34. THE ORIGINALITY PANE
* This diagram helps to disentangle the good and bad elements of your ideas, and to examine the relative merits of being original or derivative.
* The vertical axis represents good at the top, and bad at the bottom.
* The horizontal axis represents derivative on the left, and original on the right.
* If you have several ideas in the ‘good and original’ segment, then there may be a case for simply developing those and ignoring the rest.
* Those in the ‘good and derivative’ section are not necessarily bad. Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of being derivative. Sometimes it is perfectly acceptable, for example in a market where those first in have made mistakes and passed on important lessons.
*‘Original and bad’ ideas should probably be rejected, but may justify rapid examination to double check that they are beyond improvement.
* Anything in the ‘derivative and bad’ quadrant should probably be dropped immediately.
EXERCISE: Take a series of ideas. Work through them allocating each one to the relevant quadrant. If a healthy number reside in the ‘good and original’ box, then pursue them and reject the others. If not, work out what needs to be done to improve the remaining ideas.