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Innovation isn’t just a flash of brilliance—it’s a pattern. In Where Good Ideas Come From, Steven Johnson deconstructs the myth of the lone genius and instead explores the environmental, biological, and historical factors that fuel breakthrough ideas. By blending science, history, and creativity research, Johnson maps out how innovation truly works—not in isolated moments, but in complex systems and networks over time.

Drawing parallels between ecosystems, cities, and the human brain, Johnson reveals that good ideas often emerge in environments that value openness, connection, and slow hunches over rapid-fire eureka moments. This book is a guide for entrepreneurs, creators, and organizations that want to build cultures where innovation thrives organically.

Whether you’re launching a startup, solving a social problem, or looking to think differently, Johnson’s insights offer a blueprint for creating the kind of environments where the next big idea can actually happen.

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Top 10 Lessons from Where Good Ideas Come From

1. Innovation Favors the Connected

Ideas grow best in environments where diverse perspectives intersect. Like cities and ecosystems, networks of collaboration foster more breakthroughs than isolated silos ever could.

2. The “Slow Hunch” Beats the Flash of Genius

Contrary to the myth of sudden insight, many world-changing ideas simmer for years. Johnson emphasizes the value of nurturing incomplete ideas over time until they’re ready to converge into something transformative.

3. Serendipity Can Be Engineered

Accidental discoveries don’t happen by chance alone—they happen when people and ideas collide in the right environment. Innovation increases when you create systems that allow for unexpected connections.

4. Platforms Accelerate Progress

Many major innovations arise from platforms—existing technologies or ecosystems that can be built upon. From coral reefs to the web, layered systems provide fertile ground for new ideas to emerge.

5. Reuse and Remix Drive Creativity

Innovation isn’t always about inventing from scratch. Borrowing, adapting, and recombining existing ideas often leads to the most novel outcomes. Think adjacent possibilities—not distant fantasies.

6. Error and Failure Are Part of the Process

Mistakes aren’t roadblocks—they’re signals. Johnson highlights how error is often a crucial part of exploration and experimentation, leading innovators down unexpected and valuable paths.

7. Liquid Networks Breed Innovation

The best ideas form in environments that are neither rigid nor chaotic. Johnson calls these “liquid networks”—flexible, connected systems where information flows and ideas evolve through open exchange.

8. Innovation Requires Patience and Persistence

Breakthroughs often follow long periods of trial, false starts, and iteration. The key is to keep experimenting, testing ideas, and giving your concepts time to develop.

9. The Adjacent Possible Expands Creativity

Every new idea opens the door to more possibilities. Johnson’s concept of the “adjacent possible” shows how innovation is an ever-expanding map, and every step forward reveals new directions to explore.

10. Environments Matter More Than Genius

The greatest predictor of innovation isn’t IQ—it’s context. From coffeehouses to coworking spaces, the environments we create shape how ideas form, spread, and evolve.

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Where Good Ideas Come From is a must-read for anyone serious about creating innovation-friendly spaces—whether in tech, education, business, or the arts. Johnson’s blend of science and storytelling delivers a powerful message: ideas are born when systems support connection, not isolation.