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Praise for Good Idea. Now What?
"Sitting around thinking never helped anyone. Charles T. Lee understands that until you ship, nothing happens. Fortunately, he's not going to leave you alone until you do precisely that."
—Seth Godin author of Poke the Box
"Charles T. Lee's Good Idea. Now What? is a terrific road map for taking your passion and inspiration and turning them into reality and business success."
—Soledad O'Brien anchor and Special Correspondent, CNN
"It's no secret that great ideas are much easier to come by than great execution. Charles offers practical solutions that will inspire you to get moving now and make your idea a reality!"
—Scott Harrison founder, charity: water
"Leaders make things happen. And Charles T. Lee is a leader who does just that. This is his life message, punctuated with solutions and practical strategies for helping you accomplish those ideas still sitting on the shelf. If you are looking to implement an idea, read this book!"
—Brad Lomenick Executive Director, Catalyst
"Good Idea. Now What? is a path of powerfully practical steps to follow on taking ideas from nothing to their intended gift to the world."
—Michael Rusch Vice President, Shopper and Business Insights, Nickelodeon/Viacom Consumer Products
Preface: Born into a Legacy of Idea Makers xi
Acknowledgments xiii
Introduction: Idea Lovers versus Idea Makers xv
Who Is This Book For? xv
How Does This Book Work? xvi
The Business of Good Ideas xvii
A Conversation over Coffee xvii
PART 1 Where Do Good Ideas Come From? 1
CHAPTER 1 Strategy or Chance? 3
CHAPTER 2 Ideas in the Midst 5
Wisdom from the Streets 6
Spatial Distance? 7
CHAPTER 3 My Need for Need 9
CHAPTER 4 Medici Changed My Life 11
The Medici Tweet? 12
CHAPTER 5 Don't Settle for Good 15
PART 2 Life after Inspiration 19
CHAPTER 6 Addicted to Inspiration 21
CHAPTER 7 What Plan? 25
Passion Unrealized 25
CHAPTER 8 Dig a Little Deeper 29
The Dreaded Business Plan 29
Wisdom from Wade 30
A Few Questions for Idea Makers 31
CHAPTER 9 Ideas Don't Work; You Do! 33
Bootstrapping for Project 7 35
Become a Bootstrapper! 36
CHAPTER 10 Choose Family 37
PART 3 Overcoming Creative Resistance 41
CHAPTER 11 Wipe Your Nos and Buts 43
A Prehistoric Brain 44
CHAPTER 12 The Dreaded Look Inside 47
CHAPTER 13 Disturbance in the Force 51
Bringing It Home 52
CHAPTER 14 Hear Me Out 55
The Other Side of the Coin (Practicing What We Preach) 56
PART 4 Paving a Creative Pathway 59
CHAPTER 15 No Escape Clause 61
CHAPTER 16 Got Rhythm? 65
CHAPTER 17 Don’t Just Add; Multiply 69
A Wandering Generality 69
The Bad News . . . 70
Discovering the Power of Focus 72
CHAPTER 18 I Can See It! 75
More Than Digital 76
CHAPTER 19 Press Pause 79
Your Life Needs Space as Well 80
Emergency Room Counseling 81
Putting on the Breaks! 82
PART 5 Elements for Idea Making 1 85
CHAPTER 20 The Art of Evolution 87
CHAPTER 21 DNA or R&D? 89
CHAPTER 22 Risk (Overrated!) 93
CHAPTER 23 The Miracle of Writing and Waiting 97
CHAPTER 24 Think Multiple, Not Perfect 101
Spaghetti Sauce Lessons 102
PART 6 Elements for Idea Making 2 105
CHAPTER 25 Simple 107
CHAPTER 26 Quality, Quality, Quality 111
CHAPTER 27 The F Word 115
CHAPTER 28 Under Pressure 119
CHAPTER 29 Dealing with Setbacks 125
Changing the World through Shoes 125
CHAPTER 30 Beat the Tribal Drum 129
PART 7 The Work of Collaboration 133
CHAPTER 31 Myths 135
Myth 1: Collaboration Just Happens on Its Own 136
Myth 2: Collaboration Is Intuitive for Everyone 136
Myth 3: Collaboration Is an Act of Lightening the Workload 136
Myth 4: Collaboration Is a One-Size-Fits-All Endeavor 137
Myth 5: Collaboration Is about Finding the Right Technological Tools 137
CHAPTER 32 Human: The X Factor 139
CHAPTER 33 I Need It! 143
An Organization Created in Collaboration 144
CHAPTER 34 Do You Trust Me? 147
CHAPTER 35 Fight Club 153
CHAPTER 36 The Hire 159
PART 8 Getting Out There! 165
CHAPTER 37 Why Brand Matters 167
A Practical Guide to Branding 169
CHAPTER 38 A Personal Brand? 171
Accidental Lessons about Personal Branding 173
CHAPTER 39 The Pitch 175
An Idea Worth Sharing 180
CHAPTER 40 Life in a Digital Age 183
Conclusion 191
A Note about Failure 192
Recommendations for Further Reading 195
About the Author 199
Index 201
JesseGiglio
Posted February 14, 2012
Charles Lee's Good Idea, Now What? gives you the impression that if you actually practice what is suggested, you may actually accomplish what you've set out to do. Why is that a problem? Because it robs you of excuses.
GINW is written in a friendly, conversational voice but that doesn't mean it's casual. Charles communicates with samurai precision, distributing practical advice with real world implications in bite size chapters. An 'axioms for idea makers', GINW's open structure facilitates a 'grab and go' or 'one a day' digestion. Perfect for the life competing with time (or other books).
Einstein has said,"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough"...Charles Lee understands idea making well enough. And while idea making isn't easy, it is possible. This book will walk you through what does and doesn't make a good idea a good reality. As a chronic idea maker, I highly recommend.
Here are a few quotes;
"The most creative concepts can be found right in the environments where they will provide the greatest benefit."
"Discern the difference between a critique of your idea and a direct attack on you as an idea maker."
"The success of others is difficult to swallow for most competitive entrepreneurs."
"I usually find my second wind late in the evening after my family goes to bed."
"Many of the memorable ideas in our world are the result of knowledgeable people working hard toward the simplistic."
"A personal brand is a reference to the public perception of an individual's identity."
"The right choice often resides between two excesses."
Overview
Praise for Good Idea. Now What?
"Sitting around thinking never helped anyone. Charles T. Lee understands that until you ship, nothing happens. Fortunately, he's not going to leave you alone until you do precisely that."
—Seth Godin author of Poke the Box
"Charles T. Lee's Good Idea. Now What? is a terrific road map for taking your passion and inspiration and turning them into reality and business success."
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