Idea of the Day - A new idea each day. Some Don't Suck!

Our Latest Posts About: Ideas

Forgetting Unforgettable Ideas

Monday, June 12, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

If something's unforgettable... how can you forget it?

Great ideas can come to you at any time, day or night. That's why I make it a point to write them down as soon as possible, ESPECIALLY when I think they're so obvious that I'll never forget them, because time after time, those are the ones I definitely forget.

Writing down your ideas not only insures you won't forget them, but it also frees your mind to relax and focus on other things, which makes you more productive as a whole.

Ideas Start With... Problems!

Thursday, May 4, 2017 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

How do I create a new idea each day?

People often ask me how I manage to come up with a new idea each day for my blog and YouTube Channel. The simple truth is, I don't start off by thinking of ideas... I start by looking for problems.

That's because it's pretty easy finding problems. In fact, I think it's safe to assume we all face at least a few new problems each day, so I start by writing down the problems, then thinking of solutions to those problems and before you know it... ideas are born!

Where Do Great Ideas Come From?

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Most of the greatest ideas didn't start out that way. They start out as a simple idea, and they evolve over time.

Great songs start with a simple melody or riff. Great paintings start with a crude sketch, and many great novels start with a simple outline. The key is they all had to start somewhere.

That's all there is to it. I could summarize today's thoughts into three short steps:

1 Start Somewhere.

2. Improve it.

3. Repeat step 2.

That's it. Once you start somewhere. Even if it's a half baked attempt, you can always improve it later. Even a complete failure of a first effort can be improved, but it's absolutely essential you start somewhere. With each improvement you move one step closer to something that would never exist if you didn't take the first ste... [More]

Continue...Where Do Great Ideas Come From?...

When Bad Ideas Are... Good.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

I love BAD Ideas!

Don't get me wrong. I love good ideas too, but very few of them would exist if it wasn't for the countless bad ideas that inspired them.

To me, a bad idea is like finding a diamond in the rough. There's something valuable inside. You've just got to chip away the crud on the outside before you can let it shine.

Most of us remember Apple's greatest ideas, but most of those ideas are a direct result of Apple's commitment to research and development. Almost every successful product was the direct result of a bad idea that they improved. Thankfully for Apple, some of those bad products were first introduced by other companies, but quite a few were from home-grown failures.

Some of those bad ideas never make it outside the labs, but once in a while, they... [More]

Continue...When Bad Ideas Are... Good....

Your Next Idea is 10 Minutes Away... Guaranteed.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Some people wonder how I can come up with an idea every day. Here's how: I try.

It may sound funny, but the real key to coming up with a new idea is... taking 10 minutes to focus on finding one. When I do that, I always come up with at least one or two.

I get so frustrated when people tell me they aren't creative and they aren't good at brainstorming new ideas. I've got news for you. I'm an idea guy, but I'm not special. I don't have any special powers that "Non-Creative" people lack. It's truly just that I try.

Most of the people who say they aren't creative have never sat down with the sole purpose of coming up with an idea. As Yoda would say "That is why you fail". It's not a lack of creativity, it's a lack of trying.

Want proof?

Set a timer for 10 mi... [More]

Continue...Your Next Idea is 10 Minutes Away... Guaranteed....

Kurt Vonnegut - How to Write a Million Dollar Story

Saturday, April 4, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

Is there a formula to writing a popular novel?

According to Kurt Vonnegut, there's not only a formula for writing a popular story, but there's even a shape. Even if you don't have any interest in writing, you can't help but realize he's right. The most successful stories actually have a genuine shape that you can see. Once you see it, you'll never read or listen to stories the same way.

In this video from one of his classic lectures, you'll see Kurt Vonnegut draw a few classic stories, and you can't help but laugh at how simple they are.

To me, there are a few important revelations in this video.

First, since each story had a different shape, what mattered most is that there was a shape. In other words, the public doesn't like stories without a shape. In other word... [More]

Continue...Kurt Vonnegut - How to Write a Million Dollar Story...

