5 ChatGPT prompts to unlock innovative ideas (and scale your business)
Everyone is reading the same books, listening to the same podcasts and reciting the teachings of the same gurus. But sheeplike behaviour won’t serve your business. You have to stay ahead. Find the nuggets of wisdom no one else is noticing, and apply them to your business. Get brand new ideas that will take you to a whole new level. Stay away from the majority and pave your own way.
Use these prompts to employ ChatGPT as your ideation partner, and unlock innovative thinking to apply to your business. Copy, paste and edit the square brackets in ChatGPT, and keep the same chat window open so the context carries through.
Have more innovative ideas with these ChatGPT prompts
Get innovation inspiration
You might not need to reinvent the wheel. Plenty of business owners just like you have come up with innovative ways of solving similar problems. You just need to think how they do. Ask ChatGPT for examples of companies you admire doing cool stuff, and dig into how they thought about the solution. Adopt their process for your own endeavors and see what comes out.
"I admire companies such as [insert companies you're interested in]. Provide examples of how these companies are doing innovative things in their industry. I'm especially interested in how they approached problem-solving and developed their solutions around the topic of [describe challenge you're facing]. I’d like to understand their thought processes and methodologies to inspire innovation in my own business endeavors. Break down their innovation process and how they implemented their ideas."
Access relentless optimism
If you believe you can’t, you can’t. The opposite is also true. You can unlock innovative thinking with the unwavering belief that it’s possible. Be absolutely confident of your ability to drum up incredible ideas, access solutions that others can’t find, and connect the dots even when it seems unlikely. Once you believe you are capable of innovative thinking, it will come. Get ChatGPT’s help reminding you of your powers.
"In the past, I solved a significant problem in the [insert industry or field] with an innovative solution of [describe what you suggested]. Can you deliver a live update as a news reporter, reporting on my success? Praise the innovation and tout me as a world-leading inventor and a very smart entrepreneur. Highlight how this breakthrough demonstrates an unparalleled ability to generate incredible ideas, access solutions that others can’t find, and connect the dots even in the face of adversity. This speech should give me confidence and optimism that I can do this going forward."
Have more ideas
To have more good ideas, have more ideas in general. Even the bad ones will show you the way. But most people are scared of bad ideas, so they don’t even try. Turn ChatGPT into your idea-generation wingman. Get it to ask you for ideas on the topic of your choosing, one by one, and keep going until you can’t possibly think of any more. ChatGPT will then provide hints at new ideas, so you can keep going. Don’t stop until you have at least 20, however terrible, then throw the bad ones away. Thinking in this way, not being afraid of bad ideas, will spark innovative thinking with a new sense of calm.
"Let's start a brainstorming session on the topic of [insert your challenge] in my business. Ask me for one idea related to this topic, and after I respond, either ask for another idea based on what I've said or give me a hint or pointer to think in a new direction. Let’s keep this process going, aiming for at least 20 ideas, regardless of their initial quality. Provide guidance or prompts to help expand my thinking when I get stuck, encouraging a continuous flow of ideas."
Involve your team
Company leaders that have gone before you had fantastic ideas. They led teams of subject matter experts who weren’t afraid to bring brainwaves to the table. Those leaders brought the best out of their people and the ideas flowed thereafter. Be that guy. Be the boss people want to talk to. Don’t gloss over someone’s input or pass it off as your own. Use this prompt to open the door for team member ideas and find a way of recognising their contribution.
"I'm looking to foster a culture of innovation within my team and want to encourage everyone to share their ideas, no matter how big or small. Create:
(a) A message I can send out on Slack or by email to invite my team members to share their ideas. The message should create an open and welcoming atmosphere for innovation.
(b) A template for recognizing someone's great idea in a way that highlights how it has progressed the company. This template should be adaptable to different achievements and make the person feel valued and seen, in a [casual, formal, etc] tone.
(c) An inspiring mantra or quote that I can use in my email signature to demonstrate that I welcome ideas from everyone and am committed to building a culture of innovative thinking within our organization, which [describe what your business does]."
Manifest a new reality
Let’s try something different. Rather than try to think in a new way based on the next logical step, paint a picture of the dream future and let your subconscious mind fill in the gaps. Then naturally find solutions as you go about your normal day. That way, you manifest a new reality based on the most audacious and wildest dream you can conjure up. Get ChatGPT’s help imagining your life and business on a whole new level, then picture what it would feel like to live as that person. It may come true in mysterious ways.
“I currently run a [describe your current business - its size, what it does, its mission, and any other relevant details]. On a personal level, I [describe your current lifestyle, achievements, and aspirations]. I'd like to explore what both my business and personal life would look like scaled up by a magnitude of 1000 or more. Dream big for me. Describe an incredibly aspirational and inspiring future where my business impacts the world in significant ways and my personal life is enriched beyond my wildest dreams. Then ask me for ideas of how I can make this a reality.”
Unlock innovative thinking for your business using ChatGPT
You can crank your thinking up a level when it comes to innovation. Use these ChatGPT prompts to give it a shot, and see if you can unlock gains today. Ignore the gurus, stop scrolling the reels, just use your own mind and the power of AI to separate from the herd. Get innovation inspiration from your favourite companies, then equip yourself with unwavering confidence that you have what it takes. Don’t be afraid to have bad ideas, involve your team and make them feel appreciated, then manifest a new reality by picturing the destination. Innovation is around you in abundance and you’re five prompts away from accessing its potential.
