Passion Struck with John R. Miles

EP 706: Nir Bashan on How to Master the Solutions Mindset

Date: December 23, 2025
Guest: Nir Bashan

Episode Overview

This episode of Passion Struck features Nir Bashan—creativity and innovation expert, author, and celebrated keynote speaker—returning to discuss his new book and framework: The Solution Mindset. While creativity sparks ideas, Nir’s focus is on moving beyond ideas to practical solutions. The conversation guides listeners through activating dormant problem-solving superpowers, embracing intentional creativity, and applying these lessons to real-world challenges—big and small.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. The Evolution from “The Creator Mindset” to “The Solution Mindset”

• Reflection on Five Years ([06:36]): Nir’s first book, The Creator Mindset, focused on unlocking everyday creativity. Over time, feedback revealed a gap: people knew creativity was valuable, but struggled to apply it daily to real problems.
• Direct Tools for Individuals ([11:14]): The new book is designed for individuals to develop practical ways to access and sustain their creativity, especially for those who don’t inherently see themselves as “creative.”
• Quote: “This book is really about a tool that anybody can use to become more innovative and more creative, especially if people didn’t think they were creative to start with.” — Nir Bashan [11:24]

2. The Ten Problem-Solving Superpowers

• Innate But Often Dormant Abilities ([12:24]): Both John and Nir agree that everyone has these “superpowers” but many never activate them.
• Examples and Global Impact: Nir researched world issues—from environmental crises to prison reform—identifying people who exemplify these strengths, often flying under society’s radar.

Notable Superpowers Discussed:

a. Just Start

• Story of Tito in Tahiti ([14:01], [14:16]): Tito, passionate surfer, took action to restore coral reefs. He ignored the “credential barrier,” experimented with real solutions, and scaled up after many failures.
• Quote: “It is far more important to just start, to just get in there and dive into an idea.” — Nir Bashan [15:16]
• Insight: The hardest part is overcoming self-doubt and taking that first step, even if it’s tiny ([16:52]).

b. Untangle Complexity

• Example: VanMoof Bicycles ([21:29]): Bicycles arrived damaged despite added padding. The breakthrough? Painting a TV on the box to make shippers handle it with care—cutting damage rates by 90%.
• Practice: “15-Minute Silly Idea Meetings” ([22:34]): Encourages daily creative practice, not waiting for random inspiration.
• Quote: “The world is full, John, of these really simple solutions...but we’re too afraid, or doubting, or too successful to take a risk.” — Nir Bashan [25:12]

c. Embrace the Routine (Long Game Thinking)

• Examples: Kentucky Owl bourbon & International Paper ([34:04]): These businesses plan for decades ahead—planting seeds and distilling bourbon today for products enjoyed in 30 years.
• Personal Application: Step back from day-to-day frustrations, see your life and career as a long trajectory, and focus on long-term impact over instant results.
• Quote: “Success comes in long and measured steps...Long-term investments—those are the important gains.” — Nir Bashan [36:34]

d. Fail Successfully

• Example: Norway’s Prison System ([40:24]): Focused on rehabilitation rather than punishment, Norway’s system has much lower recidivism by making creative, incremental changes (e.g., allowing some inmates home on weekends).
• Shawshank Redemption Reference: Education and hope are key to reformation ([42:27]).

e. Question the Data

• Real-World Application: Instead of accepting negative data as destiny, reexamine the inputs and seek creative correlations (e.g., John reconnected IT staff to customer impact at Lowe’s, improving engagement) ([46:01]).
• Quote: “The data alone, without creativity, without innovation, won’t take you to where you want to go.” — Nir Bashan [48:19]

f. Escape the Comparison Trap

• Modern Challenge: Social media intensifies the urge to compare, but greatness comes from unique, individual approaches ([52:19]).
• Quote: “The beauty of having creativity in your DNA is that the way that you solve problems is not going to be the same way that I solve it.” — Nir Bashan [52:54]

g. Use a Filter (Prioritization)

• Advice: When overwhelmed with ideas, apply a “filter” to eliminate negative, impractical thoughts and amplify positive, actionable ones ([56:19]).
• LifeStraw Story: Inventor created a simple, scalable clean-water filter by rejecting overly complex or expensive ideas ([57:19]).

