The Origin of x10 Thinking

For thirty years I have been spreading the x10 meme through books, blogs and x10 thinking enterprise solutions. Occasionally I am asked about the origin of x10 Thinking.

As you no doubt know, Powers of 10 is long established in mathematics. I have always been fascinated by the phenomenon of tenpower and have included it as a key topic in most of my books.

Thirty years ago I first wrote in my book NewSell (p 137, Boardroom Books, 1984 New York) that: “The BVS is always ten times better than the CVS”. Or, “BVS = CVS x10”.

Later, I wrote about the googol (10¹⁰⁰) and the googolplex as exotic examples of tenpower in my best-seller Software For the Brain (1989). And again in 2012 in English Thinking: The Three Methods.

I was first to apply powers of ten in neuroscience as a simple but powerful way of escaping from the established patterns of inside the square thinking to outside the square thinking and coined the term – x10 Thinking.

In 2000, I wrote it all up in what has been called the ‘gospel of x10’: The x10 Memeplex: Multiply Your Business By Ten! (Prentice Hall).

However, I was originally inspired by the Charles and Ray Eames movie – Powers of Ten™ – which I bought to screen at SOT instructor classes in New York.

I was first shown the movie while doing speaking engagements in Monte Carlo for IBM Europe in the mid-80s. This brilliant Eames thought experiment is now online and you can watch it here. It’s a classic!

The Origin of x10 Thinking

For thirty years I have been spreading the x10 meme through books, blogs and x10 thinking enterprise solutions. Occasionally I am asked about the origin of x10 Thinking.

As you no doubt know, Powers of 10 is long established in mathematics. I have always been fascinated by the phenomenon of tenpower and have included it as a key topic in most of my books.

Thirty years ago I first wrote in my book NewSell (p 137, Boardroom Books, 1984 New York) that: “The BVS is always ten times better than the CVS”. Or, “BVS = CVS x10”.

Later, I wrote about the googol (10¹⁰⁰) and the googolplex as exotic examples of tenpower in my best-seller Software For the Brain (1989). And again in 2012 in English Thinking: The Three Methods.

I was first to apply powers of ten in neuroscience as a simple but powerful way of escaping from the established patterns of inside the square thinking to outside the square thinking and coined the term – x10 Thinking.

In 2000, I wrote it all up in what has been called the ‘gospel of x10’: The x10 Memeplex: Multiply Your Business By Ten! (Prentice Hall).

However, I was originally inspired by the Charles and Ray Eames movie – Powers of Ten™ – which I bought to screen at SOT instructor classes in New York.

I was first shown the movie while doing speaking engagements in Monte Carlo for IBM Europe in the mid-80s. This brilliant Eames thought experiment is now online and you can watch it here. It’s a classic!

Like this:

For thirty years I have been spreading the x10 meme through books, blogs and x10 thinking enterprise solutions. Occasionally I am asked about the origin of x10 Thinking.

As you no doubt know, Powers of 10 is long established in mathematics. I have always been fascinated by the phenomenon of tenpower and have included it as a key topic in most of my books.

Thirty years ago I first wrote in my book NewSell (p 137, Boardroom Books, 1984 New York) that: “The BVS is always ten times better than the CVS”. Or, “BVS = CVS x10”.

Later, I wrote about the googol (10100) and the googolplex as exotic examples of tenpower in my best-seller Software For the Brain (1989). And again in 2012 in English Thinking: The Three Methods.

I was first to apply powers of ten in neuroscience as a simple but powerful way of escaping from the established patterns of inside the square thinking to outside the square thinking and coined the term – x10 Thinking.

In 2000, I wrote it all up in what has been called the ‘gospel of x10’: The x10 Memeplex: Multiply Your Business By Ten! (Prentice Hall).

However, I was originally inspired by the Charles and Ray Eames movie – Powers of Ten™ – which I bought to screen at SOT instructor classes in New York.

I was first shown the movie while doing speaking engagements in Monte Carlo for IBM Europe in the mid-80s. This brilliant Eames thought experiment is now online and you can watch it here. It’s a classic!

Share this:

Like this:

Later, I wrote about the googol (10¹⁰⁰) and the googolplex as exotic examples of tenpower in my best-seller Software For the Brain (1989). And again in 2012 in English Thinking: The Three Methods.