Intuition Makes You Even Smarter

“A new startup cannot be invented in the library of our past knowledge and existing systems,” explained investor Max Skibinsky over a decade ago. At the time, he was talking about a new venture, but the same principle applies to any truly original idea, from a better way to prevent cancer to a more effective way to educate students.

Max continued, “It will always require an intuitive leap of faith or passion to cross the chasm of unknown and unprovable… Human intuition, unbound by limitations of pure formality, will always push forward, find new domains... to bring the fruits of new knowledge to the rest of the civilization. Your intuition, just like your powers of formal deduction, is all you need to join in.”

There are many definitions of intuition, but most share one common trait: you can't explain how you got the answer. In other words, you lack a logical trail of facts and figures to explain why you think you have the right answer.

I am especially interested in intuitive leaps, those flashes of insight—you might call them eureka moments — that produce not only the right answer but also a giant step forwards. I have found that much of the research on the subject is, well, devoid of the practices that produce intuitive leaps.

For example, most business-oriented research on intuition has been authored by decision sciences experts. They focus mainly on intuition as a means of making decisions, rather than as a source of creativity and innovation.

But most of us innately understand the topic better than any scholarly paper can explain it. You jump in the shower, hang your head under the stream of water, and - BANG! - a great idea pops up.

Where did that come from? You have no idea.

In truth, we don't either.

I am pursuing several clues...

The more you prime your imagination, the better. It's better to visit with customers than sit in your office. Doing actual research is more productive than merely scribbling on your whiteboard. Reading books—the more diverse, the better—is always a good idea.

Make room in your head for original ideas. Most intuitive leaps contradict some form of common wisdom in that they propose a replacement for a commonly practiced technique. Your head is filled with limitations that will kill any leap before it happens: so-and-so is too expensive, time-consuming, impractical, or unfeasible. Set such preconceptions aside, at least for periods of time.

Play 'what if' with your assumptions. What if one or more "facts" are fallacies? Do thought experiments that challenge certain beliefs. Most will lead nowhere, but one or two may spark original insights that lead you to the right answer.

The more volatile and unstructured your environment, the more important intuitive leaps will be to your future. If you don't know what you don't know, intuition is a good way to seek answers.

Beware one potential trap: it can be very difficult to sell an intuitive leap to others because you lack the ability to demonstrate how you got the answer. The very definition of an intuitive leap is its Achilles Heel. This doesn't mean your answer is wrong; it just means you may have to work harder and longer to sell it than if you followed a seven-part logical process complete with footnotes and hyperlinks.

But I'm pretty sure every genius idea faces this hurdle. Don't let it intimidate you.

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I am the founder of Bend Reality and Meditate for Peace.

You can find more of my work at Kasanoff.com .