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Engaging in multiple rounds of divergence to come up with new ways of looking at things and convergence to select the next approach. Edison tested platinum and numerous other possible metal filaments before he finally come up with the carbon version that could last 40 hours. When asked if he felt like a failure and should perhaps give up, Edison famously said: ‘Why should I give up? I know over 9000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work and so success is almost in my grasp.’ Shortly after making this statement, his optimism indeed bore fruit. He continued to improve the technology and eventually patented a carbonized bamboo filament that lasted over 1200 hours.

Excerpted from ‘Thinking in new boxes’ by Alan Iny and Luc de Brabandere