““Leonardo da Vinci, the defining Renaissance man and perhaps the greatest intersectionalist of all times, believed that in order to fully understand something one needed to view it from at least three different perspectives.” –Frans Johansson, Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation
What are we trained to ignore?
If you want to understand how to change a broken system, look at what it’s trained people to ignore.
Before the mid-19th century, the concept of “germs” did not exist. There was no reason to wash your hands before cooking, nor was it the least bit odd to perform a surgery with a blood-stained frock.
Similarly, until the 17th century, people didn’t bathe regularly either. You washed your underwear and that was that.
Finally, it wasn’t until the 1980s that the CDC even published any guidelines on hand hygiene.
Now, 45 years later, what are we still oblivious to?
45 years into the future, what will we be surprised we missed?
This is how to change the assumptions that shape our habits—and our systems.
Innovation is at the intersections.
There are many more examples of beliefs and scientific axioms we take for granted now that were hidden in plain sight once upon a time, but it still proves incredibly difficult to leverage our own blind spots.
A good start is to look at the intersections of what you already know.
In other words, you don’t actually have to think of something completely new.
Just find the nooks and crannies of your knowledge that have not been explored yet by other people.
How To Spot What Everyone Else Ignores
Now that you know where to look, let me show you how to change what everyone else is ignoring.
#1: Blow up the obvious.
So it’s always been done that way?
Well, what if it hadn’t?
Don’t take anything for granted. When others accept assumption, you can look for the cracks.
#2: Leverage the untrained eye.
Embody the great enemy of impostor syndrome.
When you’re new to a particular field, you have a tremendously underrated advantage, which is that you don’t take anything for granted.
Like an obnoxious toddler, you can’t help but ask “why”. Your curiosity inevitably will unveil gaps.
Will you explore these gaps, or just accept that you aren’t qualified to question them more deeply?
#3: Follow the friction.
Pay attention to what drives you and other people bonkers.
Is it that women’s jeans have laughably small pockets? Is it that you are somehow always without a charging cable, or that your computer loads web pages at a glacial pace?
Whatever it is for you, get curious.
Your frustration is an opportunity, not an obstacle.
#4: Zoom in on the unofficial shortcuts.
What are the workarounds? What is the anonymous Reddit advice? How did people manage it in the past?
Human beings are natural problem-solvers.
Sometimes we just need a little nudge to develop better iterations from our secret shortcuts.
#5: Fuse The Unrelated.
Who says coral reefs can’t teach us anything about urban design? What about photography and disaster relief? Linguistics and agriculture?
Dare to combine the unmixable domains of your knowledge.
It’s how all the fields that exist today came to be. All it takes it one person to get the ball rolling.
#6: Design For The Extremes.
Making life easier for the 1% of extreme users will often reveal how to make life better for everyone else.
So create for grandmas, toddlers, neurodivergent users, or one-handed texters.
Their struggles will reveal what “normal” design misses.
#7: Follow the yawn.
Stale design uncovers outdated assumptions.
So ask: what makes you bored?
Are you tired of eating the same thing for dinner? Does wearing the same kind of clothes make you yawn? Maybe you’re bored with reading the same genre of books?
Determine what flavor of novelty you need now, and pursue it.
How To Change The World
Now for the hard part- moving from ideation into prototyping.
#1: Share before you’re ready.
Here’s the hard truth: You will always feel unqualified if you don’t start building.
So stop waiting to feel qualified. Start being useful.
People don’t connect with perfection; they connect with clarity and effort.
Instead of trying to look smart, try to be generous.
Share the insight, the idea, or the hunch you can’t stop thinking about—even if it’s half-formed. When you invite others in before you’re “ready,” you don’t just share knowledge—you create momentum.
#2: Lead with usefulness.
Not sure how to show up for your team or community?
Be helpful first.
When you feel uncertain or underqualified, the best move is to solve a real problem—fast.
Don’t try to impress.
Try to relieve.
Can you make something easier for someone else? Clarify something confusing? Create a shortcut, a template, or even a joke that lightens the load?
Leading with usefulness builds trust faster than beating people over the head with jargon.
It shifts the focus from you to what you offer—and that’s what builds impact.
#3: Prototype loud and ugly.
The only bad test is the one you didn’t run.
Impact isn’t born from brainstorming alone—it’s born from bold, messy tries.
You don’t need a website, funding, or branding to start.
What you need is a scrappy signal: something tiny and tangible that lets you see how your idea lands.
Whether it’s a sticky note, a clumsy email, or a one-question poll, anything real beats an idea trapped in your head.
Remember: ugly is honest. And honesty invites feedback.
#4: Embed it into what you’re already doing.
Impact doesn’t require more hours—it requires better weaving.
You don’t need a side hustle to create change.
The smartest path is to embed your idea into what you’re already doing: your job, your conversations, your commute, your routines.
So test your idea at work. Read about your topic while folding laundry.
Maybe your dinner table chat double as research.
Real impact doesn’t fight your life—it fits it.
#5: Build in public.
Your process is part of the product.
You don’t have to launch a polished product to make a difference—you can let others watch you build.
Sharing your process builds credibility, invites collaboration, and attracts the people who care about the same things.
Whether it’s a voice note, a messy diagram, or a one-line update, showing the making-of gives others permission to explore too.
You’re not just building impact—you’re modeling courage.
#6: Solve one tiny problem at a time.
I know, I know. You want to change THE WORLD.
The secret to that is focusing your effort on one bite-sized problem at a time.
So don’t try to fix everything—you just need to fix something.
The fastest way to create impact is to help someone solve a small, real frustration.
That tiny fix can make a big difference—and opens the door to more.
#7: Start with one person.
You don’t need an audience; you need a recipient.
Let me explain.
Before you worry about reach or scalability, ask: Who needs this today?
Whether it’s a friend, a sibling, a colleague, or someone in a group chat, focus on helping one person apply what you know.
That one conversation? It’s your prototype, your first ripple. That’s impact in motion.
So the real question isn’t whether you have what it takes—it’s whether you’re willing to use what you already know to find how to change what matters most.
Thought To Action
- Understand and align with your body’s natural cycles to enhance clarity and reduce the sense of being adrift.
- Creativity is a compass when you feel lost. Cultivate creative genius using your innate curiosity and creativity.
- Use journaling to accelerate your progress and celebrate your wins.
- Explore interdisciplinary projects in a team of passionate individuals.
- Talk to people from different careers and a diverse range of professional & cultural backgrounds.
Sources
https://www.britannica.com/science/germ-theory
https://www.vox.com/culture/2020/3/17/21181653/history-evolution-hand-washing-peter-ward-clean-body
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