The Back of the Napkin

When a book encourages me to follow along by doing exercises or replicating the examples in the book I find it much more useful. The Back of the Napkin is one of these books. Basically any problem you can draw out on a small piece of paper. Roam takes you from the beginning - square one where to start - to the end - how to present your ideas in a presentation - both the pictures and words.

The best part of the book is that Roam establishes a process from start to finish. He demystifies visual thinking and tool like multi-variable charts and concept maps, in addiation to the skills you need to be a visual thinker - we all have them. Some of us (me) are just more red or yellow pen than black pen.

The author writes like he talks, he talks like he's giving a business presentation. I found my self skimming at points and just focusing on understanding the pictures. That's what more like what I would do if I was in a meeting than reading a book. Typically when I start skimming I lose interest. But not here.

The value of the book is presented through the pictures, exercises, and mnuemontics.
Here's the book in four numbers 3-4-5-6:
Three tools: Eye, Mind's Eye, Hands
Four steps: Looking, Seeing, Imagining, Showing
Five spectrum's: SQVID - Simple vs Intricate, Qualitative vs Quantitative, Vision v Execution, Individual vs Group(comparision), Delta (change) v Status Quo
Six Questions: What, How Much, Where, When, How, Why

Roam combines SQVID plus the 6 into a codex. The codex tell you what kind of picture - multi variable graph, concept map, flowchart, etc. you should chose.

In solving your problem you make a picture for all 6 and then focus your presentation on the one determine by the codes, which is like the rosetta stone of the book.

I guess I came late to the party as this was published in 2008, there is an online resource for more, but it's not as update and Roam has moved on to other books, which I would also check out.

Given how much time I spend at a whiteboard, I've often contemplated how to more effectively use that tool. A really well drawn diagram, particularly if it's accompanied by both a good analogy and a good example ends up hitting nearly all of the learning styles in a given room.

The Back of the Napkin was recommended to me as a really good book for how to improve whiteboard diagrams. That recommendation wasn't ill-founded. This approach gives a nicely structured system for how to diagram most common business situations. By focusing on the who/what/when/where/how much types of questions, you clarify your own thinking as well as ending up with things that are fairly easy to draw out.

Fortunately, if you're concerned about your ability to draw, this book should help to alleviate some of those worries. That's because nearly everything he shows could be drawn by a typical elementary school child. So, "I can't draw" is not a reason to avoid drawing in this kind of context.