How to make great ideas

You’re in a meeting. An important meeting. There are five people — four others and you.

You’re talking about a tough subject. Some key business goal — or maybe how to renew a contract with a major client.

Everyone is brainstorming ideas. Throwing things out there, discussing, debating, and thinking. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re pretty quiet in those meetings. You don’t quite know what to say but when someone inevitably asks “what about you Spencer — what are your thoughts?”

First, your face gets hot.

Second, you come up with something.

Is it your best idea? No.

Is it an idea? Yes.

Is it better than an awkward silence? Yes.

Is it a starting point for discussion and debate? Yes.

Coming up with a great idea doesn’t have to happen on the first try. Great ideas are the product of discussion and debate. By throwing out the bad parts, replacing them with better parts, and improving the already good parts, you make great ideas.

If you work by yourself, don’t neglect yourself this experience. You don’t need to come up with the right idea the first time. Just throw something out there and iterate on it.

Talk to yourself about it.

Debate with yourself about it.

If someone else brought this up what would you say to them?

I’ve tried to remember that when working on my business, though often it slips my mind.

You don’t have to do it perfect the first time. But you have to start, and you have to iterate.