You’re in the shower and an amazing idea pops into your head or like me, your best ideas come around 3 a.m. and you scramble to write them down. (Unlike me, I hope you can read your handwriting in the morning.) In a recent post, marketing genius Seth Godin shares his “Random rules for ideas worth spreading.” A few of his top rules are:
- Don’t poll your friends. It’s your art, not an election. When friends give you advice, you get what you pay for.
- Spamming strangers doesn’t work. Spamming friends doesn’t work so well either, but it’s certainly better than spamming strangers. How about not spamming anyone and then we can all be happy.
- Seek out apostles, not partners. People who benefit from spreading your idea, not people who need to own it. How frustrating is it when someone takes credit for your work? Any former bosses out there willing to take a hint?
- Try not to confuse confidence with delusion. Sometimes we all need a reality check.
- Surround yourself with encouraging voices and incisive critics. It’s okay if they’re not the same people. Ignore both camps on occasion. Know when to listen, when to act and when to walk away.
