In his blogpost “A brilliant idea at Harvard“, Dave Winer says (bold is mine):
Before I started blogging, I held many if not most of my good ideas in reserve because I thought some day I might do them as products. But as you get older, you realize that most of the things you think of are going to be outside your grasp, you’re not going to get to do them, so rather than hold on to them, it’s better to let them go. Maybe someone else will do them, and at least you’ll have the pleasure of using the product before your time is up.
How true this is!
And it is true on more general circumstances than simply getting old.
Our personal powers, will and resources are far more limited than the things we can imagine of making. It is only a few ideas that are truly dear to us, and only a fraction of them that we are willing to pursue whatever it takes. And unless we pursue an idea whatever it takes, it has very few chances of becoming a reality. What about the rest? What is the purpose of holding back ideas that we can’t turn them into reality? Why let a good idea die into oblivion, locked into our mind?
A few weeks ago, I read a little book by Paul Arden called “It’s not how good you are, it’s how good you want to be“. It is the kind of book that offers some recipies for success and I am always too suspicious with such books. Nevertheless, if certain passages from the book stick to your mind, be them even just one little sentence, then the book has some merit.
Here is the one that stuck to my mind:
“Do not covet your ideas. Give away everything you know and more will come back to you”.
An idea can be one’s way from rags to riches. But it is hardly ever sufficient in itself. Lots of other factor need to be in place. If they are not in place, nor can they be soon enough, then part with the idea. Give it away for free. Whatever comes back from it, it will be more than zero.
