Invention is dreaming followed by problem-solving.

Invention is dreaming followed by problem-solving.

Everyone dreams. Some people do have more practical dreams than others. The real work is in the problem-solving. My favorite basic process of invention: 1) Identify the problem. Isolate the variables to determine the specific problem to be addressed. 2) Question the most basic assumptions. Explore radically different new assumptions in as many directions as you can brainstorm. Maybe the problem can be solved by asking a different question. 3) Question the current solutions. Explore different ways to solve the problem. Brainstorm new solutions without regard to practicality. 4) Now evaluate your solutions practically. Do cost-benefit analysis on all of your alternate solutions. Make sure the cure isn't worse than the disease. 5) Implement your best solution and then do a post-mortem. Evaluate your solution's effectiveness to better solve the next set of problems. Go back to step 1 and repeat.