Thinking Outside the Box: Using the Overton Window to Innovate

Have you ever come across a business or service that made you think "Damn this seems so simple and straight forward. How did I not think of this?"

You aint the only one. We all have pal.

For some unknown reason the geniuses behind it make it look so easy. Although it seems so predictable (and easy), you and I know it wasn't.

Through careful research they recognised a need in the market when no else did.

They didn't reinvent the wheel ... they separated themselves from what was currently happening and found a way to differentiate what they offered.

Companies such as Airbnb, Uber, and Warby Parker are good examples of businesses that have made money from ideas that are a bit different from what people normally accept.

By being right outside of what is mainstream, you can offer something new and different.

I'm not saying you'll be the next Tesla, but you can get an idea of how far you can push your ideas.

Let's have a short history lesson ...

Back in the 1990s this guy called Joseph Overton came up with a concept called the Overton Window. He argued that regardless of how politicians feel, they are bound by limits on what they can suggest and get away with in society's culture.

In the context of culture and trends, the Overton Window suggests that society picks and chooses what is and isn't mainstream at any given time.

By picking and choosing what is in and what isn’t, society can also decide when things deviate from the norm.

The Overton Window, identifies six stages that a society passes through to change cultural attitudes. The six stages are:

• Unthinkable

• radical

• acceptable

• sensible

• popular

• policy

16 years ago, the idea of getting in to a car with a stranger that wasn't an official taxi or letting a stranger stay in your home would have been crazy.

Back then, we didn't see these things as acceptable. In fact, we probably viewed them as extreme, unrealistic, or even harmful. The idea of AirBnb was not only unthinkable, but also quite radical.

Still with me?

Cool.

Let's keep going ...

When ideas fall within the Overton Window, they are more than likely to be accepted.

You see, the window is culture driven. It moves. And in culture, things change every day, month, year, decade and century.

What's acceptable today won’t be acceptable tomorrow.

Take for instance the mullet. I've seen kids as young as 4 years old rocking this once ridiculed 90s look recently.

And when we look at fashion, denim jackets, cargo pants, and even those so-called "Dad shoes" are coming back into trend.

The Window of Business Opportunties

In business, the Overton Window can help you appear innovative as you create new chances for growth and success by looking outside of what is acceptable currently.

If the competition is working hard to remain acceptable in the eyes of the public, wouldn't you want to differentiate yourself to stand out?

I know I would.

Every now and then, a small number of companies emerge to take risks in promoting 'radical' ideas. They come along and shift the range of what is acceptable in a given community or culture.

Take this story personal story for example.

I have a friend who works in a police organisation and happens to be a devout Muslim. Every year during the Holy month, he observes the fast by abstaining from food and drink during the day for 30 days.

As part of his role in the Police, he spends a great deal of time fostering connections between the police and local communities. In the run-up to the Ramadan, he came up with a unique idea to bring together non-Muslim police members by inviting them to take part in a one-day fast. This involved foregoing food and drink for the day, much like he does during Ramadan.

To get people to join in, he asked a local mosque to help. They welcomed everyone who participated and even gave them some traditional food and drink as a thank you.

My friend understood the cultural dynamics at play. He brought together two different groups of people to share an experience. He used something that was important to him and others who practice Islam to help people who don't practice it understand it better.

By doing this, he helped to make things better in the community. And he showed that people with different beliefs and cultures, can still come together and respect each other. He demonstrated how the Overton Window can be expanded by challenging traditional assumptions and promoting understanding and inclusivity within the community.

The Big idea!

You can use the Overton Window to your advantage. The window offers a range of ideas that can be considered acceptable and popular in a given society or community at any given time. By understanding the range and how far you can push it, you can find opportunities to offer new ideas that are just outside the window — but not too far that they are dismissed. Take small steps, test, measure and see what you can do to separate yourself from the mainstream. By being "just" ahead of the time, you can shake up the usual and stick in the minds of people for longer.

That's it for now.

Until next time.

Hatibu.