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Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters
“Teams succeed to the degree that there is a free flow of ideas. Read this book to learn how to bring out the best in others—and in yourself.” — Scott Galloway, bestselling author of The Four and Post Corona
the number of ideas you or your team can generate in a set amount of time
We all want great ideas, but few actually understand how they’re born. Innovation doesn’t come from a sprint or a hackathon--it’s a result of maximizing ideaflow.
Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn of Stanford’s renowned Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (aka the “d.school”) offer a proven strategy for coming up with great ideas by yourself or with your team, and quickly determining which are worthy. Drawing upon their combined decades of experience leading Stanford’s premier Launchpad accelerator and advising some of the world’s most innovative organizations, like Microsoft, Michelin, Keller Williams Realty, and Hyatt, they’ll teach you how
• Overcome dangerous thinking traps
• Find inspiration in unexpected places
• Trick your own brain to be more creative
• Design and deploy affordable experiments
• Fill your innovation pipeline
• Unleash your own creative potential, as well as the potential of others
Perhaps you have experienced low ideaflow. Have you been in that quiet conference room, with a half-filled whiteboard, and an unmet business target?. With the proven system in this book, entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders will learn how to tap into surprising and valuable ideas on demand and fill the creative pipeline with breakthrough ideas.
the number of ideas you or your team can generate in a set amount of time
We all want great ideas, but few actually understand how they’re born. Innovation doesn’t come from a sprint or a hackathon--it’s a result of maximizing ideaflow.
Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn of Stanford’s renowned Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (aka the “d.school”) offer a proven strategy for coming up with great ideas by yourself or with your team, and quickly determining which are worthy. Drawing upon their combined decades of experience leading Stanford’s premier Launchpad accelerator and advising some of the world’s most innovative organizations, like Microsoft, Michelin, Keller Williams Realty, and Hyatt, they’ll teach you how
• Overcome dangerous thinking traps
• Find inspiration in unexpected places
• Trick your own brain to be more creative
• Design and deploy affordable experiments
• Fill your innovation pipeline
• Unleash your own creative potential, as well as the potential of others
Perhaps you have experienced low ideaflow. Have you been in that quiet conference room, with a half-filled whiteboard, and an unmet business target?. With the proven system in this book, entrepreneurs, managers, and leaders will learn how to tap into surprising and valuable ideas on demand and fill the creative pipeline with breakthrough ideas.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 25, 2022
277 people are currently reading
1581 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
December 23, 2022
Yet another repetitive business book. Go read Lean Startup, Gamestorming, Design Thinking Handbook instead for more practical advises.
May 27, 2024
I read it twice.
My notes- carry a notebook and capture your ideas, don’t trust your memory. Look back on the notebook often.
Think of a seed (problem statement) before bed, your mind will mull on it. When you wake, just start writing ideas without judgement.
Great problems to focus on addressing start with “You know what sucks…”
Dare to be obvious. Sometimes what we think is obvious is not and there lays the issue.
Diverge your thinking. Flood the problem with ideas- you need more ideas than you think. Don’t stop when one sounds attractive, keep going. Spin off. And these are not done in one sitting. Let the ideas stew.
Create a portfolio or test more than one idea at a time.
Pilot. Simple quick tests. One hypothesis at a time.
Baseline needed to measure growth.
Observe in real world conditions. Look long.
Desirability over feasibility.
Momentum over perfection.
Create ghost products and see how people respond.
Listen. Look. Notice. What are competitors doing?
Reverse your assumptions. Go somewhere adjacent and study execution.
Seek to understand your customers better, and better and better- helps refine problems.
Play with how might we questions by framing with scale, quality, emotion, expectations, similarities, subtraction, diverge.
Analogous exploration- who does this successfully?
My notes- carry a notebook and capture your ideas, don’t trust your memory. Look back on the notebook often.
Think of a seed (problem statement) before bed, your mind will mull on it. When you wake, just start writing ideas without judgement.
Great problems to focus on addressing start with “You know what sucks…”
Dare to be obvious. Sometimes what we think is obvious is not and there lays the issue.
Diverge your thinking. Flood the problem with ideas- you need more ideas than you think. Don’t stop when one sounds attractive, keep going. Spin off. And these are not done in one sitting. Let the ideas stew.
