Cross-Pollination Engine
The Core Insight
Most "innovation" is applying proven solutions from one domain to another.
- •Resistance wheels → Rollerblades
- •Gaming XP systems → Duolingo
- •Hotel concierge → Software onboarding
The Process
- •Define the core job (strip away industry context)
- •Find who else solves it (often surprising industries)
- •Extract principles (not surface features)
- •Translate to your context (adapt, don't copy)
Industry Inspiration Library
| Need | Look At | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Trust | Banking, Healthcare, Aviation | Verification, credentials, checklists |
| Engagement | Gaming, Fitness apps, Streaming | XP, streaks, personalization, progress |
| Onboarding | Hotels, Theme parks, Luxury retail | Concierge, anticipation, personal touch |
| Simplicity | Apple, IKEA, Google | Feature cutting, hidden complexity |
| Urgency | E-commerce, Airlines, Fast food | Scarcity, anchoring, speed promises |
| Community | CrossFit, Harley-Davidson, Peloton | Tribal identity, shared experience |
Output Format
code
PROBLEM: [What you're solving] CORE JOB: [Stripped to fundamentals] FROM [Industry 1]: How they solve it: [x] Key principle: [y] Applied to us: [z] FROM [Industry 2]: How they solve it: [x] Key principle: [y] Applied to us: [z] SYNTHESIS: [Combined approach] NEXT STEP: [Concrete action]
Prompt Starters
- •"How would Disney solve our onboarding?"
- •"What would Amazon do with our data?"
- •"If this were a game, how would it work?"
- •"How do luxury hotels make people feel special?"
Integration
Compounds with:
- •jtbd-analyzer → Understand job first, then find who else solves it
- •first-principles-decomposer → Strip context to find fundamental need
- •six-thinking-hats → Green Hat pairs naturally with cross-pollination
- •app-planning-skill → Apply borrowed patterns to new apps
See references/examples.md for Artem-specific cross-pollinations