Ideas have a 2 week shelf life

http://stevecorona.com/ideas-have-a-2-week-shelf-life?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+stevecorona+%28Steve+Corona%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

by azazo • 14 years ago

71 15 14 years ago

stevecorona.com

rhizome2• 14 years ago

I have manifesto fatigue.

bravoyankee2• 14 years ago

There's a lot of fluff on HN lately, which is why I'm slowly transitioning back to Slashdot (where I was before for about 10 years).

While HN has its highs and lows, Slashdot is consistently better.

bravoyankee2• 14 years ago

BTW, I wasn't referring to or including this article when I said fluff. This article wasn't bad at all, but it does remind me of the 'get 6-pack abs' story I see on the cover of every men's magazine, Every. Single. Month.

There are worse offenders, and that's why Slashdot has been looking so good lately.

the_real_plyawn• 14 years ago

I'm the at the other end of the spectrum. It's too easy to get super-excited about the newest idea. I force myself to sit on new ideas for some period of time, rolling them around my brain. If it's still at the forefront 3 weeks, months our even years later than it's probably got some legs. Plus, I've refined it and answered some key questions by the time I'm ready to execute.

whatever floats your boat...

jilebedev• 14 years ago

Waiting an idea out does two important things. 1. It ensures you're objective and clearheaded. There's no reason to value the thinking process of an euphorically happy man over a suicidally depressed one. Both are irrational. 2. Humans are powered by emotions: love, hope. If an idea is strong enough to emotionally persist for 3 months, then it's a decent bet that the emotions will power the next 3 months also. 3. After 3 months, it's possible to do a double-take, a gut-check. It's very difficult to do a proper gut-check in the heat of a moment. 4. Most importantly, if an idea has persisted for 3 months, it is likely founded on some kernel of truth.

After 3 months, I generally take apart an idea over the course of days. I'll destroy it from every angle, and I'll show from as-simple-as-possible logic. Every single sentence has to be sound logic, and every tiny nook and crany needs to be explored.

The first three months are for my emotions to settle and solidify. The next 1-2 weeks are for me to have a logical, impartial, and objective argument with the idea. A portion of it is to assume the role of a 12 year old internet troll and absolutely assault the idea from every angle. There cannot remain even a single facet I am unsure of, or uncertain of, or cannot backup with facts or logic stemming from facts.

If it stands after this, then it becomes second nature to begin. There isn't any giddy enthusiasm, but there also isn't any hopeless depression when encountering an unknown. The fight has been fought, all that remains is execution. Starting is weary, and execution is tame. There is no gut-sinking defeated feeling once the euphoria wears off: there's just a logical argument - written down - for what needs to be done, and why.

This is how I've made some of the most difficult decisions in my life, and it has so far worked. It protracts the decision making process into months, and that's inefficient and sad. But it is guaranteed to work for me. This is how I have lost a very significant amount of weight, and how I have stopped smoking.

A part of it is, for me at least, to acknowledge that I dislike change intensly. I don't think I'm unique in that regard among humans, but it's something I feel passionate about changing. If baby steps is what's required, then baby steps it'll be.

My next goal is to begin running. I'm in the first month of the fermentation stage: the passion to start running 3 times a week has been building within me over the last 3-6 months, but I've gotten serious about it last month. Now the 3 month waiting period begins. During those 3 months, I'll begin kicking things around my head. Just this morning, it occurred to me that I'll need to keep a precise schedule, and if I lax from it, then I'll miss a day, and this makes me very worried. I want to be disciplined about it. I'm not sure how I'll solve that - perhaps run in the afternoon? It's something I'm going to work out by the end of January.

anujkk• 14 years ago

I was there 6 months back where you are today when it comes to running. It takes a lot of mental strength to nurture good habits but when you do so it becomes a way of living, your second nature. For first few months I had to consistently pushy myself but now it is a part of routine just like taking bath.

olalonde• 14 years ago

I don't think that's a very good strategy. It seems to me that the "get stuff done" type of entrepreneurs far outnumber the over analytical ones. In my opinion, it's probably more effective to be wrong often than to spend a lot of time analyzing and be always right. The opportunity cost of being right often outweighs the cost of being wrong.

gojomo• 14 years ago

Related: Zefrank on unexecuted ideas as 'brain crack':

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2006/07/071106.html

mntmn• 14 years ago

I'm not convinced. 100% original research.

jgiancarlo• 14 years ago

That's entirely the point. Nobody said that this is the one true way to do things, the post isn't arguing that. If there is one thing I have realized from reading this forum it's that there is no one way to do things. This presents a method for getting those side projects of life started; the audience: people who need a push in a productive direction. I hate the ridiculous stance this community has on anecdotal posts. Obviously it's "original research" it's an example from his life, that statement doesn't apply here.

JoelMarsh• 14 years ago

In psychology (or behavioral economics) you might hear people talking about "hyperbolic discounting", which is basically the fancy version of "something now is better than something later".

This can also have the effect of making your new idea seem better than doing the same thing next year.

This article is hyperbolic discounting in action, and it is irrational. He has actively changed his method so he gets to feel the rush more often, which also inherently maximizes his impulsiveness.

However, I don't think an article called "Be as impulsive as possible" would have the same ring to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperbolic_discounting

gabemart• 14 years ago

I think you're failing to take into account the author's thesis that an idea not put into action within a reasonable time frame "rots". From my reading of the article, this happens either because i) so much navel-gazing, planning and refining goes into the idea over time that it becomes intimidating to actually start, or ii) the idea is simply on-hold perpetually, and is never actually realized.

In other words, I don't think the author is saying "something now is better than something later". I think he's saying "something now is better than nothing later", or at least, "the certainty of something now is better than the slim possibility of something later".

cowgomoo• 14 years ago

for actually starting on a project, being broke and needing money is perhaps the strongest motivator out there. the part about outlining for two minutes and acting immediately is great.

realrocker• 14 years ago

Node.js guy?

Ideas have a 2 week shelf life

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