Create a portfolio or test more than one idea at a time.
Pilot. Simple quick tests. One hypothesis at a time.
Baseline needed to measure growth.
Observe in real world conditions. Look long.
Desirability over feasibility.
Momentum over perfection.
Create ghost products and see how people respond.
Listen. Look. Notice. What are competitors doing?
Reverse your assumptions. Go somewhere adjacent and study execution.
Seek to understand your customers better, and better and better- helps refine problems.
Play with how might we questions by framing with scale, quality, emotion, expectations, similarities, subtraction, diverge.
Analogous exploration- who does this successfully?
October 15, 2024
Ideaflow est un livre de croissance professionnelle accessible mais raffiné, s’adressant aussi bien aux travailleurs autonomes qu’au COO d’une grande entreprise. Les auteurs, tous deux issus du corps professoral de la réputée d.school de l’Université Stanford, réussissent à démystifier la créativité, souvent perçue comme un talent inné, en la présentant comme un processus que l’on peut cultiver au quotidien si on se donne la peine de l’exercer. Ce qui distingue l’ouvrage est sa polyvalence dans l’approche, qui ne se limite pas aux jobs de « créatifs ».
J’ai particulièrement apprécié la manière dont le livre challenge nos préconceptions et propose des outils concrets pour générer, structurer, tester et classer des idées, rendant la créativité plus rationnelle si je peux l’exprimer ainsi.
Petit bémol dans la tendance à simplifier la manière dont une entreprise peut réellement améliorer son ideaflow et mettre en place un pipeline de tests d’idées. Le passage à l’action est en vrai plus complexe en fonction des dynamiques organisationnelles.
Ideaflow est une lecture inspirante que je recommande fortement.
4*
J’ai particulièrement apprécié la manière dont le livre challenge nos préconceptions et propose des outils concrets pour générer, structurer, tester et classer des idées, rendant la créativité plus rationnelle si je peux l’exprimer ainsi.
Petit bémol dans la tendance à simplifier la manière dont une entreprise peut réellement améliorer son ideaflow et mettre en place un pipeline de tests d’idées. Le passage à l’action est en vrai plus complexe en fonction des dynamiques organisationnelles.
Ideaflow est une lecture inspirante que je recommande fortement.
4*
November 15, 2022
Ideaflow is a book on how organizations maximize potential adaptability, growth, and/or innovation by generating as much ideas as possible into what they define as the 'idea pipeline'. I think the book is targeted towards business leaders, managers, and RnD-related fields in order to enhance the capability for the organization.
The book explores "what kind of ideas should we generate?" and "how do we view these ideas and evaluate them?". Also, the book explores various examples on how to create a condition within the organization where the two questions prior can be achieved. Ideaflow favors narratives and anecdotes rather than rigid constructs - so you may expect some redundancy in terms of insight within multiple parts.
However, my biggest critique is the lack of fundamental reasoning and insight exploration. When the book dives into a concept or example, it does go down to a level where the change, impact, or benefits takes place, but not to where we understand why it actually works.
Overall, it's a good and light read for anyone interested in innovation. I believe this will suite people who are struggling on creating an 'innovative culture' or looking to improve their organization's capabilities.
The book explores "what kind of ideas should we generate?" and "how do we view these ideas and evaluate them?". Also, the book explores various examples on how to create a condition within the organization where the two questions prior can be achieved. Ideaflow favors narratives and anecdotes rather than rigid constructs - so you may expect some redundancy in terms of insight within multiple parts.
However, my biggest critique is the lack of fundamental reasoning and insight exploration. When the book dives into a concept or example, it does go down to a level where the change, impact, or benefits takes place, but not to where we understand why it actually works.
Overall, it's a good and light read for anyone interested in innovation. I believe this will suite people who are struggling on creating an 'innovative culture' or looking to improve their organization's capabilities.
January 17, 2024
If you have read any books on JTBD, lean startup, design thinking, VoC, etc, you probably won't gain much from this book. Like most books, this could have been a blog post with some key takeaways instead of a ~300 page book.
September 2, 2023
So many helpful tips! Trying to apply them now.
December 18, 2024
A few practical tips but overall incredibly repetitive. Would’ve preferred listening to the main points in a podcast.