3. Overarching Mindset: Solutions Over Ideas

• Creativity is Not Enough: Nir and John emphasize the importance of moving from imagination to execution.
• Positivity as Strategy: Optimism isn’t naivete; it’s fuel for innovation ([02:44], [55:42]).
• Quotes to Remember:
  • “Creativity without structure leads to frustration. Simplicity isn’t weakness, it’s leverage. Becoming a problem solver starts with investing in yourself.” — John Miles [61:11]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “The first step is just getting in the water, just getting to do it... And today, he’s got the largest coral restoration company on earth.” — Nir Bashan [15:36]
• “It’s the little steps along the way that lead to greatness.” — Nir Bashan [17:40]
• “When we start looking at bourbon companies that take 30 years to mature... we start to look at ourselves and find that sometimes the goals we’ve set out to accomplish are really touched tangentially by an amazing connection to the world, to other people, to our communities that is incredibly worthwhile.” — Nir Bashan [38:13]
• “We need to balance creativity and analytics together in order to get where we need to go.” — Nir Bashan [51:15]
• “For me, being passion struck is recognizing what is really important: adding positivity, making things matter, making your life... really matter.” — Nir Bashan [59:22]
• “You have the potential to solve any problem on Earth. There is no problem bigger than our ability as humanity to solve it. I believe that 1000%.” — Nir Bashan [54:38]

Highlighted Segment Timestamps

• [05:50] — Nir returns; reflecting on five years since The Creator Mindset
• [14:01] — “Just Start” superpower, Tito’s coral reefs story
• [21:29] — Untangling complexity: the VanMoof bike packaging hack
• [34:04] — Embracing routine & long-term thinking (bourbon, paper companies)
• [40:24] — Failing successfully: Norway’s prison system and rehabilitation
• [46:01] — Questioning the data: actionable engagement at Lowe’s
• [52:19] — Escaping the comparison trap in a hyper-connected world
• [56:19] — Using a filter to choose the right ideas (LifeStraw example)

Practical Takeaways

• Creativity is Everyone’s Birthright: You don’t need permission or special credentials to be creative and start solving problems.
• Big or Small, Start Somewhere: Even seemingly trivial actions can create profound change over time.
• Untangling Complexity Requires Simplicity: Most organizations and individuals overcomplicate challenges; often, the best solution is the simplest.
• Measure Success Long-Term: Legacy and cumulative impact outweigh short-term wins or losses.
• Challenge Negative Data: Reinterpret problems as opportunities for inventive solutions.
• Comparison Dulls Originality: Focus on your own unique approach instead of mimicking others’ paths.
• Prioritize and Filter: Not every idea is worth pursuing. Learn to evaluate and act on the ones that resonate and are actionable.

Memorable Closing

“For me, being passion struck is recognizing what is really important. And what is really important is, is adding positivity, is making things matter, is making your life—the short time that we have here on earth—really matter and that is what being passion struck means to me.”
— Nir Bashan [59:22]

Where to Find Nir Bashan & His Book

• NirBashan.com
• “The Solution Mindset” — Preorder at Amazon, Target, Walmart, and other retailers

Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode is a masterclass in moving from creative ideation to daily, actionable problem solving. Nir Bashan and John Miles demonstrate how everyone can activate their innate “superpowers” to tackle personal, organizational, and societal problems using practical, repeatable methods. The conversation moves from inspiring stories to actionable techniques, challenging the audience to stop waiting for permission, embrace small beginnings, and commit to a culture of solutions—one step at a time.