In The Creator’s Code, Amy Wilkinson asserts that all of the most creative people in business “share certain fundamental approaches to the act of creation. The skills that make them successful can be learned, practiced, and passed on.” Each is the topic of a separate chapter in her book. Here they are, accompanied by an annotation of mine:

1. FIND THE GAP
Comment: Find the unmet need, the unanswered question, the unsolved problem…and be especially alert for anomalies.

2.DRIVE FOR DAYLIGHT
Comment: Create a distance between you and your competitors by outworking and outperforming them. while ignoring traditional boundaries and limitations. Also, constantly challenge your assumptions and premises. Competitive marketplaces change and so must you…but never compromise values such as integrity.

3. FLY THE OODA LOOP
Comment: Observe, Orient, Decide, and then Act faster and better than anyone else does. Also, know what not to do.

4. FAIL WISELY [and SHREWDLY]
Comment: Experiment and test constantly, learn and then discard, applying what is learned…if it’s DOA, bury it.

5. NETWORK MINDS
Comment: Recruit a variety of experiences and skills that offer diverse perspectives; insist upon and support principled dissent.

6. GIFT SMALL GOODS
Comment: Share knowledge, wisdom, and resources generously with those who need them and whose efforts have earned your support.

As Wilkinson explains, “The six essential skills are not discrete, stand-alone practices. Each feeds the next, creating synergy and momentum…When a creator brings together all six skills, something magnetic happens. Creators attract allies — employees, customers, investors, and collaborators of all kinds. Customers become evangelists. Employees turn into loyalists. Investors back the company with support that transcends financial returns.”

The Creator’s Code: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs was published by Simon & Schuster (2015).