Borrowing Brilliance: The Six Steps to Business Innovation by Building on the Ideas of Others by David Kord Murray

Business innovation is essential for staying at the forefront of any industry, and authors such as David Kord Murray have explored the best ways to do it. In his book, “Borrowing Brilliance: The Six Steps to Business Innovation by Building on the Ideas of Others,” Murray offers an insightful look into the power of collaboration and how to use it to generate innovative ideas.

Murray's approach to business innovation is rooted in the concept of "borrowing brilliance," a process of combining existing ideas with new insight and perspectives in order to come up with a new concept. By taking a look at established ideas, businesses can leverage existing knowledge to create something completely original.

The first step of the borrowing brilliance process is to identify the problem that needs to be solved. This involves analyzing the current business model, customer feedback, and market trends in order to pinpoint where improvements can be made. Once the issue has been identified, Murray recommends people-sourcing for creative solutions. By connecting with communities of people who have already done the work, businesses are more likely to come up with out-of-the box ideas.

The second step of the process is to create an inventory of great products, services, and ideas that have been successful in the past. The aim is to get a better understanding of what has worked well in the past, and how to replicate the same results. Murray recommends carrying out the analysis on the smallest scale possible, as this gives businesses a more comprehensive look at the components that make a successful business.

The third step is to use the same data collected in the previous step to determine the patterns of success. By looking at the entire body of work, businesses can identify trends and common principles that have worked in the past, as well as any dead ends that should be avoided. This should allow businesses to gain a better understanding of their target market and how to appeal to them more effectively.

For the fourth step, Murray recommends generating an idea map. This involves creating a map of the data gathered in the previous step, and then look for possible connections between them. This helps businesses gain a better understanding of the problem, the goal, the solution, and the potential influences that could affect the outcome of any business idea.

The fifth step is to start networking. When innovating, it is important to connect with the right people. By connecting with experts and thought leaders in similar industries, businesses can gain valuable insight and access to resources that can help them move forward.

Finally, in the sixth step, businesses should prototype any ideas they come up with and test the results. By testing the idea on a small scale, businesses can gain a better understanding of their customer base and how the idea might be received. Making sure to test the product against customer feedback is essential, as this will show businesses what works and what needs to be improved.

Overall, Murray's book provides an important look into the power of collaboration and borrowing brilliance in the process of innovation. By following the six steps outlined in “Borrowing Brilliance: The Six Steps to Business Innovation by Building on the Ideas of Others” businesses can unlock their creative potential and come up with innovative ideas to stay ahead of their competition.