Good Idea. Now What? How to Move Ideas to Execution

We all have ideas?things we want to do or create?but only some of us will do what it takes to see those ideas come to pass. In Good Idea. Now What? readers will discover some of the essential values and principles that guide successful idea-makers, including the leveraging of mixed environments for creativity, working through resistance and setbacks, developing a practical plan for implementation that works, navigating collaborative opportunities, and communicating your idea to make it truly remarkable.

Whether you're just a creative type, or the leader of an organization, you must figure out a creative process and develop an infrastructure for implementing your ideas. Good Idea. Now What? offers systematic advice for moving your ideas to execution. It will show you:

• The fundamental elements of a good idea
• Tangible pathways to follow after initial inspiration
• The importance of branding and its impact on ideas
• Practical advice for developing a loyal tribe of supporters who will take your idea to a whole new level

It's not enough to be inspired. Learn how to follow through on your ideas and discover how great an impact you can have!

Preface: Born into a Legacy of Idea Makers xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction: Idea Lovers versus Idea Makers xv

Who Is This Book For? xv

How Does This Book Work? xvi

The Business of Good Ideas xvii

A Conversation over Coffee xvii

Part 1 Where Do Good Ideas Come From? 1

Chapter 1 Strategy or Chance? 3

Chapter 2 Ideas in the Midst 5

Wisdom from the Streets 6

Spatial Distance? 7

Chapter 3 My Need for Need 9

Chapter 4 Medici Changed My Life 11

The Medici Tweet? 12

Chapter 5 Don’t Settle for Good 15

Part 2 Life after Inspiration 19

Chapter 6 Addicted to Inspiration 21

Chapter 7 What Plan? 25

Passion Unrealized 25

Chapter 8 Dig a Little Deeper 29

The Dreaded Business Plan 29

Wisdom from Wade 30

A Few Questions for Idea Makers 31

Chapter 9 Ideas Don’t Work; You Do! 33

Bootstrapping for Project 7 35

Become a Bootstrapper! 36

Chapter 10 Choose Family 37

Part 3 Overcoming Creative Resistance 41

Chapter 11 Wipe Your Nos and Buts 43

A Prehistoric Brain 44

Chapter 12 The Dreaded Look Inside 47

Chapter 13 Disturbance in the Force 51

Bringing It Home 52

Chapter 14 Hear Me Out 55

The Other Side of the Coin (Practicing What We Preach) 56

Part 4 Paving a Creative Pathway 59

Chapter 15 No Escape Clause 61

Chapter 16 Got Rhythm? 65

Chapter 17 Don’t Just Add; Multiply 69

A Wandering Generality 69

The Bad News . . . 70

Discovering the Power of Focus 72

Chapter 18 I Can See It! 75

More Than Digital 76

Chapter 19 Press Pause 79

Your Life Needs Space as Well 80

Emergency Room Counseling 81

Putting on the Breaks! 82

Part 5 Elements for Idea Making 1 85

Chapter 20 The Art of Evolution 87

Chapter 21 DNA or R&D? 89

Chapter 22 Risk (Overrated!) 93

Chapter 23 The Miracle of Writing and Waiting 97

Chapter 24 Think Multiple, Not Perfect 101

Spaghetti Sauce Lessons 102

Part 6 Elements for Idea Making 2 105

Chapter 25 Simple 107

Chapter 26 Quality, Quality, Quality 111

Chapter 27 The F Word 115

Chapter 28 Under Pressure 119

Chapter 29 Dealing with Setbacks 125

Changing the World through Shoes 125

Chapter 30 Beat the Tribal Drum 129

Part 7 The Work of Collaboration 133

Chapter 31 Myths 135

Myth 1: Collaboration Just Happens on Its Own 136

Myth 2: Collaboration Is Intuitive for Everyone 136

Myth 3: Collaboration Is an Act of Lightening the Workload 136

Myth 4: Collaboration Is a One-Size-Fits-All Endeavor 137

Myth 5: Collaboration Is about Finding the Right Technological Tools 137

Chapter 32 Human: The X Factor 139

Chapter 33 I Need It! 143

An Organization Created in Collaboration 144

Chapter 34 Do You Trust Me? 147

Chapter 35 Fight Club 153

Chapter 36 The Hire 159

Part 8 Getting Out There! 165

Chapter 37 Why Brand Matters 167

A Practical Guide to Branding 169

Chapter 38 A Personal Brand? 171

Accidental Lessons about Personal Branding 173

Chapter 39 The Pitch 175

An Idea Worth Sharing 180

Chapter 40 Life in a Digital Age 183

Conclusion 191

A Note about Failure 192

Recommendations for Further Reading 195

About the Author 199

Index 201

CHARLES T. LEE is the CEO of Ideation Consultancy Inc., an idea agency that specializes in helping influencers, organizations, and businesses take ideas to implementation via creative strategy, branding, design, marketing, web, social media, and events. Charles is also a founding member of JustOne, an organization innovating ideas for human care. In addition, he is the creator of grassroots efforts including the Ideation Conference and the Freeze Project. Charles is a highly sought-after speaker and blogs regularly at www.charlestlee.com.