Addressing common challenges

When using the multiplication technique,…I want you to be aware of a few common challenges.…First, avoid the temptation of just adding…something to the product or service.…Addition is not one of the five techniques…of the systematic inventive thinking method.…Remember the example of the razor blade?…Adding blades that don't do anything new…is not using the multiplication technique.…Just adding new features or components…causes feature creep.…New features seem to be creeping into your product.…

It adds cost and more complexity.…Contrary to conventional wisdom,…adding bells and whistles to your product…usually in reaction to a competitor's product…is not necessarily a good idea.…Next, when you multiply a component…be sure to change it in some nonobvious way.…To do that look at the attributes of the component…as possible ways to change it.…For example, you might change…the component's size,…or its location, or perhaps its function.…

To stay organized it's a good idea…to create a table listing each component…and its attributes.…