"How on earth can we get rid of that? That's our key business component!" After asking the first question we then need to ask ourselves "If we had to get rid of this key component, what would need to do to survive and succeed?"
Asking this second questions turns it into a challenge and the brain (being an awesome patterning machine) goes about trying to solve it, and more often than not, some incredible innovative ideas appear.
I love riding my bike and I just came across a beautiful example of the elimination technique in the bicycle manufacturing industry whilst working in Europe not long ago.
The cycling world is very competitive, and a lucrative market where people are always looking for something lighter, faster and stronger.