How to get good ideas

Sometimes, a good idea can save a lot of time in programming. A simple change of the specifications can literally save more than half of the programming hours. But how do you get these good ideas?

I get good ideas, when I get fed with the right information in a situation where I have plenty of time to think about possibilities.

One way to get this information, is from another person, a partner. It depends on the situation, what kind of person is most suitable. For an introvert, trust is very important, so that the introvert thoughts are not disturbed by extroverted worrying about the situation.

In order to be a good partner in this, you must be prepared to accept, that the things you say are not always treated as truth. Only by uncovering incorrect perceptions of reality, you can create a new understanding which can provide business value.

A good partner doesn't say "That's wrong", but tries to explain, why she thinks it is wrong, and accepts the idea as good, until it has been proven otherwise.

Sometimes, you cannot find a good partner, either because your field of expertise is too advanced, people around you are not prepared to do it, or just because you're not in the mood to talk with other people. In these cases, you must trust your own intuition and develop your idea until the point, where you have enough documentation to persuade others easily.

A recent study in Danish companies shows, that almost all good ideas were not created at work. I guess there's room for improvement, here.

Merry Christmas!