The inverse brainstorm

How to come up with growth marketing strategies that actually work

They say there's no bad ideas in a brainstorm, but we know that’s hooey.

In-fact, most brainstorms have only bad ideas – random tactics, incremental tweaks, generic "best practices."

Good news, the fix is simpler than you think.

Start with “why not?”

If you think about it… all growth work comes down to one thing: getting people to do something they're not yet doing (e.g., sign up, activate, retain, refer a friend, or talk to sales).

And that gets a whole lot easier if we know why they’re not doing that thing in the first place.

That one question re-frames the whole process.

How to run an inverse brainstorm

If you ask “how do we get them to do X,” you get generic tactics like “add customer logos to the site,” “launch a referral program,” or “add gamification.”

Instead, ask "Why aren't they doing X already?"

Think about it:

• Why would someone install a photo editing app and then not edit photos?

• Why would they visit your pricing page and not sign up for a free trial?

• Why would they use your app once and never return?

Before you brainstorm solutions, start with blockers – list out the possible reasons why they’re not proceeding. Next, identify which blockers feel most plausible. Then brainstorm solutions that directly address them. That way, instead of random tactics, you get ideas rooted in your customer's actual psychology.

Simple next step

Next time you're planning a growth push, don't start with “what should we try?” Start with “why aren't they already taking the next step?” Identify the most plausible blockers and try to solve them.

Start with “Why not?”

I hope this helps!