Jugaad — the innovative hack!

‘Jugaad’ — heard of it?

Image co-created with ChatGPT

A colloquial Hindi word, which approximately translates as ‘quick fix’, ‘workaround’ or ‘hack’, expresses a quintessentially Indian concept. In essence, Jugaad describes a mentality or approach that seeks solutions in adversity, the practice of bending rules and thinking laterally to making something work.

Perhaps the best way of understanding the ethos of jugaad is by example and approach. In each case the deployment of objects that have been adapted to fulfil a different function to what they were originally intended, all with the aim of fixing something that was broken or to improve efficiency. Television screens suspended from the ceiling by cables propped up by plastic chairs, saucepans propped up by bottles with lighted candles underneath, the punctured plastic bottle which is used as a shower hose etc. See the pictures below (pictures from the internet and there are lots of them out there):

Image sourced from publicly available materials on the internet via Google search. Used for informational and illustrative purposes only.

Jugaad is seen too in the social realm of everyday activity in interactions that people have with one another, especially with regard to communication. A simple but effective example is the social function of the ‘missed call’ on a mobile phone as an implicit form of communication 😊 The solution arrived at in the cases may not be durable but will make do for now. It is regarded in its efficiency at that moment — ready-to-hand without concern for future proofing. BTW the person who comes up with the innovative idea is a ‘Jugaadu’ (innovator).

Is it possible for Jugaad to be adopted by corporate world? … and the answer is ‘Yes’

Some would argue and question the validity of Jugaad when thinking about innovation. There are different aspects to the problem. If we take the etymology literally, and stick to its roots as a particular type of makeshift ingenuity, then anything that involves greater ideation, resource management or complexity falls outside of this definition. But if we take a broader view and try to balance affordable with aspirational then that incorporates Jugaad as a sensibility that is used in innovation then its remit becomes wider.

If you think of it, there is sometimes a tendency for product companies to over-engineer products — to make them perfect, account for all possible use cases, and make them last forever, but Jugaad thinking helps us focus on the essence, the real requirements, and often leads to taking the mental leap that is required for a disruptive new design or product. Some may wonder if jugaad is just another iteration of the various agile methodologies already doing the rounds? Agile or lean are process frameworks, whereas jugaad is void of process. Jugaad is a culture, an attitude, an outcome of circumstance, but definitely not something planned. Let chaos reign, then rein in chaos.

How to put Jugaad into practice then? 4 operating principles or innovation rules are cited in “Jugaad: A New Growth Formula for Corporate America (HBR article)”:

1. Thrift not waste. This first rule — which promotes frugality — helps tackle scarcity of all forms of resources.

2. Inclusion, not exclusion. This second rule helps entrepreneurial organizations to put inclusiveness into practice — by tightly connecting with, and harnessing, the growing diversity that permeates their communities of customers, employees, and partners.

3. Bottom-up participation, not top-down command and control. This third rule drives collaboration. CEOs who tend to act as conductors must learn to facilitate collaborative improvisation just as players in jazz bands do.

4. Flexible thinking and action, not linear planning. This fourth rule facilitates flexibility in thinking and action. Jugaad-practicing firms are highly adaptable as they aren’t wedded to any single business model and pursue multiple options at any time.

So then to sum up, Jugaad is the gutsy art of spotting opportunities in the most adverse circumstances and resourcefully improvising solutions using simple means. It is at once a strategy for survival for some whilst also being methods or shortcuts for facilitating convenience. It is invites different attitudes — humour and sometime ridicule– as evidenced in the multitude of comic visuals being circulated on the internet.

What is your favourite Jugaad?