The Art Of Fewer Ideas

As a founder, I’ve had to master a controversial skill:

Coming up with fewer ideas.

To be clear, I'm not new business ventures, I'm talking about new product ideas.

Sounds backward, I know. But hear me out.

Every business begins with an idea, a seed. But as this seed grows and more ideas pop up, the temptation to chase every shiny new thing is hard to resist.

It feels like a world of endless opportunity. But this endless pursuit is so damn costly.

I used to get carried away each time a light bulb went off, rushing to share my latest brainchild with the team.

What I failed to see was:

• Just a week before, I was pitching another breakthrough.
• Meanwhile, the team was deep in keeping the business afloat.
• My constant bouncing from one idea to the next appeared as a lack of clear direction.

So, I had to keep my excitement in check. Now, I only bring up new ideas if they:

• Directly align with our immediate goals,
• And are achievable in the medium term.

Otherwise, they go into my "someday" list.

This simple trick has allowed some ideas to flourish in their own time, while others wait their turn.

More importantly, it keeps the team focused and prevents me from looking like I'm endlessly chasing my tail.

Coming up with new ideas is easy. Everyone has plenty. The real skill lies in developing a filter that only allows through what truly matters.

So, the next time a brilliant idea comes up, take a moment and ask yourself: Does this really move us forward in the direction we chose?

It sounds simple, but in practice, it’s anything but.