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Backstory
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You can call me Matt. I'm a blogger for the American Express OPEN Forum Ideas Hub, which I reprint here. I've written three books, with the fourth, The Laws of Subtraction, coming out in a few months. I run a small ideas agency called Edit Creativ (formerly Shibumi Creative Works...practicing subtraction...and no, it isn't a typo in the name).
I spent 8 years as an independent advisor to the U.S. corporate headquarters of Toyota. It changed my outlook on work and life. I learned how to learn and solve problems. I learned to "think lean". I learned the power of less. I took those lessons on the road to other organizations. Now I write, speak, coach others on creativity, innovation, and design strategy.
You can read more on my About page, or connect with me on my Contact page.
Why Subtraction?
Lao Tzu said: "To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day."
When you remove just the right thing in just the right way, something good happens.
That's my go-to philosophy, and this blog is dedicated to sharing it along with all the amazing things that amazing people are doing to improve the world by waging "war on more" through subtracting from our collective experience anything obviously excessive, wasteful, complicated, unnatural, hazardous, hard to use, or ugly. Or better yet, refraining from adding those things in the first place!
I've just finished a new book entitled The Laws of Subtraction, which are these 6 simple rules for winning in the age of excess everything:
#1: What isn’t there can often trump what is.
#2: The simplest rules create the most effective experience.
#3: Limiting information engages the imagination.
#4: Creativity thrives under intelligent constraints.
#5: "Break" is an important part of any breakthrough.
#6: Doing something isn’t always better than doing nothing.The book will be out October 26, 2012. I've asked some of the most brilliant people I know to contribute short insights on these laws. Almost everyone said yes...54 to be exact. You'll be amazed and inspired by their stories of how subtraction has played a role in their work and life.
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Monthly Archives: May 2011
The Power of Touchpoints
This post originally appeared here on American Express OPEN Forum Idea Hub. A few years ago I read a USAToday profile of Campbell Soup Company CEO Douglas Conant. I was struck by a number of things. First was how he … Continue reading
Little Bets
This review originally appeared here on American Express OPEN Forum Idea Hub. Combined research from the U.S. Employee Involvement Association and Japan Human Relations Association reveals that the average number of ideas submitted per employee annually is 100 times greater … Continue reading
4 Ways to Spark New Ideas
This post originally appeared on American Express OPEN Forum Idea Hub. Nearly every day there is a new study that identifies some factor or another thought to enhance creativity: rest, meditation, food, environment, colors. The problem is, few research studies … Continue reading
The Third Screen
A few days ago, I was actively engaged in what has become my morning ritual: scanning the various RSS feeds or updates through apps I have on my iPhone, reading what piques my interest, and tweeting what grabs my attention … Continue reading
How to Create a Disruptive Business Model
I originally posted this column here on OPEN Forum Idea Hub. Last week I introduced The 9 Elements of an Ironclad Business Model, based on the Business Model Canvas (see below) forming the heart of the co-created book, Business Model … Continue reading
