About the book 

This time I read the book in paper format. Compared to previous books this one more of a snack than a heavy intellectual trip. Maybe the reason was that there were less than 200 pages to be red. Not that the previous comments would make the content less inspiring. 

How was the actual reading of the book? 

Johanssons book is basically like mini stories, but with common narrative. Reading of the book is easy and quick. His book reminds me of the advices that the Creative Social last publication had also. Typically Johansson has few ideas in one chapter which he evaluates in the chapter. Secondly the names of the chapters are more like questions which he answers during the chapter. Thirdly he highlights great many times his concept of making novel ideas. That he calls the Intersection and the Medici effect. Place where unique ideas can be found or invented. The place is a crossing of different disciplines and that creates clash which generates novel ideas. I could call it the Medici strategy. So finding new and unconventional things will lead into ideas that you have never met.

What are the key learnings of the book? 

Key learnings can be categorized into five findings and a strategy:

Pursue many ideas

• In the Intersection or in the Medici effect one can create enormous amount of ideas. Use the tide of the Intersection and try to generate a lot of ideas.
• Quality and quantity goes hand-by-hand in ideas.
• Many ideas generate more possibilities than less.
• More is more and more is better. 

 Intersectional innovations are better than directional innovations.

• Those are more creative.
• Those are radical.
• And because those change the world.  

New ideas should not be executed at once.

• Write down new ideas instantly when those occur, but allow time for evaluation of the ideas. Brains at work!
• Make judgement of the idea after some time. Sleep over it!  

Trial and error vs. resources.

• You should not put all-in like Boo.com did.
• One should invest enough, but saving some resources for iterations.
• “Try ideas that fail to find those that won’t.”  

Intersectional innovators can turn into leaders.

• These innovators differentiate from conventional ones.
• They are productive, because they create new ideas all the time. Not just when it’s time to innovate.
• Like Elon Musk, Marcus Samuelsson, Thomas Edison or Richard Branson.

The Medici strategy

• Find Intersectional ideas.
• Use resources to multiple trial&errors.
• Stay motivated.

How should we change according to the book?

I’ll admit. These are pure copy-paste from the book:

• Expose to different cultures
• Learn differently
• Reverse assumptions
• Take multiple perspectives

What should I personally do? 

I should work with diverse groups of people. For example like the people who worked in Bletchely Park while they were trying to crack the Enigma code. How? Try avoiding similar-attraction effect.

Or I should create 50 new ideas instead of trying to figure out two new ideas.  

Or try the Edgar Allan Poe way of writing. Look for two or three random words and start writing.

Or buy a couple of magazines that I usually don’t read.

Summary 

The book in six words: Go for a thought walk and remain motivated.