Simplify First. Then... Organize.

Friday, April 3, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

One of the reasons some people have a hard time organizing is they have too much stuff to organize in the first place.

If I gave you 2 cards with a number on the back, and asked you to put the highest number on top, odds are, you could do it in less than a second. It would take you a bit longer if I gave you 10 cards, but what if I gave you 500 cards? Clearly, the more cards I gave you, the longer it would take to sort them.

Trying to sort out 500 of anything isn't easy, no matter what they are. Whether it's your record collection, files on your computer, a garage full of stuff, or even abstract things like the ideas in your head. The fact is, the more stuff you have to organize, the longer it will take to do it.

A master organizer might suggest that you just split big... [More]

Continue...Simplify First. Then... Organize....

Creativity Explained - Jerry Seinfeld Tells Us How to Write a Joke

Sunday, March 22, 2015 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

We can learn a lot from Jerry Seinfeld from this classic New York Times Interview.

In this interview, we see how he developed a Pop-Tart joke over a two year period, from it's inception to completion. While most comedians, including Seinfeld don't spend two years writing a joke, we can clearly see the reason he has become one of the greatest stand up comics of all time.

He describes how an idea for a joke triggers a series of funny associations that are systematically blended and re-worked time and time again until the he gets the best combination of funny words, rhythm and pacing and the all important punchline.

While this may seem excessive, it's one of the reasons for his prolonged success, and it also gives us a great insight into how all great art is created.

Beh

... [More]

Continue...Creativity Explained - Jerry Seinfeld Tells Us How to Write a Joke...

Reinvent The Wheel? YES. There's Always Room For Improvement.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

When people tell me I'm reinventing the wheel, I say... Thanks!

Entrepreneur's, inventors and artists hear it every day.

Why are you working on that?
Don't you know it's been done before?
Isn't there already a something like that on the market?

My advice. Do it anyway.

Don't let anyone tell you that you can't reinvent the wheel, build a better mousetrap or improve on something. There is no such thing as perfection, so everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, can be improved.

Only by looking at the status-quo and saying "I can improve it" do things actually change and improve. As a society we MUST reinvent the wheel, we MUST re-think today's technology and ideas if we want to progress.

Thankfully, there are still rebels out there. As Apple say... [More]

Continue...Reinvent The Wheel? YES. There's Always Room For Improvement....

Out of Ideas? Fusion of Two or More Ideas Could Change Everything.

Monday, September 29, 2014 1:00 AM By Joe Crescenzi

"It's a floor wax... No!... It's a dessert topping. Wait!... You're both right!"

Sometimes the best ideas come from combining two or more simple ideas into something that is better than the sum of the parts. The trick is finding things that actually work together well. So when you hit a dead end, think of Fusion!

Examples of Great Fusion

1. iPhone - Combines a phone, and iPod and and Internet device.

While each of these devices already existed, Apple reinvented the phone by integrating them into a single portable device.

2. Fax Machines

At it's core, the Fax machine is just the combination of a copier and a modem. You can take it one step further and say that a copier is just the combination of a scanner and a printer. Now that many peopl... [More]

Continue...Out of Ideas? Fusion of Two or More Ideas Could Change Everything....

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Reinvent The Wheel? YES. There's Always Room For Improvement.

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* Note: The ideas on "Idea of the Day" were posted without any formal research into existing inventions.

In some cases, patents may already exist for these ideas, in other cases, there may not be any existing patents and you are free to develop and explore the viability of developing and patenting the ideas.

The authors make no claim that any of the ideas are safe, practical, or suitable for any particular purpose. You are responsible for the results of trying, developing, patenting or using any of the ideas on this site.

For some people, our ideas are just an interesting read, but our goal is to encourage you to take action. If you see an idea that you like, do something with it... Take action.

- Joe

Idea Of The Day. A new Idea Each Day. Some Don't Suck.