Where Good Ideas Come From

By Steven Johnson

Book Overview

New ideas don’t just happen out of nowhere—they come from environments where people share different thoughts and work together. The book "Where Good Ideas Come From" explains how great ideas are born and grow. It talks about ways to grow ideas, like building on existing ideas, making unexpected discoveries, and working in open, connected spaces where ideas can mix.

Using stories from science, technology, and nature, the following key points or "Power Lines" summarize how creativity and innovation often come from collaboration and gradual progress over time.

Power Line 1

Innovation and Evolution Happen Gradually, Expanding What’s Possible

Both evolution and innovation don’t occur in giant leaps but rather in gradual steps within the "adjacent possible," or what’s achievable at a given time.

For example, life on Earth didn’t instantly jump to complex organisms like sunflowers or squirrels. First, atoms combined into simple molecules, then those molecules formed proteins and cells, which later evolved into basic life forms. Over time, each new development opened the door for more complex structures, until eventually, life as we know it emerged.

The same is true for innovation. Take eBay, for example. It couldn’t have existed in the 1950s because the necessary technologies weren’t yet in place. First, computers had to be invented, then networks to connect them, and then the internet, allowing people to browse and buy online. Only when all those foundational elements were in place could eBay be born.

Occasionally, innovations attempt to push far beyond what’s currently possible, but these ventures usually fail. For instance, launching YouTube in the 1990s would have been doomed. The internet speeds and software needed to make video streaming accessible didn’t exist back then.

Inventions often appear in multiples because various people working with similar knowledge are constrained by the same limitations. For example, Carl Wilhelm Scheele and Joseph Priestley both discovered oxygen independently in the 1770s. They shared the same starting point—understanding the gaseous nature of air—so it was natural that both would reach the same conclusion at roughly the same time.

“When you don't have to ask for permission innovation thrives.”

Power Line 2

Big Ideas Take Time to Develop and Start as Small Thoughts

Major breakthroughs often appear to be sudden eureka moments in hindsight, but in reality, they usually evolve slowly over time as "slow hunches." These hunches grow and mature through a process of trial, reflection, and connection with other ideas.

Take Charles Darwin, for example. His theory of natural selection didn’t just come to him in a flash while reading Thomas Malthus’ work on population growth. Although Darwin recalled the moment as an epiphany, his notebooks revealed that he had already formulated most of the theory before that moment. His ideas took shape gradually, developing over the years until they finally solidified into the theory we know today.

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, also experienced a long, slow hunch. His fascination with interconnected information systems began when he read a Victorian how-to book as a child. Years later, while working at CERN, he started a side project that allowed him to link different pieces of information, much like a network. More than a decade later, this project turned into the World Wide Web, transforming the way we share and access information today.

Power Line 3

Platforms Act as Launchpads, Helping New Ideas Grow and Driving Innovation

Platforms play a key role in fostering new innovations. In nature, keystone species like beavers and coral create environments that support other organisms. Beavers build dams that turn forests into wetlands, and coral builds reefs where countless other species thrive.

In innovation, platforms work similarly. The Global Positioning System (GPS), for example, was originally created for military use but has since evolved into a platform for countless other innovations, from navigation apps to location-based services and advertising.

Platforms often build on each other. For example, the internet is a platform built on earlier communication protocols, and Twitter is built on top of the web. Today, countless apps and services are being developed on the Twitter platform, expanding what’s possible in social media.

Power Line 4

Innovation and Evolution Thrive in Large, Connected Networks

Just as carbon atoms are the foundation of life on Earth because they can easily form complex molecules, human networks facilitate the development and spread of ideas. Early humans, for example, lived in isolated groups where new ideas could easily die with the individual who conceived them. But as humans began to gather in larger settlements and cities, their networks grew, allowing them to share and develop ideas collectively.

This trend continues today. Studies in molecular biology labs have shown that groundbreaking ideas are often born not from peering through microscopes but from informal discussions during lab meetings. Similarly, people with broader social networks, especially those that extend beyond their own fields, tend to be more creative because they are exposed to diverse ideas and perspectives.

Cities naturally facilitate large networks, which is why they tend to be more creative and innovative than smaller towns. However, today, the most powerful network for innovation isn’t a city but the World Wide Web, where ideas can spread globally at lightning speed, connecting people from all corners of the world.

