Stop Waiting for the “next Big Idea” and Try Smaller Ones.
We are constantly bombarded with stories of people doing incredible things, and this often makes us think we need a big idea first . However, small ideas often lead to big ones.
As author Scott Burkun notes, small ideas can be quite useful if you present them in the right place. Make your office 10% more efficient, make food a little easier, or heck, even invent a device that allows you to take selfies in a slightly easier but visually unpleasant manner. All of these ideas have one thing in common: they solve small problems, rather than trying to change the world:
Rather than worrying about the size of an idea, as most people do, it’s more productive to think about the possible leverage it has. To do this, you need to think not only about the idea itself, but also about how it will be used. An idea can have different leverage depending on where, when, and how carefully it is applied.
It might seem a little gimmicky to waste time working on something that a huge audience won’t see. On the other hand, you don’t want to put in less effort than selfie stick makers, do you? Don’t wait for a big idea to start. Just get started .
Why Small Ideas May Matter More Than Big Ideas | Scott Burkum over 99u