Inversion is a mental model that suggests: “When faced with a problem or challenge, try to invert it by thinking about what would happen if you were trying to prove the opposite.” This principle was popularized by Carl Jacobi, a 19th-century German mathematician.

Imagine you’re trying to solve a puzzle. Instead of focusing on finding the solution directly, think about how you could create an identical puzzle with the same pieces, but in reverse order. By doing so, you’ll likely stumble upon new insights and perspectives that can help you find the original solution more efficiently.

In IT and business services, inversion can be applied by:

• Thinking about what would happen if a system or process fails instead of focusing on how it should work.
• Inverting customer needs: Instead of asking “What do customers want?”, ask “What don’t they want?” This helps you identify potential pain points and develop solutions that address them.

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