What should you consider when brainstorming?

• A. Who are my customers? What quantities will they buy? How will my product differ from competitors?
• B. Which employees should be cut? How to reduce costs? Where to outsource?
• C. How to maximize profits immediately? Which markets to exit? What color to paint walls?
• D. What are legal constraints? How to reduce risk? Who are competitors?

Answer: (A)

When brainstorming, focus on uncovering opportunities by thinking through who will buy your product, how much they’ll buy, and how your offering will stand out from the competition. Understanding who the customers are helps you identify the real need you’re solving and who you’re targeting. Estimating quantities they would purchase gives a sense of market scale and potential demand, which guides what a viable solution could look like. Considering how your product differs from competitors helps you craft a unique value proposition and a clearer path to standing out in the market. The other ideas lean more toward operational moves or financial quick wins—like cutting costs, outsourcing, fighting for immediate profits, or managing risk—which are important but come after you’ve generated and evaluated potential ideas. So the best approach in brainstorming is to think about customers, demand, and differentiation.