How to tell whether a new idea will help

What a famous innovation hub tells you

Why do places such as Tokyo–Yokohama and Seoul show up near the top of the World Intellectual Property Organization’s 2026 list? WIPO counts where people file international patent applications, publish research and receive funding for young companies. The ranking shows where those activities are concentrated. [1]

Picture an electric car with nowhere to charge

In a 2022 MIT thesis, Naoki Kobayashi used a model to explore how subsidies for cars and charging or refuelling infrastructure might affect vehicle choices in Japan. Imagine getting a discount on an electric car while living in a building with nowhere to plug it in. The price has changed, but charging is still a problem. The thesis explored scenarios in a model, so its results depend on the assumptions it used.

Try this before your next pilot

1. Pick one everyday problem, such as people waiting too long to book a shared room. Ask three people to show you where they get stuck.

2. Try one small change for a week, such as a clearer booking form. Decide what you’ll track before you start, such as how long a booking takes.

3. Compare the results with a typical week. Ask anyone who still got stuck what happened and use their answers to decide what to change next.