Page 56 - Free the Idea Monkey

Chapter 3

Channeling the Monkey

It is Monday morning, first thing, and the phone
rings. It’s an old friend and she’s excited. She jumps

right in, “I have an idea that I think is really big.
Can you meet me for coffee to talk about it?”

We meet for coffee, and guess what? It really is a big idea. It is
potentially a giant, life-changing idea.

My reaction? (And I mean this with sincere respect for my buddy.)
Big whippitty, skippitty doo. (Here’s a hint: a storage company could
potentially make millions with this idea.)

Please don’t interpret my reaction as cynical. I’ve just come to
understand that there is a common misperception about success
related to creative invention. The thinking goes something like this:
all you need to do (especially in America) is come up with one, really
big idea and you are on easy street for the rest of your life. My expe-
rience is that this is simply not true. In fact, for many (read: “Idea
Monkeys”), coming up with ideas is really easy. Executing a success-
ful idea? Well, that’s a different story. For the people who come up
with ideas, this is often the toughest thing of all.

Stop and think for a moment. Don’t you have a really big idea that
you have been sitting on for a number of years? Perhaps it is a gadget
that makes cleaning an aquarium easier, or a software program that
will revolutionize the way youth soccer is managed, or a simple way
for airlines to speed up boarding, or.... If you are like most, you had

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