, you'll learn proven techniques to generate creative solutions.
Brainstorming Rules
What's the main rule of brainstorming?
60-Second Idea Sprint
Problem: First-gen college students don't have access to career mentorship that their peers with connected families have.
When the timer starts, pick the MOST creative solution direction:
The SCAMPER Technique
SCAMPER is a creativity checklist that helps you modify existing ideas:
S - Substitute
What can you replace? Different materials, people, processes?
C - Combine
What can you merge? Combine features, ideas, or purposes?
A - Adapt
What can you borrow from elsewhere? Other industries, contexts?
M - Modify
What can you change? Make bigger, smaller, faster, different?
P - Put to Other Uses
How else can it be used? Different audiences, contexts?
E - Eliminate
What can you remove? Simplify, streamline?
R - Reverse/Rearrange
What if you flip it? Change order, do the opposite?
SCAMPER Memory Check
S = , C = , A = , M =
Diverge, Then Converge
The Double Diamond
Phase 1 - Diverge: Generate as many ideas as possible. No criticism allowed. Wild ideas welcome.
Phase 2 - Converge: Evaluate, filter, and select the most promising ideas to develop further.
Ideation Scenario
What's the best response during the DIVERGE phase?
🌟 Perfect Brainstorming!
In diverge mode, you build on ideas rather than judging them. "Yes, and..." keeps momentum. Even unrealistic ideas can spark realistic ones.
👍 Getting There
Good to capture the idea, but discussing feasibility should wait for the converge phase. Keep the creative energy flowing first!
⚠️ Brainstorm Killer
Criticizing ideas during diverge phase shuts down creativity. Even "bad" ideas can lead to great ones. Save judgment for later.
How to Evaluate Ideas
Once you have many ideas, evaluate them using these criteria:
- Impact: How much does this solve the problem?
- Feasibility: Can you actually build this?
- Differentiation: Is this meaningfully different from existing solutions?
- Scalability: Can this grow beyond the first few customers?
Rapid Ideation Challenge
BrainstormSet a 10-minute timer. Generate at least 15 solution ideas for your problem. No judging—just write!
Example Ideation
Problem: First-gen students don't know how to find internships
Ideas:
1. Peer mentorship app matching students with recent grads
2. Company database filtered by "first-gen friendly"
3. Weekly email with step-by-step recruiting timeline
4. Resume templates from successful first-gen students
5. Video interviews with first-gen professionals sharing their paths
6. Chrome extension that simplifies job postings
7. Group coaching calls with career coaches
8. Slack community for first-gen job seekers
9. AI that suggests companies based on your profile
10. Partnership with companies for exclusive first-gen positions
11. Virtual job shadowing platform
12. "First-gen friendly" certification for companies
13. Referral network where alumni refer students
14. Application tracker with deadline reminders
15. Cold email templates and scripts
Evaluate Your Top Ideas
AnalysisPick your 3 best ideas and score them:
Example Evaluation
Idea 1: Peer mentorship matching - Impact: 5, Feasibility: 3, Differentiation: 4 = 12
Idea 2: Weekly step-by-step email - Impact: 4, Feasibility: 5, Differentiation: 3 = 12
Idea 3: Alumni referral network - Impact: 5, Feasibility: 2, Differentiation: 5 = 12
Winner: Weekly email - Same score but highest feasibility. I can start this TOMORROW with no tech. Perfect MVP to test if content helps before building complex features.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Generate many ideas before judging any of them
- Use SCAMPER to systematically modify and improve ideas
- Diverge (create) first, then converge (evaluate)
- Score ideas on impact, feasibility, and differentiation
- Wild ideas can lead to breakthrough solutions