Quixoting® - A Quest for New Ideas

Here's a cool idea - listen to Quixoting™ as a podcast

One of the cool technologies for bloggers comes from Odiogo. Their service provides an almost instantaneous podcast of each of my posts. You can listen to the podcast one of two ways:

1. Directly from my blog. Click the listen now button below each post title. You can listen as you walk around the room or wash the dishes (should you be so inclined).

2. You can subscribe to the podcast via iTunes or other services. Click the Odiogo logo with a "+" symbol under the "start here" section of the sidebar. This is very cool. You can also click here.

Are there any downsides to Odiogo's service?

Well, for one it's not me talking. I think I can get over that if you can . . .

Secondly, I need to write in a more Odiogo friendly way so that the podcasts deliver the intent of the written word. Sometimes quotes or other punctuation causes a hiccup in the podcast. But overall the sound quality and voice recognition are excellent.

What do you think?

The things I notice when traveling - like it or not...

I notice weird things when I'm on the road - away from home and away from the office. Maybe they are just different than what I'm used to seeing or maybe I'm just more aware having been mentally freed from the norm.

Or maybe there are just weird things at airports, in hotels and in taxi cabs. Maybe.

Either way, I always see opportunity, ideas and observe oddities while on the road. So, if ever you are looking for creative inspiration, hit the road and keep your eyes peeled.

On this trip the oddity was found at the Oakland airport - one of my favorite airports due its size and convenience vs. San Francisco airport.

Here it is - I'll just throw it at you:

The individual toilets, urinals and sinks in the men's restroom near gate 22 are numbered. Is that weird? Have you ever seen this? Ladies, is this unique to the male wash room?

I took a picture with my Blackberry because some of you may not believe me.

So before you think me odd for bringing it up (or for noticing it in the first place), what I really wanted to know is: why do they need numbers? Is it like how tables are numbered in a restaurant - so that Joe could tell Frank that a sink is overflowing near Gate 22 with laser targeted accuracy? Is it for inventory purposes (they've always put a serial number on my work computer). Is it for all the folks who talk on their phone while using the restroom to identify their location? Is sink #4 to be cleaned before sink #5?

Despite my curiosity, I did not ask someone (an airport employee) in the restroom about the numbering system (after all, it might be related to a national security issue for all I know).

Then, I thought, what if other random items were numbered?

What about stairs? That would save some people a lot of counting, right? What about "to go" coffee cups at your favorite coffee house? Would you like to know where you fall (XX million served)?

Oh, how the mind works - or perhaps slows to a crawl in this case!

In case you are keeping score, I just landed in Orange County - no wash room numbering system here... Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Please change my sheets

During a recent hotel stay, I was provided with a card (see above) in my room that gave me the option of either changing my sheets or leaving them as is and saving the environment. Now, being a bit cynical, my first thought was always: Am I saving the environment or saving this hotel work and $?

You've probably seen these cards before, right? Well, after my cynical thought I had another more creative one. Changing my sheets was analogous to:

Wiping my mind clean

Clearing my head

Cleaning the slate

So when would it help to have someone come in and "change your sheets" and when is it better to linger in the old ones?

How about when you're feeling a bit lost or when your original idea doesn't feel so original anymore? What would it feel like to stretch out, roll over and get tucked back into fresh sheets just like it was the first time? You would get to experience the thrill of exploring your new idea all over again with new energy.

The truth is sometimes you need a fresh start.

Of course there are other times when you want to stay in the same sheets for days on end. Maybe you are running hard on a great concept - multiple all nighters in one week that are producing great new builds on your idea. In this case, the last thing you want is new sheets. Despite the appeal of a new perspective, sometimes it is hard to argue with the same old dirty sheets.

What do YOU need to stay creative?

What Adventures Are You Planning? – Post 5 of 5

As I’ve said in prior posts, Quixoting is about taking action on an idea after you have worked hard to create a bunch of them and, importantly, picked the best one or two.

Once you have chosen your idea(s), the fun is in deciding where you will take these ideas. Will it be sailing to a foreign land or a visit to a famous cathedral?

The cool thing about this idea generation process is the adventure that begins once you decide to do something. And, in reality, you may set out on your boat for Asia and end up in Greece. It’s not that the ship’s captain steered you there or you just flat out changed your mind, though.

More likely, you saw a pod of dolphins in the distance. The dolphins were leaping symmetrically through the water. They gave you an idea about a way to enhance your concept and you decided to follow them.

The key is to be ready for adventure. And we’re not talking about a tour bus type of an adventure either. Get ready for adventures that take you to uncomfortable places. Places you never thought you’d get to this soon or ever.

