I've thought back through my career, which included a dozen plus employers, in journalism and then design, including UX design, and I can't recall ANY significant instance of "serendipitously" coming up with some Aha moment that changed my work product. When I needed feedback or lateral thinking on a design, I scheduled a jam with other designers and, sometimes, stakeholders.

I'd love to hear from anyone reading this article who has had a "water cooler" moment that sparked some incredible money-making idea. Maybe this happens among lab scientists, but for most of us, I just don't think it happens. Maybe it's just me. I am pretty outgoing but at lunch time, I don't want to talk about work. I read the newspaper or a book, and don't eat at my desk. Well, I didn't when I was still in the workplace.

If serendipity was so important, then why don't the executives work in the open office space?