Notable passages from
Why Not? by Barry Nalebuff & Ian Ayres

Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 2003

Problems in Search of Solutions

What Would Croseus Do? Taking the Perspective of an Unconstrained Consumer. How could a person with virtually unlimited resources deal with a situation? Can the solution provide a seed solution for the rest of us (being put on hold)?

Why Don't You Feel My Pain? Internalizing the External Effects of Decision Making. Looking for choices that have a benefit to the decision maker that is less that the cost that it imposes on others (video rental).

Solutions in Search of Problems

Where Else Would It Work? Look for Idea Abritrage. Rather than searching for solutions to a problem, search for existing problems that could be solved by a solution (expedited check-in for air travelers).

Would Flipping It Work? Trying Things the Other Way Around. Flip an idea to see if it provides a better solution to the problem or a solution to another problem (contributions to a 401(k) plan).

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   How do you change the mind-set of your audience so that people are more disposed to engage constructively with your ideas? Here, we suggest employing Robert Cialdini's psychological theory of influence. His most important principle of "ethical influence" is reciprocity. If you start by giving your listener partial ownership of the idea, you are much more likely to receive in return. Cialdini emphasizes that reciprocal altruism is deeply ingrained in the human psyche; that is, when someone is nice to us, it's difficult not to respond in kind. Think of this as giving someone "half your kingdom."
   Gratuitously giving up your rights tends to trigger an altruistic inclination in the recipient. It is also a great way of improving the listener's incentive to help develop the idea.

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