Thinking in New Boxes

How can we see beyond the limits of our own perceptions and think in ways that truly innovate and transform our reality?

1. Mental Models are Essential but Limiting

Our minds depend on mental models, or "boxes," to simplify and understand our complex world. These boxes allow us to organize information into categories, patterns, and rules, enabling faster thinking and decision-making. However, they inherently limit our ability to see perspectives outside of them.

For example, someone in Germany associates light beige cars with taxis. This box helps them quickly identify rides. However, once they visit New York, they must trade this association for a new box—yellow cars as taxis. These mental models adapt to environments, but they can sometimes blind us to alternatives in unfamiliar scenarios.

Your personal identity itself is a collection of boxes: gender, nationality, profession, hobbies, and more. Each additional box shapes your worldview and narrows your frame of reference. By understanding and examining these boxes, we can recognize how they mold our reality—and our limitations in perceiving other possibilities.

Examples

• Germans thinking beige cars mean taxis, but re-learning in NYC that yellow cars are taxis.
• Someone identifying as an IT professional but struggling to think beyond their field.
• A historical belief like "the Earth is flat," which once dominated perceptions of reality.

2. Creativity Comes From Building New Boxes

Rather than abandoning our boxes entirely, innovation arises when we construct new ones. Leaving behind an outdated model opens the opportunity to move into a fresher framework, broadening our understanding and creating possibilities for growth.

People used to believe the Earth was flat and thought falling off the edge was inevitable. The shift to viewing Earth as a sphere unlocked navigation possibilities, like sailing across oceans. Bic experienced a similar transformation when it stopped seeing itself merely as a pen company, broadening its identity to producing affordable plastic products like lighters and razors.

Tunnel vision—the inability to see beyond the confines of your current box—often stifles change. To innovate, we need to widen our range of possibilities and actively challenge old assumptions. This process demands creativity, courage, and an openness to imagining a world beyond current walls.

Examples

• Global maritime exploration only began after the acceptance of a "round Earth."
• Bic expanded its reach by redefining as a plastic products company, producing lighters and razors.
• Companies moving from hardware-based products to cloud-based software as their new paradigm.

3. Gut Feelings Are Misleading

Sticking to familiar mental frameworks feels comfortable, but intuition often leads us astray. We tend to cling to boxes that validate our beliefs, discard conflicting perspectives, and fall victim to cognitive biases, leading to poor decisions.

Consider Dick Fosbury, who revolutionized high jumping by introducing the backward "Fosbury Flop." Initially ridiculed for his unconventional method, he proved that breaking away from tradition could lead to extraordinary success. Today, his technique dominates high jump competitions.

Similarly, cognitive biases can distort risk perception. For instance, people tend to feel safer on a frozen pond when others are skating too, though additional weight makes the ice less secure. Recognizing such biases can increase our awareness to challenge automatic, and sometimes flawed, thinking patterns.

Examples

• Fosbury's backward high jump method was mocked but became the gold standard.
• Skaters falsely trusting the safety of ice when everyone is skating on it.
• Investors holding on to falling stocks out of an emotional attachment to avoid admitting losses.

4. Constantly Question Your Perspective

To spark innovative ideas, we must first doubt our existing beliefs. Every box is temporary; its value erodes in a changing world. By consistently reflecting on these mental models, we can evolve instead of being trapped by obsolete ways of thinking.

Take the video game industry: Companies traditionally targeted male adolescents. When research showed a rise in adult female gamers, forward-thinking firms adjusted their strategies. Others who clung to their narrow demographic missed out on huge new markets.

Nothing remains static, and this applies to any business model, industry, or individual. What works today might fail tomorrow. Regularly interrogating and adapting your worldview ensures continued relevance and creativity.

Examples

• Video game companies expanded their market by including women and seniors.
• Music industry shifts from CDs to streaming services like Spotify.
• Kodak's downfall when it dismissed the potential of digital photography.

5. Fresh Inputs Ignite New Ideas

Innovation doesn't stem from isolated genius but from exposure to external stimuli. By actively collecting information—whether about global trends, industry shifts, or organizational gaps—we can refine our understanding and ask better questions.

