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| Makeshift hand wash station shows Indian Jugaad in practice. |
If you can't throw money at a problem, what does one do? Simple. You do what you can with what you've got where you are at.
It is known by many names, this creative use of the resources that one has on hand. Jerry rigging, tinkering, and life hacking, are all DIY, and all happen where resourcefulness reigns over gross wealth.
In India it is called Jugaad, which is defined as "finding innovative solutions to problems arising out of very limited resources."
There is a rule-bending component, too, that will appeal to those who don't wish to be constrained when problem solving.
The six principles of Jugaad are:
1. Seek opportunity in adversity (resilience)
2. Do more with less (frugality)
3.Think and act flexibly (flexibility)
4. Keep it simple (simplicity)
5. Include the marginalized (empathy)
6. Follow your heart (passion)
As we move into a lower energy future marked by more people and fewer resources, a philosophy of frugal innovation will be necessary. Besides, just throwing money at a problem rarely produces satisfactory outcomes.
Jugaad shows thinking appropriate for our times, or any time, really. The principles on which it is based are always in style.
It emphasizes doing what you can with what you've got where you are at, rather than buying wastefully over-engineered products from somewhere else with features that are not needed and will not be used.
It is interesting to note that for some time now American corporations have been hiring Jugaad consultants to help them become more creative and learn to problem solve with limited resources and money.
You can see where they think the world is going, and they want to be prepared. We should be prepared, too.
The principles, and the mission, of doing what you can with what you've got, can help.