Make sure you create a business plan. Try to anticipate where the idea may go and where your company needs to adapt for success.

Rarely do new ideas or new companies finish their first chapter where they started or where they planned.

Are YOU ready?

How Strong Is Your Weapon? – Post 4 of 5

If you imagine your company as a knight defending a castle or defending the honor of your king in a jousting match, what are you bringing to the battle?

Do you have the latest artillery or are you still firing cannonballs?

In a traditional battle, there are essential weapons that must be used to achieve success. In this battle, the tools are swords, arrows, hatchets, shields and knives.

In modern business, the tools are your packaging, software program, website, sales materials, sales people, customer service team and your advertising programs. Anything that is used to separate yourself from the overt skills and abilities of your competition can be seen as a weapon.

Here’s where you can out think your competition.

If you are largely competing and attracting customers online you need to have the best platform. It needs to be user friendly, technologically advanced and attractive to the eye. Most of all, it needs to be customer-centric and engaging to the user.

If you compete in a more traditional retail environment where current players have succumbed to the ways of the past, your innovation will attract customers and end users alike (think Krispy Kreme in the good days). If you are bringing new, innovative weapons to the category, not only will you surprise your enemy, but you will have plenty of time to execute your strategy while they struggle to pull the sword from their rusty belt.

So, have the right weapons ready to go as you head into the battle – wherever the battle may be fought

How Tough is Your Armor? – Post 3 of 5

If you are heading into battle – whether your opponent is a well-funded start-up, a seasoned veteran powerhouse or a field full of windmills – how tough is your armor?

Think of this as needing to have “thick skin”. I’m sure you’ve heard that analogy for business, right? Some people will tell you “no” an awful lot of times. Customers, banks, suppliers, brokers or anyone else in or around the industry you are trying to enter will look for a reason not to support you before they throw roses at your feet.

With tough armor you not only can maintain your confidence in tough times, but you can also be protected from the slings and arrows of your competition. Remember, these are the folks hoping you will trip over the hind leg of your horse.

So how do build up a tough skin? First, you start with a great concept. One that can be protected and insulated from those who wish you would fail quickly.

For example:

Legally, you need to look for a patent, register for trademarks and get your copyrights.

Financially, you need cash both to start up and to operate your business (expenses, employees and inventory).

Strategically, you need hard competitive advantages. These are barriers that prevent your competition from stealing your hard fought gains.

Operationally, you need the people and systems to help you run the business efficiently.

In short, a well-protected company allows confident, long-term decision-making. So build up and toughen your armor – every chance you get . . .

Who Is Your Sancho Panza? – Post 2 of 5

In the story of Don Quixote, our hero has his (mostly) faithful squire. A neighbor who is convinced to “sign on” with Don Quixote for the adventures that await. If you are an entrepreneur, are you going it alone or do you have a faithful someone to keep you on the straight and narrow.

Whether a business partner that makes up for your weaknesses or a spouse to encourage and push you along, we all need a Sancho Panza in our lives. In my experience, it is someone to hit you with the proverbial “two by four” when the dazzling lights of your vision are making it difficult for you to see what’s in front of you.

The truth is that it’s easy to lose perspective. As entrepreneurs we get tunnel vision. We see futures that others cannot. Is that extremely good vision or a form of blindness?

What I would want most from my squire is honesty, a regular kick in the pants and all the skills that I don’t have in full along with a passion to execute them. With a good squire, you can achieve your objectives without feeling like you are doing so in a vacuum.

What Horse Are You Riding? – Post 1 of 5

In Don Quixote, our hero’s horse plays an important role. The horse’s name is “Rocinante” given to it by Don Quixote himself. The name translates to “no longer a nag” – truly a horse not meant for a proud knight! Skinny and slow, our hero makes due with what he has available to him.

So, here’s my question for you: What Horse Are You Riding? What I mean is, what idea are you relying on to carry you through to success.

Does it have “legs”? (OK, that was a bad one, sorry.)

How big is this horse? Is it slow and lumbering or nimble and quick? Ask yourself how this idea fits within the pace and competitive nature of the industry you are looking to enter. How does it compare to the horses already out there – especially the others just now stepping onto the path?

As I’ve said in previous posts, the decision on which idea you choose to ride is critical. It is a big decision and one that has to be well thought out. Because once you decide to get on the chosen horse, you have to hold on tight.

Are you holding the reins or are you letting this horse take you where it wants to go? Are you holding tightly to the reins to dictate specifically which rights and which lefts your horse takes?

As with an epic battle, you need to know your horse and feel good about its temperament and abilities when you start to mix it up.

Introducing A Series - The Don Quixote In Us All

This week I am writing a series based on the story of Don Quixote. I will post five times this week employing the same basic analogy to better describe the way this story helps an entrepreneur think through their idea generation, evaluation and launch process.

