Discovery Activity: Generating Creative Ideas with AI
Brainstorming allows us to generate a wide range of ideas, pushing the boundaries of
conventional thinking and encouraging innovation. It’s a time to explore all possibilities, no
matter how unconventional they may seem. This chaotic and creative phase is essential for
uncovering unique solutions and opportunities.
Discovery Activity: Randomized Idea Generation Challenge
Now, let’s make this process fun with a randomized idea generation challenge. This Discovery
Activity will guide you through brainstorming with a structured yet dynamic approach,
incorporating both creativity and critical thinking.
Before we begin, you need to decide on your goal. This is what you will be generating ideas
around. Pick something you are interested in; it could be something related to your career or a
side hustle you want to start. For example, let’s say I am a fitness trainer looking for ways to
expand my small business.
Preparation
First, write down a list of six general prompts related to your goal. Use an AI tool to help you
generate three of these prompts, and come up with the other three yourself.
For example, let’s say I am a fitness trainer, and I currently run group sessions at my home
three times a week. I could ask an AI, “Give me some prompts for generating ideas to expand a
fitness training business.” Here are the prompts I ended up with:
“What new services can I offer to my clients?”
“How can I reduce costs in my current operations?”
“What partnerships could help my fitness business grow?” (AI‐generated)
“What new markets can I enter?” (AI‐generated)
“How can I improve client satisfaction?” (AI‐generated)
“What are innovative ways to market my fitness programs?”
Next, come up with six challenge modifiers. Use an AI tool to help you generate three of these
modifiers and come up with the other three yourself. For example, you could ask an AI, “What
are some constraints to consider when generating ideas for a fitness business?” Here are the
modifiers I ended up with:
“Think of ideas that cost less than $30 to implement.”
“Consider only ideas that can be executed in one week.” (AI‐generated)
“Focus on ideas that involve technology.” (AI‐generated)
“Think of ideas that involve collaboration with another department or industry.”
“Limit ideas to those that require a customer subscription.”
“Generate ideas that require no additional resources.” (AI‐generated)
Roll the Die
Use a physical die or a virtual one to roll. Note the number you get. This step adds an element
of chance to your brainstorming, making it more engaging and less predictable.
Apply the Prompt
Look at the prompt corresponding to the number you rolled. For instance, if I rolled a 4, I would
focus on the prompt “What new markets can I enter?” Write your prompt down, as it will guide
your brainstorming session.
Modify the Challenge
Now, roll the die again to apply a challenge modifier. A modifier adds a specific constraint to
your brainstorming to push your creativity further. For example, if I rolled a 2, my constraint
would be “Consider only ideas that can be executed in one week.” Write this modifier down.
Brainstorm
Now, combine the prompt and the challenge modifier to brainstorm. For example, if my prompt
is “What new markets can I enter?” and my modifier is “Consider only ideas that can be
executed in one week,” I’ll think about quick‐entry markets I could explore within a week. For
example:
Starting an Online Class: Offer virtual fitness classes that clients can join from anywhere using
Zoom or Google Meet.
Write down all the ideas that come to mind, no matter how unconventional they may seem.
Explore the Idea Further (Optional)
Now that you have a starting point for your idea, you can try adding some of the other
modifiers to build your idea further. These are some ideas I thought of:
Using modifier 5 (“Limit ideas to those that require a customer subscription.”): Create a
subscription‐based website where clients can access a library of your recorded workout videos.
Using modifier 4 (“Think of ideas that involve collaboration with another department or
industry.”): Partner with a nutritionist to add a healthy eating section with recipes to your
services.
Feasibility Check
After generating your ideas, pick one and use an AI feasibility tool to test it. Not all ideas
generated during brainstorming are feasible. That’s where analyzing feasibility comes in. This
step involves evaluating the practicality of each idea, considering factors like cost, time,
resources, and potential impact. It helps narrow down the options to those that are not only
innovative but also implementable.
To do this, we will use VenturusAi. Follow these steps:
