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Possibilities Questions

Purpose​

Unlock creative potential by shifting conversations from problem-solving mode to opportunity-creation mode, engaging imagination and intrinsic motivation.

The Catalytic Question​

"What's possible here and who cares?"

Core Questions​

  1. Delight Factor: What would delight users beyond their expectations?
  2. Adjacent Opportunities: What adjacent opportunities does this unlock?
  3. 10x Value: How could this become 10x more valuable?
  4. No-Fail Scenario: What would we do if we couldn't fail?
  5. Unexpected Value: What value could this create that we haven't imagined?

Application Process​

1. Mindset Shift
   - Stop "fixing" problems
   - Start "creating" value
   - Suspend judgment temporarily

2. Unconstrained Brainstorming
   - Generate without constraints
   - Build on ideas (yes, and...)
   - Quantity over quality initially

3. Identify Beneficiaries
   - Who benefits most from each possibility?
   - What pain does it eliminate?
   - What gain does it create?

4. Impact x Feasibility Matrix
   - High Impact, High Feasibility: Execute now
   - High Impact, Low Feasibility: Explore path
   - Low Impact, High Feasibility: Quick wins
   - Low Impact, Low Feasibility: Defer/eliminate

5. Design Experiments
   - Smallest test of top possibilities
   - Clear success criteria
   - Fast learning cycles

Validation Checklist​

  • Mindset shifted from fixing to creating
  • Unconstrained brainstorming completed
  • Beneficiaries identified for each possibility
  • Impact x Feasibility assessed
  • Top possibilities prioritized
  • Experiments designed for validation

Example: Agent System Possibilities​

Current: Manual agent creation
Problem-Solving Mode: "How do we make agent creation less painful?"
Possibility Mode: "What becomes possible if agent creation is delightful?"

Possibilities:
  - Agent templates that generate 90% of code
  - Natural language -> Agent compiler
  - Agent marketplace with proven patterns
  - Self-improving agent library

Who Cares: All developers building agentic systems
Value: 10x faster agent development, compound learning

When to Use This Lens​

Use Possibilities Questions when you:

  • Feel stuck in problem-solving mode
  • Need to expand creative options before narrowing
  • Want to inspire a team beyond incremental thinking
  • Are exploring new product or feature directions
  • Need to reframe a frustrating situation as an opportunity

See Also​