Thinkies are pattern-matching tools that help you generate creative ideas. Each Thinkie contains a pattern (something you recognize) and a transformation (something you do with that pattern). They're not about producing good ideas directly—they're about producing lots of ideas, some of which might be brilliant.
Thinkies teach you to spot common situations where creative thinking can break through barriers.
Each Thinkie provides a specific transformation to apply when you recognize the pattern.
Thinkies separate idea generation from evaluation, a key principle of creative thinking.
Pattern: "We can't X because Y."
Transform: "When (not Y), then we can X."
Example: "We can't deploy daily because there are too many bugs" → "When we have fewer bugs, we can deploy daily."
Pattern: You're paralyzed by the magnitude of a problem.
Transform: Pick the absolutely easiest helpful thing to do and do it.
Example: Facing a complex project, start by setting up the simplest component.
Pattern: Someone gives you a date for a scope of work.
Transform: Ask which half they can see in half the time.
Example: "We'll deliver in 6 months" → "Which half can I see in 3 months?"
There are over 50 Thinkies organized into useful categories for different situations:
"Half in Half is my all-time favorite Thinkie. I've made more money consulting with this than any other single technique."
"Thinkies have completely changed how I approach difficult problems. The Easy Bit Thinkie alone has helped me break through paralysis countless times."
"The beauty of Thinkies is that they give you a structured way to generate unstructured thinking. They're patterns that help you break patterns."
Begin with one Thinkie. Practice it until it becomes automatic. Then add another.