The Ridiculous Idea Generator is a method for breaking out of rigid thinking by deliberately coming up with ideas that seem completely ridiculous, impractical, or even outright dumb. Counterintuitively, many of history’s greatest innovations started as ideas that seemed absurd at first. By allowing yourself to explore the silly and impractical, you often stumble upon unexpected brilliance.

When to use it

✓ When you’re stuck in a brainstorming rut and need fresh ideas.

✓ When conventional thinking isn’t producing solutions.

✓ When you want to encourage playful, outside-the-box creativity.

✓ When you need to challenge assumptions and find new perspectives.

How it works

1️⃣ Force yourself to be ridiculous 

Brainstorm ideas that are intentionally silly, extreme, or impossible.

2️⃣ Ask "What If?" Without Limits 

What if we could talk to plants? What if gravity worked in reverse?

3️⃣ Extract the Hidden Genius 

Look for surprising insights or useful elements within the absurdity.

4️⃣ Refine and Adapt 

Take the silliest ideas and tweak them into something practical.

5️⃣ Test in a Small Way 

Experiment with the weirdest idea just to see what happens.

Example 1:

Ice Cream for Breakfast Makes You Smarter

🚨 Problem: How can we improve brain function in the morning?

🤯 Absurd Idea: “What if eating ice cream for breakfast made you smarter?”

💡 Breakthrough: A study in Japan found that people who ate ice cream first thing in the morning had improved mental performance. It turns out the cold temperature shocks the brain into alertness, creating a temporary boost in cognitive function. While not exactly a health recommendation, the idea challenged conventional wisdom and led to insights about how the brain responds to stimuli.

🍦🍦🍦 Totally true btw, check it out here!

Example 2:

The Pool Noodle’s Accidental Success

🚨 Problem: A Canadian businessman was trying to develop a new type of pool insulation.

🤯 Absurd Idea: “What if we just sold the insulation foam tubes as a toy instead?”

💡 Breakthrough: The product, originally meant for industrial use, turned into the wildly successful "pool noodle"—one of the simplest and most beloved water toys ever. It wasn’t what it was designed for, but the absurd pivot turned out to be a multi-million dollar success.

In case you’re skeptical, read more about the pool noodle origins here.

Example 3:

Vitality Air's Bottled Canadian Rockies Air

🚨 Problem: How can we provide fresh, clean air to people in heavily polluted urban areas?

🤯 Absurd Idea: "What if we could can pristine air from the Canadian Rockies and sell it to consumers in smog-filled cities?"

💡 Breakthrough: In 2015, Canadian entrepreneurs Moses Lam and Troy Paquette founded Vitality Air with the bold idea of bottling fresh air from Banff National Park 🇨🇦 and selling it to markets with air quality issues, particularly in China 🇨🇳.

What started as a joke quickly went viral. Their first shipment of 500 bottles sold out within weeks, and their next 4,000 bottles were pre-sold before arrival. With prices ranging from $20 to $32 per bottle, people were surprisingly willing to pay a premium for a breath of mountain air.

Why it works

✓ Removes fear of failure by making ridiculousness the goal.

✓ Pushes past logical barriers to uncover unconventional solutions.

✓ Encourages a playful approach to problem-solving that often leads to real innovation.

Tips for Applying

👉️ Play the “What If” Game: Ask wild, exaggerated, or impossible questions about your problem.

👉️ Try Reverse Brainstorming: Generate the worst ideas possible, then look for hidden value.

👉️ Use Random Word Association: Pick unrelated words and force a connection to your problem.

👉️ Ask: “If this idea is too stupid to work, why does something similar already exist?

Dumb Word of the Day: Quodlibetic

What It Means

A quodlibetic thinker is someone who loves debating ridiculous, whimsical, or absurd ideas—just for fun.

Why It’s Perfect

The Ridiculous Idea Generator thrives on this mindset. Instead of filtering out “dumb” ideas, a quodlibetic approach embraces them. What if plants could talk? What if gravity worked in reverse? What if ice cream made you smarter? The more absurd, the better—because somewhere in that nonsense, genius is hiding.

So go on, get quodlibetic with your thinking. The next ridiculous idea might just be your best one.

🧠 The ‘Too Stupid to Fail’ Challenge

This week, I dare you to think like a fool—on purpose.

1. Pick a problem—big or small. Could be personal (“How do I wake up faster?”) or global (“How do we solve traffic jams?”).

2. Come up with the dumbest, most ridiculous solution possible. Go full nonsense. (“What if we hired clowns to honk at sleeping people?” / “What if cars drove on trampolines?”)

3. Find the hidden genius. Ask yourself: Is there actually something useful buried in this madness?

Maybe the clown alarm idea sparks a thought about sound-based wake-up tech. Maybe trampoline highways lead to shock-absorbing roads that reduce wear and tear.

The point? Stop trying to be smart. Think like a fool. Solve like a genius.

Let me know what ridiculous brilliance you come up with. I’m all ears (unless your idea is "ears should be detachable," in which case… I'm interested but also concerned).

Thanks for getting ridiculously brilliant with me today!

🎤 YOUR TURN: What’s the most absurd idea you’ve ever had—that actually worked? Maybe you pitched a joke solution that ended up being genius, or you tried something so dumb it shouldn’t have worked… but did. Reply and let me know! Best story wins a signed copy of Dumbify.

Stay delightfully foolish,
David

P.S. Know someone who takes thinking smart way too seriously? Forward them this email—maybe it’ll inspire them to stop overanalyzing and start thinking like a fool. 🚀