The people I help have too many ideas.
They never come to me and say, “I don’t have a single goal or idea I want to pursue.”
Instead, the opposite is usually true.
In a world with so many opportunities, it’s difficult to know which one we should pursue.
How do you know the idea you’re working on is great?
There are a thousand ways to answer that question, but here’s a fast one. Ask this:
“Is my idea tattoo worthy?”
Harley-Davidson knows the answer to this question.
Their idea is so remarkable that people get it tattooed on their bodies.
In fact, the book “Building Strong Brands” by David A. Aaker reported that “the most popular tattoo in the United States is the Harley-Davidson symbol.”
Maybe that seems like an extreme way to measure the strength of your idea. I agree, Harley has spent decades becoming tattoo worthy, your idea might be in the early stages.
I know for instance that my 30 Days of Hustle Challenge is not tattoo worthy yet. We’re working with a researcher from the University of Memphis to ensure the content is backed up by scientific data. Thousands of people have used the program to accomplish their goals. The videos we made are a lot of fun, but no one is getting a “30DOH” tattoo yet. Yet.
So let’s scale the question back. Instead, ask this:
“Is my idea sticker worthy?”
That’s an easier question to answer. If you want a great example of someone who figured this out, look no further than Yeti coolers. Right now, thousands of people are buying stickers, t-shirts and hats to let you know which method of keeping ice cold they prefer.
Ten years ago, if a friend told you, “I’m going to put this Igloo sticker on my car to make sure people driving near me know what type of cooler I prefer,” you would have stared at your friend a little bit.
Now, because Yeti has done an amazing job building their idea, we don’t think twice about it. We’re more than happy to put stickers on our cars as symbols of which tribe we belong to. From Yeti to Apple to CrossFit, we like to self identify with brands that “get us.”
It’s easy to brush off the Harley-Davidson tattoo story because the company was founded in 1903. They’ve been consistently telling their story for 113 years. You’d have to be a vampire to compete with that longevity and if you’re eternally dead, tattoos are probably the least of your concerns. Focus on the sun, son!
It can be discouraging when you look at your new idea and think about how young it is. What about Yeti though? Have they spent 100 years building their story? 50 years perhaps? 20 years?
Nope, they were founded in 2006.
They’ve only been around for 10 years and I promise no one was putting stickers on cars the first few years. They’re by no means an overnight success but they’re also not an over century success either.
Want to know if your idea is good? Want to know if your story is compelling? Want to know if your business will draw an audience?
It’s easy.
If your idea is sticker worthy, it’s good. If it’s tattoo worthy, it’s great.
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