In the example of Ultragames, research revealed an aging gamer demographic and a growing number of female players. This data prompted Ultragames to explore products for families instead of exclusively targeting younger audiences. Such fresh input drives creativity, sparking questions that lead to breakthroughs.

Ultimately, innovation begins by exploring beyond your realm with curiosity. By seeking diverse sources of data, you can expand your foundations and uncover new directions.

Examples

• Ultragames identifying new age groups and demographics in their gaming audience.
• Biodegradable packaging trends influencing industries across food and fashion.
• Electric vehicle companies tapping into battery innovation seen in unrelated sectors.

6. Brainstorm Without Limits

Generating groundbreaking ideas requires removing constraints from your thinking. Avoid eliminating "wild" suggestions prematurely; you never know which "crazy" idea might evolve into something revolutionary.

NASA engineers once debated how to safely land a spacecraft on Mars without contaminating its surface. A seemingly outlandish idea—using airbags to "bounce" the craft—later succeeded with the Pathfinder mission in 1997. Open brainstorming fosters such exploratory solutions.

To encourage free thinking, approach brainstorming without fear of error. Quantity matters more than quality at this stage. A wide pool of ideas increases the chances of identifying the "gold nugget" that drives real progress.

Examples

• NASA’s bouncing airbags landing the Mars Pathfinder safely.
• Airbnb starting as an experimental website offering air mattresses and breakfast.
• Companies encouraging innovation through hackathons or "no idea is bad" workshops.

7. Big Boxes Create Big Opportunities

Choosing to reframe your company's purpose on a larger scale unlocks new opportunities that smaller, incremental changes cannot achieve. Redefine the very essence of what your organization stands for.

Bic didn’t just expand into other writing instruments—it embraced an entirely new vision of producing disposable plastic goods. Similarly, Nintendo leaped from playing cards to dominate the video game industry, showing the power of thinking at a foundational level.

Reimagining the "big box" of your vision has cascading effects. Bigger shifts make room for medium and smaller adjustments, giving rise to a diversified and adaptable future pipeline.

Examples

• Bic’s shift from pens to disposable razors, lighters, and more.
• Nintendo transitioning from playing cards to groundbreaking games like Mario and Pokémon.
• Amazon’s evolution from an online bookstore to a tech and retail giant.

8. Embrace Multiple Futures

Successful companies plan for multiple scenarios, not just one. While predictive thinking prepares for what seems probable, prospective thinking explores unlikely or unexpected possibilities.

Inductive reasoning excels at imagining alternative futures. For example, companies preparing for driverless vehicles could explore scenarios where vehicle ownership fades and rideshare apps dominate. Those stuck planning for today's trends risk being caught unprepared when disruptions hit.

By anticipating diverse outcomes, businesses can create a flexible strategy for adapting to both challenges and opportunities as they arise.

Examples

• High-quality glass manufacturers considering future materials that might replace glass.
• Companies like Tesla speculating about completely autonomous mobility systems.
• Retailers experimenting with virtual or augmented reality-assisted shopping.

9. Adaptability is the Key to Longevity

No idea, no matter how innovative, will remain relevant forever. The ability to let go of old models and start building new ones from scratch is what defines sustainable success.

Think of once-dominant businesses like Kodak or Blockbuster. Their downfall stemmed not from outdated products but their resistance to embrace new paradigms. On the other hand, companies like Netflix thrived by moving from DVD rentals to streaming to content creation.

Organizations must continuously adjust their perspective to stay ahead. Innovation doesn't stop after finding one great idea; it's a perpetual, cyclical process.

Examples

• Netflix pivoting from DVDs to streaming to original content.
• Apple evolving from personal computers to mobile devices like iPhones.
• Traditional bookstores adopting e-commerce strategies like personalized recommendations.

Takeaways

1. Regularly question your current beliefs and assumptions to unearth hidden limitations.
2. Explore data from diverse sources to discover opportunities outside your usual perspective.
3. Embrace failure as part of the innovation process, treating each misstep as a stepping-stone for learning.