The MADE-UP Framework for Mind-Bending Innovation

Picture it… you’re standing at the edge of a cliff. Below you, a sea of possibilities. Above, a sky unbound by rules. And there you are, teetering on the precipice of… what exactly?

Reality? Convention? Or maybe — just maybe — it’s all in your head.

Let that sink in for a moment.

Imagine every obstacle, every “can’t,” every “that’s not how we do things,” just… gone. Vanished. Like they never existed. Because… they don’t. Not really. It’s something I wrote about in a previous piece and them promised I’d write about what to do about it.

Welcome to the MADE-UP framework, where nothing exists and everything is up for grabs. It’s not just a thought experiment; it’s a rollercoaster ride for your mind, a secret passage to innovation that’ll make your synapses do the Elaine dance (a little Seinfeld reference for the fans).

The MADE-UP Framework: Your Ticket to the Twilight Zone of Innovation

Buckle up, buttercup. We’re about to take a ride through the looking glass of conventional thinking.

Here’s your roadmap:

M: Mindset Shift (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Void)

First things first: everything you know is wrong. Okay, not wrong wrong, but… made up. Deadlines? Figments of our collective imagination. Business models? Fancy fairy tales we all agreed to believe in. Market norms? Just a really popular kid’s game that got out of hand.

Think of it like this: You’ve been living in the Matrix, and I’m offering you the red pill. Once you swallow it, you’ll see the world for what it is — a playground of possibilities, limited only by our imagination.

A: Acknowledge Constructs (AKA, Spot the Unicorns)

Now that your third eye is wide open, it’s time to play “I Spy” with the made-up stuff. Deadlines, budgets, team structures — list ’em all. Then ask yourself: “Are these really real, or did we just… make them up?”

Spoiler alert: They’re all made up. Mind. Blown.

D: Disrupt Conventional Thinking (Or, How to Think Like a Five-Year-Old on a Sugar Rush)

Enter ACT (Ant conventional Thinking) — because who needs conventional thinking when you can go full rebel? Forget brainstorming; we’re brain-typhoon-ing here.

Ask the wildest questions:

• “What if we turned our product into a service… for dogs?”
• “What if our CEO was an AI?”
• “What if we only worked on Tuesdays… underwater?”

Crazy? Maybe. Innovative? Absolutely.

E: Engage with Innovation Models (Because Even Rebels Need a Game Plan)

Time to put method to the madness. Grab your innovation toolbox — Business Model Canvas, Doblin’s Ten Types of Innovation, Jobs-to-be-Done framework, whatever. Mix and match like you’re creating the world’s weirdest cocktail.

Doblin’s Ten Types of Innovation? More like Ten Types of Mind-Bending Awesomeness. Jobs-to-be-Done? More like Jobs-You-Never-Knew-Existed-But-Now-Can’t-Live-Without.

U: Unleash Creativity (AKA, Let Your Inner Child Run Amok)

Remember when your imagination could turn a cardboard box into a spaceship? Yeah, we’re doing that, but with billion-dollar ideas.

Think Google’s 20% time, but on steroids. What if every hour was playtime? What if your office was a bouncy castle? What if brainstorming sessions were actually pillow fights?

P: Prototype and Implement (Or, Throw Spaghetti at the Wall and See What Sticks)

Ready, fire, aim! Don’t wait for perfection — it’s overrated anyway. Build it, break it, rebuild it. Rinse, repeat, rejoice!

Remember: Edison didn’t invent the light bulb on his first try. Or his hundredth. But boy, did he have fun trying!

The “Aha!” Moment: Is This Real, or Is It MADE-UP?

As you navigate this wonderland of innovation, keep asking: “Is this real, or is it MADE-UP?”

It’s all made up. And that’s the beauty of it.

You’re not just thinking outside the box anymore. You’ve obliterated the box, turned it inside out, and are now using it as a hat. A really, really innovative hat.

The MADE-UP framework isn’t just a fun mental exercise (though it is that, too). It’s a pair of magic glasses that turn barriers into trampolines, obstacles into opportunities, and “impossible” into “I’m possible” (see what I did there?).

So the next time you hit a wall, remember: the wall is just a figment of our collective imagination. And with a little MADE-UP magic, you can walk right through it — into a world of limitless possibilities.

Now go forth and innovate, you beautiful, made-up maverick. The world is your oyster… or maybe it’s a spaceship. Or a fluffy bunny coated in rainbow sparkles and a jetpack. You decide. After all, it’s all made up anyway.