Either start with a granular idea and work your way up and out. Or start wide and varied to work your way narrow, down and out.

The end goal is to get out of the funnel into something useful.

Take an idea and run it through the funnel.

What is wider or more broad than this?

How could this be more specific?

Who else would value this?

What group of people would value this?

If stuck try the funnel approach.

Inspired by a conversation with my friend Dan Ryan Charles as he was evaluating his Masters Thesis and he was using the funnel approach to narrow and produce.