Hi Reader,

What problem keeps calling you to build?

Have you ever noticed a problem that everyone else seems willing to tolerate—but you simply cannot stop thinking about how to solve it?

That may be your innovator’s instinct calling you to build.

In the 1960s, Swedish biologist Lars Wilsson made a fascinating discovery: when beavers heard the sound of running water, something inside them told them to start building—even when the sound came from a loudspeaker and there was no water around.

Innovators often experience something remarkably similar.

We recognize an unmet need, an inefficient process or a persistent problem, and something inside us says:

“There has to be a better way—and perhaps I’m the one who can create it.”

But the beaver experiment also revealed an important warning: instinct can tell us to build without ensuring that we are building in the right place.

That is why validation must come first.

In my new three-minute video, I share what beavers can teach us about innovation—and why a compelling idea needs validation, strategy and the right expertise before we invest our time, money and years of our lives.

Why Innovators Can’t Ignore the Sound of a Problem

After watching, I would love to know: What problem keeps calling you to build?

And if you have an idea that just won’t let you go, discover where you are on your journey from idea to commercialization:

Please feel free to forward this email to an innovator, entrepreneur, professional, or creative problem-solver in your life.

Let’s help more promising ideas move from inspiration to impact.

To your innovative future,

Gail Nichols
Innovation Strategist • Speaker • Entrepreneur
Founder, FPN Strategic Innovation Network

Helping Your Vision Become Viable
​