October 25, 2022
“Creativity isn’t just how we solve problems. It’s how we contribute the very best of ourselves.” You will see how this concept comes to life in Ideaflow, written by Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn. The book is an inspiration from page one throughout. Not only does Utley and Klebahn showcase the reasons why creativity is essential to today’s work (regardless of what industry you work in), they give tangible ways to raise your idea quota in your everyday. Through concepts like participating in learning circles, creating a customer council, and cross-pollinating your network, you learn how to diversity your perspectives on problems. The authors do not stop there, they then go on to provide ways to stoke your creativity in solving those problems with producing a high quantity of ideas to test in iterative and low risk ways.
I especially liked the chapter that showcases a variety of organizations and their adventures in using Ideaflow to achieve various solutions they most likely would have overlooked. No matter what industry you are in, no matter what size your company is, there is a place for Ideaflow when you can create the safe, open environment to invite different perspectives and ideas into the work.
The book reignited my love for falling in love with the problem, not the solution. Creativity isn’t just something you are born with. You can strengthen it over time. Utley and Klebahn provide amazing exercises to do just that. They also provide proof points on the more human-centered solutions you will develop when you engage in Ideaflow and experiment your way forward.
I especially liked the chapter that showcases a variety of organizations and their adventures in using Ideaflow to achieve various solutions they most likely would have overlooked. No matter what industry you are in, no matter what size your company is, there is a place for Ideaflow when you can create the safe, open environment to invite different perspectives and ideas into the work.
The book reignited my love for falling in love with the problem, not the solution. Creativity isn’t just something you are born with. You can strengthen it over time. Utley and Klebahn provide amazing exercises to do just that. They also provide proof points on the more human-centered solutions you will develop when you engage in Ideaflow and experiment your way forward.
June 28, 2025
Creativity isn’t magic. It’s math. And Ideaflow makes a surprisingly convincing case that innovation works better when you treat it like reps at the idea gym.
Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn’s Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters came out in 2022. It’s business nonfiction, kind of in that design thinking meets productivity lane. The idea’s simple: how many ideas you produce per unit of time is the only number that really matters if you want to be more creative. The book lays out how to increase that flow. Daily idea quotas. Rapid testing. Lightweight feedback. It covers solo work and teams. The examples come from places like Google X and Netflix but stay accessible.
I already knew Jeremy Utley’s work so I was probably biased. But still I found it really engaging. The writing moves fast. It’s direct, not academic. And a lot of the tools actually feel usable. Like something I’d try tomorrow, not file away and forget. The core argument, volume over perfection, wasn’t new to me but the way they structured it made it click. There were a few moments where it leaned a bit too feel good. And I don’t think everything they say works for every kind of creative work. But overall? It delivers. 4/5. Strong. Not perfect. Definitely worth it.
Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn’s Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters came out in 2022. It’s business nonfiction, kind of in that design thinking meets productivity lane. The idea’s simple: how many ideas you produce per unit of time is the only number that really matters if you want to be more creative. The book lays out how to increase that flow. Daily idea quotas. Rapid testing. Lightweight feedback. It covers solo work and teams. The examples come from places like Google X and Netflix but stay accessible.
I already knew Jeremy Utley’s work so I was probably biased. But still I found it really engaging. The writing moves fast. It’s direct, not academic. And a lot of the tools actually feel usable. Like something I’d try tomorrow, not file away and forget. The core argument, volume over perfection, wasn’t new to me but the way they structured it made it click. There were a few moments where it leaned a bit too feel good. And I don’t think everything they say works for every kind of creative work. But overall? It delivers. 4/5. Strong. Not perfect. Definitely worth it.
January 30, 2023
I am always on the lookout for advice from experts on how to help my clients succeed. In this case, I turned to two faculty members at Stanford's renowned d.school for tips on my "Breakthrough Creativity" training.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read that did contribute to my knowledge of creativity and the creative process. I especially enjoyed the authors' examples of how they applied their concepts in their roles as organizational consultants.
Having said that, I thought the book suffered from the same shortcoming as most nonfiction works I read: length and density. Like most nonfiction authors, Utley and Klebahn would have written a better work if it were about 75% as long (less details, fewer examples).
