Workbook · Round 1 · incubation

Naming the new project

What should we call the new project?
2 x 30 min · A4

Colour language: choose yours

This prints black and white; the colour is your own ink. Colour each box with the pen you will use, then keep this page beside you as your key. No pen for a role? Write its letter in a circle.

Your colourCodeRoleMeaningPen
QAska numbered question for the AIyour pen, or write Q
RStopblocker, risk, broken, or not understoodyour pen, or write R
GKeepevidence, confident, something that workedyour pen, or write G
XCruxthe one thing that matters mosthighlighter
OMaybean idea, a possibility, a what-ifyour pen, or write O
PSensegut feeling, intuition, felt reactionyour pen, or write P
DDraftprovisional; do not trust yetyour pen, or write D
BReasonwhat you think; the main contentblack

How to use this

  1. Phone in another room.
  2. Work in ink, in the colours on this page.
  3. When the time is up, stop mid-sentence.
  4. Photograph every page and send them back.
W1-P2Every name so farbrain-dump

Every name you can think of for this project, good or bad, before you sort any of it.

Empty the tank. No structure, no judgement. 8 minutes. Then, beside each item, write its next step, or 'none'.

W1-P3Ten names that are obviously wrongten-bad-ideas

Getting the bad names out on the page clears room for the better ones.

1–9 should be bad on purpose. 10 is whatever surprised you.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
W1-P4Smash it into something elseforced-connections

Force a collision between the project and each word below. See what falls out.

Lighthouse
Compass
Anchor
Kettle

The accidental idea that might actually work

W1-P5Step awaystep-away

Stop here. Take a real break, and make it something easy and different: a walk, chores, or sleep on it.

Don't reread the pages before this one. Put them face down and leave the desk.

→a walk, or overnight
Break started
Back at

What I did

Anything that surfaced while I was away

W1-P6Sort the candidatescard-sort · after the break

Put each candidate name in the pile it belongs in, not the one you wish it did.

No cutting: write each candidate from the names from W1-P2 through W1-P4 straight into the pile it belongs to.

Sort into these piles

Strong
Maybe
No
W1-P7Score the survivorsoptions-criteria · after the break

Score the strongest names against what the name actually has to do.

Score your gut first, before any criteria. Then score each criterion (0–3) and total them. The gap between gut and total is the point.

OptionGut (first)Easy to sayAvailableFits the pitchTotal
Survivor 1
Survivor 2
Survivor 3
W1-P8Commitcommit · after the break

Circle one: commit / hold / drop. Then plan the first move as if-then.

▭Decision: A generating half, a real break, then a judging half.
commitholddrop

Why, in one honest paragraph

The plan: when, then what

WhenI put this pen down, I will
When, I will

Still unclear: ask the AI

W1-P9Question queuequestion-queue · after the break

Write your questions for the AI with your Ask pen (or a circled Q), numbered. These come back with the photos.

Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.
Q6.
Q7.
Q8.
W1-P10Return checklistreturn-checklist · after the break

Photograph each page flat and send them back together.

iFill the frame, avoid your own shadow, and keep the corner marks visible so the page can be straightened.