A smart creative has deep technical knowledge in how to use the tools of her trade[^18], and plenty of hands-on experience. In our industry, that means she is most likely a computer scientist, or at least under- stands the tenets and structure of the systems behind the magic you see on your screens every day. But in other industries she may be a doctor, designer, scientist, filmmaker, engineer, chef, or mathematician. She is an expert in doing. She doesn't just design concepts, she builds prototypes.
She is analytically smart. She is comfortable with data and can use it to make decisions. She also understands its fallacies and is wary of endless analysis. Let data decide, she believes, but don't let it take over.
She is business smart. She sees a direct line from technical expertise to product excellence to business success, and understands the value of all three.
She is competitive smart. Her stock-in-trade starts with innovation, but it also includes a lot of work. She is driven to be great, and tha