Generate better ideas in just 2 minutes

Reader,

Have you ever sat around a table with your team—virtual or in person—trying to solve a really big problem?

You know the kind of meeting:

The team lays out the options. Everyone weighs in. There’s a debate, then finally, a decision.
Then the team springs into action to make it work.

But real innovation doesn’t happen like this.

In this email, I’m sharing my favorite way to solve problems fast with your team. The best part? It’s so simple you can try it today.

The inventor approach.

Years ago, I hired Tom Chi—Founder of Google X (aka Moonshot Factory)—to deliver a keynote. 500+ founders, CEOs, execs, and rising leaders showed up to learn how to solve big problems quickly.

Instead of notebooks and name tags, the tables looked like preschool playtime with brightly colored pipe cleaners, modeling clay, markers, paper clips, and construction paper all around.

The method Tom shared was the exact opposite of a typical conference-room brainstorm.

The trouble with conference room problem-solving.

When ideas are generated in a typical meeting:

The loudest, most confident, or most powerful voice often wins.
Instead of choosing from 50 possibilities, you're deciding between 2 or 3.
Ideas get debated—but rarely tested—before they’re put into action.

What’s missing is a learning metabolism—where generating and testing ideas matters more than getting it right the first time.

A learning metabolism in action.

I love the story of how Google Glass was prototyped in just one day.

They used a coat hanger, sheet protector, modeling clay, and hairbands to test a simple idea: How do we make the display work?

Before that, they debated what color the 'heads of display' should be. One person—also the most senior in the room—was convinced it should be red.

But instead of defaulting to red, they tested a full spectrum of colors. Within minutes, they discovered that red was actually the worst color.

This is the power of testing over talking.

How creativity fuels better problem-solving.

Whether you’re designing a product, tackling a thorny issue, or reimagining your industry—you need bold ideas. And lots of them.

So here’s a simple brainstorming process I've adapted from Tom Chi that will help you:
✅ Get more voices in the room
✅ Generate more possibilities
✅ Land on simple solutions you can test
✅ Stretch your team’s creativity

Let’s break it down.

Step 1: Clarify the problem.
Start with a clear, specific question. Frame it as: “How do we…?”

Examples:

“How do we design a profitable new offering that’s simple to launch and deliver?”
“How do we manage rising costs while keeping clients happy?”
“How do we deliver a fundraising event so engaging that it turns first-time donors into loyal long-term supporters?”

Step 2: Give clear instructions.
Invite everyone involved in the challenge. Post your question where everyone can see it.

Then, give each person 2 minutes to write down as many ideas as they can.

Here are the two rules:

Everyone must write one ridiculously simple idea—something so basic, it might feel too obvious to mention.
Everyone must write one outrageously crazy idea—something so wild it might seem impossible.

Why it works?

Simple ideas give you a way forward that you can easily implement.
Crazy ideas stretch your thinking and unlock new directions and possibilities.
And writing individually gives people time to think and helps quieter voices shine—before group dynamics take over.

Step 3: Share and group ideas.

Set the 2-minute timer and let everyone brainstorm.
When time’s up, go around and have each person share only new ideas not yet mentioned.
Capture them on a board and group similar ideas together.
If time allows, go one more round—invite people to build on what they heard.
Choose 2–3 ideas to pursue immediately.
Put them into action with quick tests, pilots, or prototypes.
Adapt and refine the ideas based on what you learn.
Go all-in on the one idea with the most potential.

When to use it.

Use this process any time you want to:

Design a new product or service.
Tackle strategic planning.
Fix a broken system.
Decide who to hire next.
Or solve any messy, important problem.

The lesson of Google X.

In Tom’s first 10 months at Google X, his 10-person team generated over half of Google’s patents (at the time).

How?
They didn’t sit around and debate. They got moving.
They built a learning metabolism.
They chose from the best of many ideas—not just the loudest few.
And they tested quickly to find what worked.

Try it this week.

Pose your “How do we…?” question, invite your team, set a 2-minute timer, and watch new ideas emerge.

Let me know how it goes—I’d love to hear what you come up with.

Enjoy!

Sara

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