“The more disorganized your brain is, the smarter you are.”

Power Line 5

Collaboration is Just as Important as Competition

Many people believe that competition is the primary driver of innovation. The idea is that inventors and entrepreneurs are motivated by the potential to profit from their ideas. While this can spur innovation, it can also create barriers, like patents, that prevent ideas from spreading and combining with others.

Historically, some of the most important innovations have come from collaboration rather than competition. The theory of relativity, the World Wide Web, X-rays, and penicillin are examples of inventions that did not come with huge financial rewards for their creators. These innovations were born from open collaboration and the sharing of knowledge rather than the drive for profit.

While markets and competition have certainly spurred innovation, they aren’t the only or even the best way to encourage it. Open networks that promote collaboration and the free exchange of ideas can be just as powerful.

Power Line 6

Random Connections Lead to Accidental Discoveries

In addition to collaboration, random connections also play a crucial role in innovation. Water, for example, was a key factor in the evolution of life because it constantly moved and churned, allowing atoms to interact in new and unexpected ways. The same process happens with ideas.

For instance, dreams are a place where random connections between ideas happen, often leading to creative solutions. The German chemist Kekulé, for example, famously dreamt of a snake devouring its own tail, which helped him visualize the structure of the benzene molecule.

On a neurological level, our brains operate in a similar way. Ideas are formed through complex networks of neurons firing in sync. Interestingly, studies have shown that people who experience longer periods of chaos in their brain activity tend to be more intelligent, as their brains are more open to forming new, random connections.

“Good ideas may not want to be free, but they do want to connect, fuse, recombine. They want to reinvent themselves by crossing conceptual borders. They want to complete each other as much as they want to compete”

Power Line 7

Innovation Grows When Ideas Converge in Shared Spaces

When people from different fields come together in the same physical or intellectual space, creative collisions often occur. The cultural movements of the 1920s, for example, were driven by artists, poets, and writers meeting in Parisian cafés and sharing ideas. These interactions allowed them to combine their unique perspectives, sparking new innovations.

Similarly, innovators like Benjamin Franklin and Charles Darwin often worked on multiple projects at once, allowing their ideas to cross-pollinate. This kind of slow multitasking helped them see connections between seemingly unrelated concepts.

At an organizational level, creating networks where ideas can freely interact and combine is key to fostering innovation. Today, the World Wide Web is the ultimate shared space for ideas, where knowledge from different fields is hyperlinked and easily accessible.

Power Line 8

Mistakes and Errors Can Lead to Breakthroughs

Errors are a natural part of both evolution and innovation. In nature, genetic mutations are essentially mistakes in the process of reproduction. While most mutations are unsuccessful, some lead to beneficial traits that help drive evolution. Without these "errors," species would never evolve into new forms.

In the realm of science, errors have also led to major discoveries. Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin because of a mistake: he allowed a bacteria sample to be contaminated by mold and noticed that the bacteria were dying. Many scientific breakthroughs start as unexplained errors that force researchers to rethink their assumptions.

In fact, errors can stimulate creativity. In one study, participants who were exposed to conflicting or unexpected information generated more creative ideas than those who weren’t. The presence of error made them think beyond the obvious.

“Good ideas are more likely to emerge in environments that contain a certain amount of noise and error.”

Power Line 9

Reinventing and Repurposing Old Ideas Fuels Innovation

In both nature and innovation, traits or ideas that were developed for one purpose are often repurposed for something entirely different. This process, known as exaptation, drives evolution and innovation alike.

For example, feathers originally evolved to keep animals warm but later became essential for flight. In innovation, Tim Berners-Lee created the World Wide Web as a tool for scholars, but it has since been repurposed for countless other uses, from shopping to social networking.

Even discarded spaces can become hubs of innovation. Abandoned buildings in cities often become the breeding grounds for new subcultures and ideas, which eventually influence the mainstream. Just as dead coral creates the foundation for thriving ecosystems, old spaces and ideas can be repurposed to fuel future innovations.

Major Takeaway

Ultimately, both evolution and innovation thrive in environments where ideas can connect and grow over time. Whether it’s through slow hunches, collaboration, or serendipitous connections, the best ideas often emerge gradually as they interact with other ideas and mature.

In both nature and innovation, the process is driven by the ability of networks to foster these connections, allowing new discoveries to evolve over time.

Video Insights from the Author, Steven Johnson