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Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries

by Peter Sims

Innovation through small experiments

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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praise from The Wall Street Journal

    The Wall Street Journal describes the book as an enthusiastic, example-rich argument for a particular approach t...

AlbakiReads Editorial

Innovation through small experiments

Peter Sims examines how creative work can develop through a series of limited experiments instead of a fully mapped-out plan. Drawing on examples from Steve Jobs, Chris Rock, architect Frank Gehry, and Pixar story developers, the book connects small failures and modest successes with the process of learning what to try next. It also brings together research on creative blocks and design thinking, placing the practice of experimentation in the context of uncertain situations. The central idea is practical: treat early steps as ways to gather information, allowing a larger direction to emerge from what those steps reveal.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • People interested in innovation and research and development
  • Readers exploring creativity, design thinking, or ways to work through uncertainty
  • Those curious about how innovators develop ideas through experimentation

Themes

Small-scale experimentationCreative problem-solvingLearning from setbacksDesign thinkingNavigating uncertainty

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"An enthusiastic, example-rich argument for innovating in a particular way--by deliberately experimenting and taking small exploratory steps in novel directions. Light, bright, and packed with tidy anecdotes" (The Wall Street Journal).What do Apple CEO Steve Jobs, comedian Chris Rock, prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, and the story developers at Pixar films all have in common? Bestselling author Peter Sims found that rather than start with a big idea or plan a whole project in advance, they make a methodical series of little bets, learning critical information from lots of little failures and from small but significant wins. Reporting on a fascinating range of research, from the psychology of creative blocks to the influential field of design thinking, Sims offers engaging and illuminating accounts of breakthrough innovators at work, and a whole new way of thinking about how to navigate uncertain situations and unleash our untapped creative powers.
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