# 055: Training Creativity to Get More (and Better) Ideas

- Show: [Product Startup](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup)
- Published: 2017-06-20
- Length: 28m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-06-20-055-training-creativity-to-get-more-and-better-ideas
- Listen: https://theproductstartup.com/055-training-creativity-get-better-ideas/

## Summary

Filip Valica, host of the Product Startup Podcast and founder of Mako Design + Invent, outlines six methods to train creativity for generating better product ideas. He details techniques including looking inward at personal passions, gathering external feedback from customers and suppliers, and using structured brainstorming frameworks like 635 and SCAMPER. The episode also covers applying substitution ('this for that') and monitoring market trends to identify opportunities, citing examples like SawStop, Dell's IdeaStorm, and the Tata Nano.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-06-20-055-training-creativity-to-get-more-and-better-ideas#t=0) Introduction: Filip Valica and the nature of creativity

## Topics

- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Mako Design + Invent (company)
- SawStop (product)
- Dell Computer (company)
- IdeaStorm (product)
- Tata Nano (product)
- Exo Computer (product)
- Siemens Essenza (product)
- Bekla Torch (product)
- MacGrabot (product)
- Pebble Watch (product)
- Google Nest (product)
- Alexa (product)
- Thinker Toys (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [532: Attacked with Ideas](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2026-08-07-532-attacked-with-ideas) (Making It)
- [395: Rowing Spoons and Ice Sticks](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-04-14-395-rowing-spoons-and-ice-sticks) (Making It)
- [Episode 325: How do things work?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2021-10-08-episode-325-how-do-things-work) (Making It)
- [392: We Can Design Our Way Out of This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/making-it/2023-03-17-392-we-can-design-our-way-out-of-this) (Making It)
- [Less competition, more creation with Renée Mauborgne](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-04-04-less-competition-more-creation-with-renee-mauborgne) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2017-06-20-055-training-creativity-to-get-more-and-better-ideas. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Product Startup.