Why “that’ll never work” might be exactly what you need
We’ve all been in those meetings, the ones where the whiteboard remains blank, the team is stuck in polite pragmatism, and every “new” idea is just a slightly warmed-up version of something we’ve already tried. It’s no one’s fault. It’s just the natural outcome of sensible people trying to come up with sensible ideas.
But here’s the problem; innovation doesn’t live in the land of sensible.
It doesn’t show up neatly packaged within what’s possible, proven, or reasonable. It shows up when we stretch, when we challenge, and most importantly, when we let go of what we think we already know.
That’s why one of the most powerful tools in your innovation toolbox might just be this:
Brainstorming deliberately daft, ridiculous, “that’ll never work” ideas.
This blog builds on the themes shared in my original 6 part Innovation and Change series, especially the section on creating space for ideas. But here we go one step further. Not just making space for ideas but actively inviting nonsense into the room, and then trawling it for gold.
Why “stupid” ideas matter
Let’s get something straight; we’re not talking about incompetence, flippancy, or blatant irresponsibility. We’re talking about creative provocation. A deliberate invitation to explore ideas that on the surface, seem laughable, unworkable, or commercially insane.
Why?
Because “stupid” ideas short-circuit assumptions, limiting beliefs and bias.
Every business is built on a stack of invisible assumptions; how customers behave, what competitors do, what’s profitable, what’s off-limits. Brainstorming implausible ideas forces those assumptions into the light. It lets you ask: “Why do we think this couldn’t work?” That one question can unravel stale logic and open doors to unimagined opportunity.
Absurdity creates psychological safety
In most rooms, people hesitate to speak up because they’re trying to look competent, sensible, reliable, and worth a pay rise. But if the task is to come up with deliberately stupid ideas, suddenly the pressure’s off. Everyone’s ridiculous, no one’s performing to a script, and that’s when ego drops and real creativity emerges.
One leadership team I worked with had a recurring prompt at every quarterly offsite strategy day: “In 15 minutes, write down the 5 worst business ideas we could possibly pursue next year.” Not only did it trigger laughter and looseness, it regularly generated the seed of a new strategic shift.
And this wasn’t just a client idea. It started in one of my own companies.
We were stuck facing an industry constraint we couldn’t seem to think around, when someone half-jokingly said, “Let’s just give it away for free and see what happens.”
Everyone laughed. But then we paused. What if we did give it away? Could we create value somewhere else? That “daft” suggestion triggered a deeper rethink of our entire offer. Since then, this approach has become a strategic staple across all my companies – a proven way to surface assumptions, break stale thinking, and consistently challenge industry norms.
Bad ideas often contain the seed of great ones
Here’s the magic; once the “bad” idea is out, you can dissect it, twist it, flip it, even join it to another “bad” idea. Something ridiculous like;
“Let’s give away the product for free”
…can lead to real insights about value models, recurring revenue, partnerships, or freemium plays.
Another one;
“Let’s stop using email completely”
…might spark a radical rethink of how internal communication happens, and eventually result in implementing a better communication strategy that boosts productivity.
I’ll link you to one of my other blogs here: Make it Better Before Bigger
Absurdity builds an innovation rhythm, not just a reaction
Companies often innovate in crisis when the market forces them to. But if you embed absurd brainstorming into your normal strategic rhythm, it becomes part of your culture. You normalise creative exploration. You make weird thinking okay, and when the real pressure hits, your people are already skilled in looking beyond the obvious.
A practical framework for “stupid idea” brainstorming
Here’s how you could run a session that deliberately invites the absurd:
1: Set the frame
Tell the group: “For the next 10–15 minutes, we want the worst, most unworkable ideas you can think of. Think embarrassing, absurd, outrageous, costly.”
2: Capture fast and freely
Use sticky notes or shared digital boards. No filters, no judgments, volume matters.
3: Ask: “What if this did work?”
Pick a few of the most ridiculous ones and interrogate them:
- What would have to be true for this to work?
- What are we assuming?
- Is there a 5% seed of genius here?
- Are the some that we could combine or connect?
4: Build bridges
From each daft idea, see if you can build a bridge to a workable solution. It doesn’t have to be linear, just adjacent, related and inspired by the spark of “what if…”
Some examples of accidental discoveries that changed our world just because someone somewhere didn’t dismiss the accident as rubbish.
I’m sure we all know the story of Penicillin, perhaps less so the Microwave Oven, Teflon and Velcro. All fortuitous accidents. Here’s a couple more in detail.
- Post-it Notes still earns its place here invented by accident when a scientist at 3M developed a glue that didn’t stick properly. What was initially seen as a failed product became one of the most iconic stationery tools of the modern office.
- Trunki, the ride-on children’s suitcase, was famously dismissed as unworkable and unnecessary when its creator, Rob Law, appeared on Dragons’ Den in 2006. The product was ridiculed, and he left without funding. But he persisted and went on to sell over 4 million units worldwide, turning an idea that “no sensible investor would touch” into a £10m+ business.
- Too Good To Go, the app that lets people buy unsold food from restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets at a discount was initially dismissed by many as too chaotic to manage. The idea of letting customers buy “leftovers” with no menu, unpredictable timing, and vague collection processes sounded like a logistical nightmare. But instead of being a flaw, the unpredictability became part of the experience. It’s now a widely used platform across the UK, helping reduce food waste and supporting sustainability goals in the food industry, and has been adopted in 17 countries, saving over 200 million meals.
Why this matters now
We all know that change happens whether we like it or not and those that will be left behind are increasingly likely to be the ones who are playing it safe, waiting for markets to change, waiting for economic confidence to increase, and waiting for customers to buy. That’s not a strategy or a plan, it’s just laziness. I hope what I’ve shared with you here, together with the 6 part Innovation Series here might just help you to unlock the hidden creativity that already exists in your own company – it certainly does in mine!
You are never going to get breakthrough ideas by filtering for feasibility. You get them by embracing absurdity, then reshaping it into something bold, smart, and real.
So the next time you’re stuck in a strategy meeting, and the ideas feel flat, try this:
Ask for the worst and invite the daft.
And then ask – What if this stupid idea… actually worked?
This principle belongs alongside all the others I’ve written about in the Innovation Tips series here, and my book The Very Best Business Handbook You’ll Ever Own
Because sometimes, the smartest move is thinking like a fool – on purpose.
Mark Jarvis
Founder | Interim MD | NED
Author of The Very Best Business Handbook You’ll Ever Own
Work with me:
I help owners, founders and leaders create a scalable business that works without them, build a world-class team, and 10x profitability. Book a call with me here to see if we could work together.
Remember, there are only three types of people – those who make things happen, those who wait for things to happen, and those who talk about why things don’t happen for them. Which one are you?
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