Angela Dunn’s March #Ideachat focused on “How to Take an Idea from Concept to Execution” with Whitney Johnson, Francis Pedrazza, and Kevin Sakhuia as co-hosts. #Ideachat was its typical mega tweet-filled hour, but even more so than normal this month. As an indication of #Ideachat’s growing popularity, it seemed as if the greetings between participants went on for 10 minutes at the start. While that’s part of the fun, it just takes up time from the real creative interaction and information sharing that makes #Ideachat the one Twitter chat I really try to make each month.
Here are some of the paraquote highlights from the March #Ideachat Twitter stream:
What does Personal Disruption Entail?
Personal disruption was the point of departure for #Ideachat to get a sense of what it takes to push yourself through fear into implementing ideas and launching significant new ventures.
Whitney Johnson / @johnsonwhitney: That's the innovator's dilemma: Die or die sooner. Disrupt yourself and you die later. I find that I need to walk in the direction of my fear. It is a signal that is exactly where I need to go.
kevin sakhuja / @kevbook: You have to feel lost before you can be found.
Jose Baldaia / @Jabaldaia: Disrupt = unlearn = breaking rules = conversion = amazing results
Rich Rogers / @RichRogersHDS: “You don't lead by pointing and telling people some place to go. You lead by going to that place and making the case.” - Ken Kesey
My Contribution: Personal disruption is knocking or allowing the footing to be knocked out from under what feels comfortable to you now.
Overcoming Fears of Failure to Get Personal Disruption Started
Sandy Maxey / @sandymaxey: I consider most things "Nearly impossible" - that engages my curiosity and creativity.
My Contribution: If impossible is not a state of mind, then at least redefining the challenge to not be impossible is. At the TED 2012 Simulcast, Donald Sadoway talked about assigning his grad students projects he thought were impossible without telling them. They then go out and solve them because they don’t know they’re supposed to be impossible.
Dean Meyers / @deanmeistr: Learned a new phrase from @jasonwomack: "Practice makes comfortable." Applying it to get past fear of disrupting myself.
My Contribution: Trying small, lower risk steps can help get over the initial fear of failure. It can also be done through taking a bigger risk on something that’s not "life" threatening. Sometimes you can get over fear of failure by using the buddy system and having someone taking the same or a comparable risk along with you. One way of getting over fear can be letting someone or circumstances FORCE you in to what you fear. It’s all about letting yourself get thrown in the pool without resisting it!
What Sets Entrepreneurs Apart When It Comes to Personal Disruption
JoAnn Jordan / @JordanEM: Visionary, improvisational, rule benders.
Woody Bendle / @wbendle: Seeing things that nobody sees in the things that everyone sees. Commitment. Perseverance. Tenacity. Conviction. Focus. Resourcefulness. MacGyver with some business savvy.
Dean Meyers / @deanmeistr: Entrepreneurs get bored easily.
Maureen Devlin / @lookforsun: I think for some entrepreneurs it's about money, but others it's passion for solving something. Money comes afterward.
Jose Baldaia / @Jabaldaia: A3 An entrepreneur is a full time volunteer with an unusual optimism and an extraordinary ability to see problems #ideachat
Steve Koss / @SteveKoss: Triple play of integrity – thoughts, words, actions all in sync.
My Contribution: Entrepreneurs have a confidence in "living" to see the next day. They instinctively see beyond any missteps or failures.
What Investors Expect in Attractive Ideas
Whitney Johnson / @johnsonwhitney: The first question I ask: Is it disruptive? If so, is it low-end or new market? (Also) May bet on the founder if not sure of the idea. Won’t bet on the idea if they’re not comfortable with the founder.
Vala Afshar /@ValaAfshar: Ideas are of plenty. Its execution that bridges ideas to meaningful solutions.
kevin sakhuja / @kevbook: Create something disruptive. Product and metrics talk for itself. Surprisingly, investors are also searching for you.
Other Great Tidbits
Rich Rogers / @RichRogersHDS: Conventional wisdom is the most efficient path to ordinary.
Sandy Maxey / @sandymaxey: “Avoid being complicit in mindless incrementalism." And “One person's pain is another's game?”
kevin sakhuja / @kevbook: Crowd funding works if 1) incentive is not monetary 2) u have a great story 3) u are a painkiller not a vitamin
The Harvard Business Review link to Whitney Johnson’s piece on procrastination being essential to innovation.
Final Thought: Any Twitter followers who leave you for all the #ideachat tweets you make in an hour are far outweighed by any #Ideachat participant kind enough to follow you! - Mike Brown
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