Ideasicleˣ Forces Coincidences To Happen

A coincidence is when two seemingly unrelated events happen at the same time providing the observer with a larger, more meaningful interpretation of those two events. Ideas are the result of two seemingly unrelated thoughts that happen at the same time providing the observer with a larger, more meaningful interpretation of both. Or, in short, a new idea. The Ideasicleˣ platform forces “idea coincidences” like these to happen in three important ways.

1. Four different perspectives increases the odds of coincidence.

If coincidental ideas require at least two different thoughts to collide, then what better way to force different thoughts to collide than putting four different people to work on the problem. Each will come at it with completely different perspectives. Each will throw out their different thoughts. Each will read the thoughts of the others on the other Ideasicleˣ team. More different thoughts, more coincidences. More coincidences, more ideas. Seems like magic, but it’s really magic plus math.

2. It’s an arena for conscious observation.

Speaking of magic, I personally believe Tarot cards work not because the cards are inherently magic, but because they force the subject to pay attention to new information and then connect dots they may not otherwise have. Ideasicleˣ also creates an arena in which the subjects pay attention only it’s not the meaning behind the cards, it’s the meaning behind each idea post from the team. The Ideasicleˣ platform provides 100% visibility into the original ideas posted, the subsequent builds and the riffs over time. Not only for the freelancers working on the project, but for the organizers from the agencies. It’s all out there in the open on their private, password-protected “Idea Stream” to read, re-read and connect with other dots in their own heads. And all the thinking is preserved over time so an idea from two days ago may spark a build or a riff in someone else today. Nothing is lost, everything is gained, coincidences galore.

Quite different from the typical freelance arrangement when agencies brief a team of two (not four) and off the team goes to concept ideas somewhere. There’s no visibility for the agency creative director into the process, no way to course correct if thinking goes astray, just time elapsing, fingers crossed, and deadlines approaching.

3. Your inspiring brief will create coincidences “out there,” too.

Coincidences are a two-way street. Sometimes one dot is in your head and the other dot is in a teammate’s head and the connection happens on the Ideasicleˣ site. But sometimes one dot is in a freelancer’s head, one that was inspired by your brief or by something another teammate posted, and the other dot is “out there” in the real world waiting for that freelancer (or you as the organizer/customer) to see it. Could be something they see in a movie, could be something heard on a Zoom call about something entirely different, could be a piece of junk mail. When idea people are loaded with an inspiring brief or inspiring ideas from an Ideasicleˣ session the world is full of coincidences waiting to happen, waiting to be connected, waiting to become another idea posted on the Idea Stream.

To summarize, Ideasicleˣ is more than a way to get really smart people together to chomp on a problem in teams of four. It’s designed to increase the odds of ideas, to increase the odds of dots connecting, to increase the odds of coincidences. Think about how you feel when a real-world coincidence happens. It’s amazing, right? It’s hard to believe. You might even get the chills. Now, think about how you feel when a fantastic idea happens. We feel the exact same wonder, amazement, and maybe even chills.

That’s because it is the same.