Inversion

"Allows you to see reality from multiple angles"

Allows innovation by thinking in reverse -> 'why would our customers not repeat purchase?', 'how could I be unsupportive to a friend in need?', 'how can we be less innovative as a company?' etc..

Inversion focuses on a different side of the story and highlights hurdles/issues you could be faced with.

It teaches you what to avoid but is different to thinking backwards (direction only)

Inversion is the opposite of desired result

Two ways to go about this:

1 - Imagine the worst case outcome, think about all the scenarios that would have to occur for this to happen, then assess and prioritise your potential actions so you can avoid the things that would lead you to the worst case outcome. Last step is to strengthen the plan using mitigation strategies

2 - (From farnham street) - Identify the problem and define the objective, then identify the forces that support change towards your obstacle and identify the forces that impede change towards the objective. Between steps 2 and 3 is where inversion thinking comes into play. Last step is to strategise the solution.

"Charlie and I have not learned how to solve difficult business problems. What we have learned is to avoid them." Warren Buffett