1 White Hat

The white hat represents facts, data, and information. When you wear this hat, you focus on gathering and analyzing relevant information about your problem, market, customers, and competitors. You also identify any gaps or uncertainties in your knowledge and seek to fill them with research or experiments. For example, you might use the white hat to find out the size and growth of your potential market, the needs and pain points of your target customers, the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors, and the trends and opportunities in your industry.

3 Black Hat

The black hat represents caution, criticism, and risks. When you wear this hat, you examine the potential flaws, drawbacks, and challenges of your problem and potential solutions. You also anticipate the worst-case scenarios and the possible negative consequences of your actions. The black hat helps you to avoid mistakes, errors, and failures, as well as to improve your quality and reliability. For example, you might use the black hat to identify what could go wrong with your problem, what could fail or backfire with your potential solutions, and what could prevent or hinder you from achieving your startup goals.

4 Yellow Hat

The yellow hat represents optimism, benefits, and opportunities. When you wear this hat, you explore the potential advantages, strengths, and value of your problem and potential solutions. You also envision the best-case scenarios and the possible positive outcomes of your actions. The yellow hat helps you to generate enthusiasm, confidence, and support, as well as to overcome obstacles and challenges. For example, you might use the yellow hat to highlight what could go right with your problem, what could succeed or delight with your potential solutions, and what could enable or facilitate you from reaching your startup goals.

5 Green Hat

The green hat represents creativity, innovation, and alternatives. When you wear this hat, you generate as many ideas as possible for solving your problem, without worrying about feasibility or practicality. You also modify, combine, or expand on existing ideas, or create new ones from scratch. The green hat helps you to break free from assumptions, limitations, and conventions, as well as to discover new possibilities and opportunities. For example, you might use the green hat to brainstorm different ways to solve your problem, different features or functions for your potential solutions, and different markets or customers for your startup idea.

6 Blue Hat

The blue hat represents management, control, and action. When you wear this hat, you organize, summarize, and evaluate the information and ideas generated by the other hats. You also plan, prioritize, and decide on the next steps and actions to take. The blue hat helps you to structure, monitor, and direct your thinking process, as well as to align your actions with your goals and vision. For example, you might use the blue hat to review the facts, feelings, risks, benefits, and alternatives related to your problem and potential solutions, and to choose the best startup idea to pursue and test.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?