Marketing polymath Seth Godin was asked for his distinction between an idea and an invention on his blog today. I think it is important and worth sharing right here:
An idea is something you can write about in a science fiction book.
An invention is when you build something that people who read about it in the science fiction book said was impossible
Before we venture into our next startup and invest capital (Human or Financial) it is worth knowing which one we have.
When we build our next project we should only worry about the first 10.
The first 10 people we tell.
These first 10 people are people that we know, people that like us, trust us and value our opinion. If they don’t tell anyone, we need to start again. Re-build our project, or find another one. But if they tell another 5. And then that 5 tell another 3. Then we can be pretty sure that it is start start of work that matters. Work that people need.
At the start of our next launch we should really think hard about these three words: the first 10.
Recently I ended up at a bar late at night. It’s a revered place called De Raum. It’s been well covered on the web so I’m not going to give a review of it here. What I will do instead is tell you the story of the ‘Teachers Reserve’. And how this business justifies an ultra price premium.
I asked the bar tender for something sweet, to help take the edge off after a heavy day – something night cap-ish. He said;
“I know just the thing. The Teachers Reserve. For those moments when you’ve done all you can, when the days been hard, and it’s time to reflect, quietly and possibly have a conversation in your own head. It’s not exactly social, but poignant.”
He then made up the drink and presented it in a manner which will make sense when you see the photo essay below. He furtively passed me the book, while he looked in the other direction – as if to say: ‘let this be our little secret’.
Classic theatre at transaction. I was delighted, and I didn’t mind paying the $25 for it.
Pop culture knowledge used to be about knowing who was atop of the leader board:
This knowledge was a quick reference asset. It was worth keeping tabs on.
Pop culture has changed.
Now it’s about knowing what’s coming next. Knowing who’s already here is of little value. Anyone can find that out in a moments notice, it’s public and omnipresent on the web. Knowing who or what will be hot 6 months from now is where the currency is. And that takes constant assessment and curation of the content. That is an art in itself.
If money didn’t exist what would we do differently? Let me first remind us what this would mean.
In this imaginary moneyless it would mean: That we all had enough to eat. That we all had a place to live. That we all have equal access to healthcare and education. That we wouldn’t get paid for our work. That no-one gets paid for the work they do, in dollars at least.
It means that we do in during the day has an entirely different perspective. In this imaginary world it make sense that we choose our line of work carefully. The work itself, becomes the thing that matters.
It turns out that this is also the best approach for a world that does actually have money.
I heard a great little story today about how to overcome barriers when pitching business, changing minds or influencing in general.
Changing worldviews is hard, often impossible. But there are two possible routes we can take when trying:
Route (A) We can try and change peoples view on a topic- change the unchangeable.
Route (B) We can change the currency. – This route is invariably more successful because it re-directs peoples perspective.
Car sales people do it all the time. Once the negotiation is close to reaching a stale mate on price, they then bring in the optional extras: Items removed from price. Although they do have a value, it changes the view point of the negotiation. It’s a change in currency. And the discussions can progress to a close.
When trying to reach an agreement, or change a mindset, we need to re-invent the currency of what is being discussed.
A popular story in science folklore is that the aerodynamics of bees suggest that they should not be able to fly. It was hotly debated in at a time when human flight via aircraft was being mastered (around the 1930’s). Because physicists and aerodynamic specialists had started to develop theory of ‘predictable flight’ with machinery, they believed their knowledge applied to all forms of flight.
(Hand drawn by Sarah Cameron)
Of course bees do fly. A bee is very small. And, at that size, air acts as a much more viscous fluid than it does for airplanes and helicopters. So the laws of aerodynamics are quite different for bees and other insects. But it took some time before this was understood and that new theoretical models were developed relative to the size of the thing of flight.
The point for entrepreneurs is important, especially at a time when technology is challenging existing business models. So the next time someone tries to put the kybosh on your new idea or startup remember that based on yesterdays knowledge, bees can’t fly.