FounderFuel: Harnessing the brain’s creativity to supercharge your founder problem-solving skills

Creative problem-solving is central to founderhood, whether it’s the initial problem validation or scaling at pace and raising Series C – there are always problems to overcome on the uncertain startup journey.  This month, we’re looking at what’s happening in our brains when we’re thinking creatively.  We look at its role in problem-solving and what we can do to get our brains into an optimal creative state.

Are you a creative entrepreneur? 

Honestly?  If you ask me that, it’s likely to create flashbacks to my ill-fated A-level art project.  Maybe for you, it’s a memory of your grade 5 piano exam or some other artistic pursuit?

Yet artistry and musicality are far from the only applications of creativity.

The success of humanity is built on its desire to innovate and improve.  And as entrepreneurs, we epitomise that drive. 

Our startups are here because we found a solution for customers that didn’t previously exist. And beyond this ideation stage, the need to problem-solve (often without the benefit of protocol or playbook) is unrelenting. 

All these things demand creativity. Problem-solving requires creativity.

So perhaps it’s more helpful to think of entrepreneurial creativity as “divergent thinking” – the ability to connect unrelated concepts into an original solution.

So, how is entrepreneurial creativity created?

Recently, we were joined by Dr Emily Clements at a recent FounderFuel LIVE for a fascinating discussion about the entrepreneurial mind, where she made the following distinction:

“I like to think of creativity as a state within us, rather than a trait” Dr Emily Clements, Neuroscientist

I love this.  It challenges the idea that creativity is something you’re born with or without.

The science behind it is a far cry from the oversimplified notion that only “right-brain thinkers” have the capacity for creativity. Instead, creativity is the result of different parts of the brain working together across different networks:

The Default Mode Network (DMN) is linked to our memories and plays an important role in making connections and visualising outcomes.  It’s where our thinking is most flexible and imaginative, allowing for originality. In fact, it’s now thought that this is critical for both our ability to learn and generate new ideas.

Our Executive Network (EN) acts as our creative filter.  It shapes and forms the ideas that flow freely through the DMN, selecting the most promising creations, and keeping us focused on the end game.

It’s the ability to efficiently switch back and forth between these two networks that generates the most original and useful creative output.

The good news for us founders is that it is entirely learnable and something that can be strengthened through practice.

So, how do we get ourselves into an optimal creative state so we can supercharge this problem-solving power?

Entrepreneurs think more creatively

Research by Dr Emily Clements compared the brain activity of process-led working professionals (such as accountants, etc), with that of entrepreneurs while completing a word-based creative task1. 

Within the sample of entrepreneurs, she saw less activity in the regions of the brain responsible for cognitive control.

“what defines an entrepreneurial neurocognitive profile is the ease in loosening one’s grip on semantic norms, permitting free-flowing creativity to generate seemingly absurd ideas.”1

She goes on to suggest this ability could be a result of exposure to environments that encourage disruptive thinking.  In other words, the more we engage with opportunities to problem-solve creatively, the more proficient we become at it.

Founders are more creative – not because we were born that way, but because this entrepreneurial lifestyle we’ve chosen is literally training our brains to think more creatively:

“Entrepreneurship encompasses skills, behaviours, competencies, and a mindset that empowers individuals to think creatively and navigate uncertainty”. 

How can entrepreneurs strengthen their creative capacity?

With the relentless pace of a typical startup day, it’s not unusual to be left thinking “My head hurts!” – especially after working on big challenges or particularly gnarly issues. 

And that’s not just a turn of phrase…

It links back to that switching our brain has to do between multiple states to be creative.  This constant jumping between introspective, analytical, and free-form thinking is physically tiring.   As with any form of exertion, we need to think about how we fuel, rest, and exercise those muscles.

Here are a few research-based ideas:

Allow your mind to wander

Ever wondered why the best ideas pop into your mind the minute you wake up, or just as you’re drifting off to sleep? 

It’s because the DMN is stimulated when your brain stops focusing on the outside world and enters a proper state of rest.  It’s why the DMN is sometimes referred to as the “daydreaming or mind-wandering network” – we need it to crack those gnarly issues.

Yet, entrepreneurship and daydreaming are not natural bedfellows. We’re always juggling multiple priorities and squeezing as much in as possible. I, for one, am often running from one commitment or task to the next, and I struggle to make time for “daydreaming”. But I’m far more productive and focused when I do.

Do a mundane task

For some of you, I know, creating that DMN moment is a walk, for others it’s exercise, even just making a cup of tea or watching 10 mins of your favourite show will work. Research has also shown we can access this daydreaming state when we’re focusing on simple, unrelated tasks2. 

So, when you’re getting stuck with a problem – don’t try and force it by staring at your screen for longer. Instead, get up, stop thinking about it and give your DMN a chance to come online.

Practice creativity to strengthen neural pathways

Reframe the next “problem” you encounter in your start-up: Instead of a hurdle to overcome, think of it as a creative exercise and an opportunity to strengthen your creative neural pathways. 

You can practice more intentionally too:  Take time to reflect on the outcome of challenges you’ve faced and solved.  As we discussed last month, self-awareness is key to agile decision-making, helping us spot cognitive bias and seek alternative approaches.

And what about tackling problems outside of your start-up?  Being a fresh pair of eyes for other founders benefits the broader community.  It’s also an opportunity to practice free-flow creativity, unfettered by stakeholder expectation or bias.  Our FounderCircles are a great opportunity to flex these skills while supporting other founders with their own challenges.

So, are you a creative entrepreneur?

When we stop thinking about creativity as an innate talent, it’s easier to appreciate it as a way of thinking that can be developed like any other part of our founder toolkit. 

As entrepreneurs, our exposure to creative problem-solving offers plenty of opportunities to practice these skills.  Looking at every problem as a chance to improve our creativity is a useful lens to strengthen the skill too. 

So next time someone asks you if you’re creative, what will your answer be?