Is there a magic behind creative thinking?
Innovation makes our species different
Behavioral neurologists may say: yes, there are talents, but the neurological principles of creative behavior are the same among us - we all have creative minds. I agree. Creativity is a special class of problem-solving…characterized by difficulty, unconventionality, novelty…but it needs competency. Can you buy competency? Yes.
Wheels aren't hard to reinvent, are they?
Original thinkers often look for adventure and start thinking not reading (eschewing algorithmic and technological fruits available). This is great for explorative learning, but it may reduce the value of the innovation?
The innovative spiral drives faster if you push new, validated theorems, models...into the knowledge base and use them in a next turn.
What makes quant innovations work?
What are the units of quant innovations and what are their generic building blocks? Remember, the basic units are functions, the most important units are tasks. Functions create tasks, tasks create workflows, workflows create subsystems and subsystems create the quant innovation.
A quant innovation does only work, if it's developed the bottom up fashion and each unit has building blocks that are constructors, progressive problem managers and solvers.
Functions tune the mechanics of tasks, workflows, subsystems...the system. They are the media of actors. They define the coverage and the depth of the system. Their programming style shall be symbolic, functional…but their implementations shall combine symbolic and numerical computation.
Tasks have usually a time dimension and they move objects and actors. Tasks shall offer a clear shift throughout their flows. Tasks may be: data selection, curation and import...model validation…model across scenario evaluations…back and stress tests…result analytics and aggregation.
Workflows may deal with the analysis, prediction or control of processes…in workflows we may use generic tasks like, "Create", "Select", "Apply"…Data, Objects, Models, Parameters, Valuation Methods, Scenarios, Factors…
Subsystems and the system are created by workflows…subsystems are add-ons if they're built atop another subsystem (a platform).
Build your technology stack (and share it?)
Develop a cascade of innovations that work and empower yourself unfolding creativity based on a growing stack of technologies. A Task-oriented Language, Engines that implement it, Communication Services, Data Services, A Computation Factory…Provide the same stack to other innovators. Build insight partnerships.
Clouds and contextual front-ends help partners to develop and deploy jointly…innovations that may become the classic of the future. Work of geniuses.