Still, I'm glad I read this book by two experts on a subject I find endlessly fascinating. I just wish it were a little less wordy at times - hence the three stars instead of four or five.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read that did contribute to my knowledge of creativity and the creative process. I especially enjoyed the authors' examples of how they applied their concepts in their roles as organizational consultants.
Having said that, I thought the book suffered from the same shortcoming as most nonfiction works I read: length and density. Like most nonfiction authors, Utley and Klebahn would have written a better work if it were about 75% as long (less details, fewer examples).
Still, I'm glad I read this book by two experts on a subject I find endlessly fascinating. I just wish it were a little less wordy at times - hence the three stars instead of four or five.
October 29, 2022
My top read of the year; Concepts that you can apply immediately.
When this book was announced it immediately went to the top of my list of books to read. As a leader of teams that rely on idea generation and accompanying processes, this book was everything that I expected. Jeremy and Perry offer pragmatic information and concepts that can be immediately applied, beginning with the simple fact that "every problem is an idea problem." Don't let bias creep into your idea generation. Embrace the fact that we need to generate lots of ideas because as Jeremy and Perry discuss, "By focusing on solutions, you're looking through the wrong end of the telescope." This book will take you through a multitude of actionable lessons. It’s a journey well worth traveling that will provide amazing tools for your toolbox and prove that Ideaflow is indeed the critical metric.
When this book was announced it immediately went to the top of my list of books to read. As a leader of teams that rely on idea generation and accompanying processes, this book was everything that I expected. Jeremy and Perry offer pragmatic information and concepts that can be immediately applied, beginning with the simple fact that "every problem is an idea problem." Don't let bias creep into your idea generation. Embrace the fact that we need to generate lots of ideas because as Jeremy and Perry discuss, "By focusing on solutions, you're looking through the wrong end of the telescope." This book will take you through a multitude of actionable lessons. It’s a journey well worth traveling that will provide amazing tools for your toolbox and prove that Ideaflow is indeed the critical metric.
January 25, 2023
Ideaflow: The Only Business Metric That Matters" offers valuable insights on fostering a culture of innovation and creativity in a business setting. The author presents several practical examples and actionable steps for implementing an idea-driven approach to business. However, the book tends to repeat some of its points several times, which can make it feel a bit repetitive. Some parts of the book feel rushed and could benefit from more detail, while other sections feel like they drag on for too long. Overall, the book contains valuable information, but it could have been presented in a more engaging and concise way. This book is worth reading for those interested in business and innovation, but it may not be the most enjoyable read.
October 14, 2025
This is a solid book about the creative process, written by a Stanford professor who has studied innovation and creativity at some of the top companies in multiple industries. One of the main points he makes in the book is that the number and range of our ideas is directly correlated with the quality of our products or services and our eventual success. Even more importantly, he makes the point that if the quality of ideas is distributed normally, then we have to be willing to entertain really terrible ideas (long tail left) if we want to allow ourselves to discover the really brilliant ideas (long tail right); that is, if we cut off bad ideas, we cut off our access to some of our potentiall greatest ideas, and we end up settling for good enough.
May 16, 2023
The book brings the idea of being creative to everyone. It clearly establishes that you don’t need to be a designer or an artist to be creative and instead almost every job can benefit from creativity. The techniques mentioned in the book largely apply to an individual trying to foster creativity within themselves and then within the organization they work at. The key ideas are simple, some you might already be applying at work without thinking of them as techniques, others that you see others around you applying at times. None of it seems far fetched and most techniques you can put to practice right away.
October 28, 2024
This book offers a wealth of practical examples that effectively illustrate its creative techniques. The strength lies in Part 2, which presents innovative methods for sparking idea generation. However, Part 1, while informative, feels unnecessarily lengthy as it focuses on justifying the methodology. These foundational concepts could have been more efficiently woven into Part 2, creating a more streamlined reading experience.
The abundant real-world examples are particularly valuable, as they help readers immediately understand how to apply each concept to their own situations. This hands-on approach transforms abstract theories into actionable strategies.
The abundant real-world examples are particularly valuable, as they help readers immediately understand how to apply each concept to their own situations. This hands-on approach transforms abstract theories into actionable strategies.
