October 4

Wild Ideas, Practical Implementation

If you aim from the start for only practical ideas, you are likely to end up with very predictable and possibly very stale projects. It’s rare that an idea goes from boringly safe to edgy and cool during the course of a project. Typically, ideas that feel like a bit of a stretch are toned down in order to make them more practical.

Because of this, at the start of a project you should aim for the sky. Be wild, imaginative, and thoroughly impractical. Come up with ideas that could never work in practice. However, what you discover in those initial impractical ideas is often a spark that leads to much more practi- cal, yet still novel concept.

When you aim for practical, you typically wind up with predictable and stale projects.

When you aim for the impossible, you often wind up with simulta- neously practical and interesting ideas.

Remember: ideas are easy and cheap. It’s not dangerous to have one. Don’t shy away from letting your mind run wild just because you fear you won’t be able to implement it.

Aim for the sky with your ideas and sometimes you’ll surprise yourself with what’s possible.

QUESTION

Are you ever too safe with your ideas? What wild idea can you think of for a current project?