At one point in your life, many years ago– approximately nine months before you were born, in fact– you competed in your very first new-business pitch. You were competing against a few hundred million others, but apparently you won, because you’re reading this today.
The principles of fertilization offer a handy reminder that in chaotic or competitive situations, many must die in order for one to live. So it goes for spawning ideas.
It wasn’t always this way. I remember watching a famous, award-winning creative director describe his philosophy on idea development. His agency would present only one idea — the big idea — and if the client didn’t buy it, the agency would go into hiding for two weeks before returning with another (single) idea.
That agency has, regrettably, since closed… surprise surprise. In the hope of avoiding the same fate, I’ve spent the past few years trying to get the idea of THE idea out of my head.
As time goes on, I realize that successful careers, like successful agencies, are built upon the rules we learned back when we were swimming upstream with a few hundred million of our would-be siblings:
1. There is no such thing as THE idea.
If you can break out of the mind-set that you have to create that one almighty concept, you can stay more open to client feedback, integrate other media platforms and forage outside of your comfort zone for creative thinking.
2. Beware your ‘brilliant’ ideas.
Truly brilliant ideas are dangerous. They can quickly become the idea. They let people off the hook to beat those ideas with something fresher, smarter. Instead of clinging to your most brilliant idea, keep yourself open to the possibility that there’s a better one.
3. Spread your bets around.
Think like the movie-studio executives, who have stopped putting all their bets on one or two blockbusters, and instead back a multitude of movies that are all little bets. Many will fail, a few will break even and one or two will become massive hits.
4. Start profusely and finish brutally.
At the beginning of a process, stay open to everyone’s comments and all possibilities. But as time goes on, focus on your winning ideas and kill the rest without sorrow or sentiment. Why? See rule No. 5.
5. Ideas are not precious; opportunities, very much so.
There is no limit to the number of ideas you could potentially generate, but there is a definite limit to the number of opportunities you can take on and succeed with. Focus your resources on winning ideas.
6. Fight to the death for your ideas.
This might sound counterintuitive to the above. Here’s the difference.
Ideas are our raison d’être. Yet once you’re willing to create more of those ideas — and watch more of those ideas die — your career will survive and thrive.
Sally Hogshead, CEO and Founder of HowToFascinate.com
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