May 19, 2024
Overall, I think this book had some very good points to make and it is worth reading. One of my key takeaways was to test often and cheaply. Do not invest a lot of effort in an idea that does not have support.
I read the audiobook version and I am unhappy to report that the producers committed the sin of letting the author's read their own book. There are professionals that should be hired as listening to the authors read was painful. Take a deep breath and read the entire sentence at one time. Even voice professionals shouldn't read their own book (sorry, Wil Wheaton)
I read the audiobook version and I am unhappy to report that the producers committed the sin of letting the author's read their own book. There are professionals that should be hired as listening to the authors read was painful. Take a deep breath and read the entire sentence at one time. Even voice professionals shouldn't read their own book (sorry, Wil Wheaton)
October 28, 2022
Ideaflow takes the concept of generating a quantity of ideas to be able to create a good idea to test and develop. In this book Jeremy and Perry , layout simply the concepts of design thinking to solve problems in a manner that is quickly adaptable to your daily needs. Anyone who wants to encourage a team to brainstorm new ideas should read this book.
November 15, 2022
Challenging yet motivational. Top notch! I have nothing negative to say about it. It’s not great writing, but it’s not bad at all. Is that negative?! I was grasping at straws. It’s a good book and any business owner or leader should read it. They will pick up something out of it that will benefit them.
January 27, 2023
This was a good book to inspire a new thought process. At times the book was written for team leads or managers which made it harder to relate to but overall I was able to get something out of each chapter.
I will definitely be keeping it on my bookshelf to return to when my memory fades from the tactics it mentions.
Enjoyable read!
I will definitely be keeping it on my bookshelf to return to when my memory fades from the tactics it mentions.
Enjoyable read!
August 1, 2023
3 ish stars
Some of the ideas were interesting but I am not sure if it a topic that will stick with me over time. The most valuable insights are around pushing against our instinct and not being afraid to fail.
I will likely look to document more of my ideas after reading this book but curious if it will have an last impact.
Some of the ideas were interesting but I am not sure if it a topic that will stick with me over time. The most valuable insights are around pushing against our instinct and not being afraid to fail.
I will likely look to document more of my ideas after reading this book but curious if it will have an last impact.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2024
What a great book!
Advice is sound and told in practical ways. Real-life examples of real, believable problems. I'm sold, I have already started implementing the advice by the authors. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in improving their work habits or making their job more enjoyable. Absolutely recommend!
Advice is sound and told in practical ways. Real-life examples of real, believable problems. I'm sold, I have already started implementing the advice by the authors. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in improving their work habits or making their job more enjoyable. Absolutely recommend!
December 20, 2022
I thought it was a great read, I enjoyed the things to think about, some of the chapters with lists of things to take away and ideas of how. The real life examples that were embarassing to the author but ht home of things to do differently!
April 17, 2023
Really good, practical ideas about increasing the quantity and quality of ideas within a business. I did skim a lot of the anecdotes because, like most business books, there is a lot of filler here. But the concepts and practices are solid and useful.
April 24, 2023
So it starts off a bit corny and the examples run a bit long in places but overall I found the concepts insightful and thought provoking. I will be putting several of these ideas into practice and will be talking about it for a long time.
July 4, 2023
True to its name, this book is bubbling with ideas on how both individuals and organisations can better generate ideas, and execute on them. Creativity is the precursor to innovation and this book does great justice to the topic!
December 3, 2023
O carte foarte bună pe care o recomand oricărui om, indiferent de ce face sau în ce domeniu activează. Creativitatea este necesară peste tot, iar fluxul creativ este un indicator care contează foarte mult.
January 14, 2024
I very much liked the reminder that all problems are in search of a solution. Writing down two minutes to a prompt w/o judgment at first. Bring in different perspectives. Creativity and time for reflection in a reflexive job.
May 27, 2024
Great book written by Stanford d.school executives on how to cultivate business ideas and run experiments to find innovative solutions. It gives recommendations on how to make ideation a regular part of your process.
November 19, 2022
I haven’t read a more complete or helpful exploration of the specific skill that is “idea generation.” Really good.
January 3, 2023
powerful premise - narrators alternated chapters on audible - one of them was harsh to listen to, but the other was fine. lots of good ideas here to inspire good ideas.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews