4.5 Key Terms

adaptive model
method of entrepreneurial problem solving that seeks solutions in ways that are tested and known to be effective

assessment
lean problem-solving process phase in which the entrepreneur experiments and analyzes the potential process and its capabilities

brainstorming
generation of ideas in an environment free of judgment or dissension with the goal of creating solutions

clarify
first step of the creative process, which involves recognizing the existence of a gap between the current state and a desired state

communication skills
skills entrepreneurs use to pool resources for the purposes of investigating solutions leading to innovative problem solving and competitive advantage

creativity
development of original ideas

critical thinking
complex analysis of a problem or issue with the goal of solving the problem or making a decision

crowdsourcing
teams of amateurs and non-experts working together to form a solution to a problem

data analysis
process of analyzing data and modeling the data into a structure that leads to innovative conclusions

decisiveness
ability to make a quick, effective decision, not letting too much time go by in the process

design thinking
method to focus the design and development decisions of a product on the needs of the customer, typically involving an empathy-driven process to define complex problems and create solutions that address those problems

develop
stage in which the entrepreneur takes the list of ideas generated and tests each solution for feasibility

entrepreneurial problem solving
process of using innovation and creative solutions to close the opportunity gap by resolving complex societal, business, or technological problems

evaluate
stage in which the final solution is assessed

evaluation
lean problem-solving process phase in which behaviors are analyzed to assess success

external environment
outside the enterprise and encompasses customers, industry trends, and competition

hackathon
event, usually hosted by a tech company or organization, which brings together programmers and workers with other degrees of specialization within the company, community, or organization to collaborate on a project over a short period of time

human-centered design
focuses on people during design and development

ideate
stage of the creative problem-solving process leading to the detailing and formation of idea generation by the entrepreneur

implement
means to enact the plan and test for success

innovative model
method of entrepreneurial problem solving that uses techniques unknown to the market and that bring competitive advantage to an organization

internal environment
comprises the factors inside the enterprise, such as employees, and internal practices and processes

lean process
systematic process for the maximizing of continuous improvement and the minimization of surplus or unused material in the production of a process

need awareness
occurs when the entrepreneur notes a gap between societal or customer needs and actual circumstances

observation
lean problem-solving process phase in which the entrepreneur studies the challenge and notes all facets of the challenge requiring solution

petitioner problem solvers
problem solvers who see a problem and ask others for solution ideas

resourcefulness
ability to discover clever solutions to obstacles

self-regulating problem solvers
problem solvers who are autonomous and work on their own, without external influence; they have the ability to see a problem, immediately visualize a possible solution to the problem, and seek to devise a solution

storyboarding
process of presenting an idea in a step-by-step graphic format

team creativity
process of a team creating an unexpected solution for an issue or challenge

theorist problem solvers
problem solvers who see a problem and begin to consider a path toward solving the problem using a theory

whiteboarding
type of graphing that permits the entrepreneur to plot each step in a process to build comprehension and detailing of the process