Theres so much talk about where ideas come from what inspires them and how to keep them flowing.
Call me uninspired, but I think thats the wrong question.
Instead of where theyre coming from, Im more interested in where those ideas are going.
when you’ve got a killer idea, whats next?
Thats the curious question mark for me.
Throughout time, weve invented so many ways to describe inspiration.
Weve personified it with the Greek Muses or the Norse Kvasir.
We credit divine inspiration or a whisper in a dream.
Sometimes we say that an idea is inspired by the natural world as George de Mestral did.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
Its because he did something with that idea.
He first got it out of his head.
Probably told his wife.
He probably took some notes and drew some sketches.
He probably also made a few prototypes.
I know it sounds simple; get ideas out of your head.
Traps Ive climbed out of a few hundred times.
What do you do when youre excited about an idea?
I bet you tell your colleague or a friend or your husband.
And how does that feel?
Dopamine rush when you see their expression change listening to you?
Adrenaline pumping when you feel their excitement?
All those neurological rewards wash over you like youve just made something great.
You havent made anything yet.
Impressing people with your ideas feels great, but it can be dangerous.
Because telling people can actually be so satisfying that you lose interest in actually making the idea.
I bet thats pretty familiar, right?
So if you have a great idea, tell people.
But dont stop there.
You know the one.
I think youre picking up what Im laying down.
Im totally guilty of this too.
Back at Google, I was obsessed with documenting my ideas.
The problem is that its so easy to lie to yourself.
The sad truth is that I may as well have just neatly labeled different trashcans in my office.
It felt good to write down the ideas in my notebook.
I took pride in those notebooks.
Those leather-bound idea graveyards.
Those dot-grid idea purgatories.
But, if Im honest, I was just lying to myself.
I thought that writing down my ideas was one step closer to making them.
In reality, it was one giant leap toward forgetting them.
What did I do as soon as I had written it down?
I turned the page.
(Take that literally or metaphorically.
Both apply here.)
So if you have a great idea, write it down or sketch it.
But dont let that beginning be the end.
Are you guilty of any of this?
Thats ok. We all are.
The question is: what should we do about it?
Wherever and whenever possible, you should be turning your ideas into prototypes.
If you want to make your idea better, make a prototype.
Its a format that encourages critique.
A prototype tells everyone you show it to: I am a work in progress.
Instead of just enthusiasm or apathy, youre likely to get opinions actual usable feedback.
If you want to rally support for your idea, make a prototype.
It suggests to colleagues, peers, friends that you are taking this idea seriously.
It shows a commitment to realizing your vision, and that excitement is contagious.
If you want to focus on your idea, make a prototype.
This isnt scribbles in the margin, destined to be forgotten.
you’re able to see it, interact with it, touch it.
It demands attention yours and others.
If you want to sell your idea, make a prototype.
A prototype is something everyone can believe in.
Ok, to be fair, this one feels a bit extreme.
But seriously, its hard not to be passionate about a prototype.
Id love to tell you what inspires those ideas.
Where those ideas come from.
However, honestly, I dont give a damn about that.
So instead Ill end with an idea thats more of the instructional than the inspirational variety.
If its still in your head, itsjustan idea.
Now go burn your notebooks.
