It’s a tricky topic — why some ideas succeed beyond all expectations, and others just fizzle out. I think some of it is really just timing, but there are some interesting theories out there that are really worth having a look at — including how sticky (yes, you got it, sticky) your idea is.
This was started by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point, but thoroughly examined by the extremely successful brothers Dan and Chip Heath in Made to Stick. Chip is an organizational behaviour professor at Stanford, and Dan is an ex Harvard researcher. They have an acronym for “s-u-c-c-e-s” which touchs on how simple, unexpected, credible, concrete, and emotional an idea is, as well as the stories you can tell around it.
Really, the idea that you have needs to gain a following of people (your people – families, friends, acquaintances) who can relate. It helps if it’s easy to comprehend, a bit of a surprise, rooted in reality and tangible, and something you can get them to feel strongly about. Once you have an idea that has been validated by a core crew of people it really opens up a world of possibilities (and funders).
Does anyone have thoughts on what makes an idea successful? Is there one key point that makes or break an idea?
