Got A Great Idea?

If you’ve ever had a great idea, then this post is for you. Most times its not coming up with the great idea its knowing how to spread it. Here are a few tips from marketing guru Seth Godin:

If you’ve got an idea worth spreading, I hope you’ll consider this random assortment of rules. Like all rules, some are made to be broken, but still…
•    You can name your idea anything you like, but a google-friendly name is always better than one that isn’t.
•    Don’t plan on appearing on a reality show as the best way to launch your idea.
•    Waiting for inspiration is another way of saying that you’re stalling. You don’t wait for inspiration, you command it to appear.
•    Don’t poll your friends. It’s your art, not an election.
•    Never pay a non-lawyer who promises to get you a patent.
•    Avoid powerful people. Great ideas aren’t anointed, they spread through a groundswell of support.
•    Spamming strangers doesn’t work. Spamming friends doesn’t work so well either, but it’s certainly better than spamming strangers.
•    The hard part is finishing, so enjoy the starting part.
•    Powerful organizations adore the status quo, so expect no help from them if your idea challenges the very thing they adore.
•    Figure out how long your idea will take to spread, and multiply by 4.
•    Be prepared for the Dip.
•    Seek out apostles, not partners. People who benefit from spreading your idea, not people who need to own it.
•    Keep your overhead low and don’t quit your day job until your idea can absorb your time.
•    Think big. Bigger than that.
•    Are you a serial idea-starting person? If so, what can you change to end that cycle? The goal is to be an idea-shipping person.
•    Try not to confuse confidence with delusion.
•    Prefer dry, useful but dull ideas to consumer-friendly ‘I would buy that’ sort of things. A lot less competition and a lot more upside in the long run.
•    Pick a budget. Pick a ship date. Honor both. Don’t ignore either. No slippage, no overruns.
•    Surround yourself with encouraging voices and incisive critics. It’s okay if they’re not the same people. Ignore both camps on occasion.
•    Be grateful.
•    Rise up to the opportunity, and do the idea justice.