If You’re Always Looking for Waldo, You’ll Miss the Hippo Dentists – A Guide to Thinking Differently
People often ask me, “Saul, How do you come up with your ideas?” or “Saul, How do you think the way you do?” It’s not magic, and it’s not luck. It’s a process. A way of approaching problems that I’ve honed over years of experience in marketing, branding, and creating campaigns that grab attention and spark conversations. And the secret sauce?
It all comes down to WoMBAT.
No, not the furry little Australian marsupial (though they’re cool too), but rather a mindset and problem-solving approach that helps unlock creativity and innovation.
Let’s Talk Framing Bias
Picture this: you’re handed a classic Where’s Waldo? puzzle. Your mission? Find the guy in the striped shirt and beanie. So, what do you do? You focus. You zone in. You scan, dissect, and analyze every inch of the image looking for Waldo. But while your eyes are locked in on the task, you’re completely missing the fact that in the corner, two people are brushing a hippopotamus’ teeth.
This is what’s known as framing bias, and it happens every day in business, marketing, and life. We get so fixated on solving the problem we’re asked to solve that we forget to look beyond the obvious. We miss out on opportunities, fresh insights, and innovative solutions.
But there’s a better way.
Enter WoMBAT: The Key to Unlocking Creativity
WoMBAT stands for “What Might Be All The...” and it’s a method famously used by the CIA (yes, the same people who deal with life-and-death global threats). Instead of asking narrow, binary questions, WoMBAT encourages you to reframe the problem and look at it from every possible angle.
For example, instead of asking: “Where’s Waldo?” Try: “What might be all the ways to find Waldo?”
That tiny tweak, adding might and broadening the scope, invites creativity into the conversation. Suddenly, you’re not just looking; you’re strategizing. You might consider using AI facial recognition, asking a friend to help, flipping the page upside down, or even thinking about how Waldo might want to be found.
This shift in thinking is where innovation lives. It’s how big ideas are born.
Why This Method Works
The CIA uses WoMBAT to tackle questions like:
“What might be all the ways a cyberattack could disrupt our power grid?”
“What might be all the scenarios if the global food system collapsed?”
They don’t look for just one answer. They explore all possibilities, because that’s how you prepare for the unexpected and stay ahead of the curve.
Now, while I’m not dealing with matters of national security (yet), this approach has been my go-to strategy for building campaigns that turn heads and get results.
How WoMBAT Shapes My Thinking (and Why It Should Shape Yours Too)
People are always asking me, “How do you come up with such unique ideas?” The truth? I don’t just think outside the box, I ask myself, “What might be all the ways to smash the box, reimagine it, or make people forget the box even existed?”
This approach is how I operate every single day. Whether I’m brainstorming the next big marketing stunt, helping brands stand out, or solving complex business challenges, WoMBAT is my playbook.
Here’s how I reframe problems using WoMBAT thinking:
1. Expanding the Problem Scope
Instead of: “How do we increase brand awareness?” Ask: “What might be all the ways to make our brand the most talked-about thing in our industry?”
2. Breaking Conventional Thinking
Instead of: “How do we get more social media followers?” Ask: “What might be all the ways to make people obsessed with our content?”
3. Turning Constraints into Opportunities
Instead of: “How do we launch this product with a limited budget?” Ask: “What might be all the creative ways to make this launch unforgettable without spending a fortune?”
WoMBAT helps me unlock possibilities that others might miss, and it’s the foundation of every successful campaign I’ve ever run.
We Teach This in Our WOM Bootcamps
At The Idea Integration Co., we don’t just talk about creativity, we teach it. WoMBAT is a core component of our Word of Mouth (WOM) Bootcamps, where we help brands, teams, and individuals learn how to think differently and generate big, buzz-worthy ideas.
We’ve worked with brands across six countries, helping them go from “just another brand” to “the brand everyone’s talking about.” And the secret? It all starts with asking the right questions.
In our bootcamps, we guide teams through exercises that challenge their framing bias and push them to see beyond the obvious. We turn “Where’s Waldo?” into “What might be all the ways we can own this entire space?”
Why This Matters for Your Business
Most businesses operate on autopilot. They ask the same questions, get the same answers, and wonder why nothing exciting ever happens. If you want creative solutions, you need to change the way you ask questions.
Here’s why WoMBAT thinking should be in your toolkit:
It Sparks Innovation. Thinking beyond the obvious leads to breakthrough ideas.
It Creates Competitive Advantage. While your competitors are asking “how,” you’ll be exploring all the possibilities.
It Helps You See Hidden Opportunities. Like the hippo dentists, some of the best insights are found when you least expect them.
Ready to Think Differently?
If you’re tired of the same old answers and want to explore new possibilities, I’d love to chat. Whether you’re looking for fresh marketing ideas, want to attend one of our WOM Bootcamps, or just want to start thinking more creatively in your everyday life, let’s talk.
The next time you’re stuck, don’t just ask, “Where’s Waldo?” Ask, “What might be all the ways to find Waldo, and what else could we discover along the way?”
Drop a comment below or just hire me already...I could use a project.