I hope that this series helps to more fully explain the connection I see between the “great” Don Quixote and you . . . or me . . . or anyone with an idea to burn.

So, here’s the schedule for the week:

Monday – What Horse Are You Riding? – Post 1 of 5

Tuesday – Who Is Your Sancho Panza? – Post 2 of 5

Wednesday – How Tough is Your Armor? – Post 3 of 5

Thursday – How Strong Is Your Weapon? – Post 4 of 5

Friday – What Adventures Are You Planning? – Post 5 of 5

In the end, my hope is that these comparative ideas help you to think through your own situation – whether you are on the path already or if you have yet to step on to it.

As always, please let me know your thoughts. I write because it feels good and I write because it is a huge release for my creative energy. But I have to admit, it’s nice to know you are out there reading this blog – even if it is still an infant.

What Wikipedia has to say about Quixoting™

OK, to be honest, Wikipedia does not exactly have anything to say about this blog, Quixoting. But why would they, my site has only been out for 6 weeks! If you are a reader of this blog and want to be the first to build an entry on Wikipedia for Quixoting, you have my blessing!

In the wiki on Don Quixote, however, there is a lot of great information on the classic novel and the way the lead character has been interpreted over the years.

There is a quote on Wikipedia that a friend pointed out to me early on as I targeted Don Quixote as the inspiration for this blog and related concept. Here it is:

The novel is also responsible for the adjective quixotic, which alludes to behavior that is noble in an absurd way, or the desire to perform acts of chivalry in a radically impractical manner.

Absurd. Impractical. That's one way to look at it, yes. A punch in the gut or an opportunity?

Now if you include this quote with the results of a basic Google search, you would say: "Tim, you couldn't have picked a worse character to inspire your blog." People have used the phrase "Don Quixoting" as a negative suggesting a lack of direction, misguided.

In fact, the use of Don Quixote may make people think that this blog's author, me, has a case of the "crazies". You know, one brick shy . . .

So in defense of the "the Don" and for those of you who harbor a concern for me :-), here's how I see it:

1. The idea creation process requires a less than logical approach sometimes. In fact, some of our best creatives in world history shared a few quirks that made them "special" and allowed their creative genius to come spurting out.

2. Once the ideas are in the mind or on paper, one needs to suspend "the Don Quixote inside" to do some strong evaluation to decide which, of all the ideas created, has the best potential to succeed. See my post on this topic.

3. Once decided, the motivation to take action is another chance to tap into the spirit of Don Quixote. Take action. Because the option is to sit on your ideas and never let important parts of yourself breathe in the world of global ideas.

4. The execution of your idea needs to be done with Don Quixote locked in a closet. After being inspired to act, your actions need to be well-thought out and completed with skill and detail. If you are not a business person and do not know what it means to build a business plan, create a budget, sell your idea and deliver it successfully every time to your customers, you need a partner.

So, please do not take from this site that it is OK to launch a poorly planned, absurd idea. But - make sure that if you have done your homework and have an idea that those around you like and believe in, please do not sit on it or talk yourself out of taking action to launch it.

You see, there are many ways to kick-off a new product or idea without it being fully vetted and, I believe, getting your idea out there for the market to evaluate has tremendous merit. Writing this blog has allowed me to share this concept with you in a fairly safe environment. The cool thing is, you have the ability to share your thoughts and comments. I encourage and read every one!

As far as I can tell, I am the only voice supportive of Don Quixote's impulsive and action-oriented personality on the web. Five years from now, my hope is that the influence of this blog and future concept (idea generation, sharing, evaluation, building and launch) will help to balance out the significant perception on the web and in our culture that Don Quixote has little but comedic value to add to the business world.

So, what's holding you back?

Join me in this quest to inspire folks to take action on their ideas. Do not be afraid. If you are looking for a new job and need some options, how about starting a new business?

How can you help? Sign up for my RSS or e-mail feed. Spread the word! I'll keep writing if you keep reading.

Quixoting™ . . . CNN Style

Quixoting is about taking action on your ideas - especially if no one is looking. Even if you don't get rich off the effort. It's really about living out your purpose and finding the meaning of life in your ideas (through the execution of them).

Want to see some real life Quixoting in action? CNN has a special coming up called CNN Heroes. You can also learn more by to the AC 360 blog by clicking here.

This year, CNN Heroes received nearly four thousand submissions from 75 countries. A Blue Ribbon Panel selected the Top 10 CNN Heroes for the year. Now it is the public’s turn to vote for the CNN HERO OF THE YEAR.

Go vote on which of these heroes you think best exemplifies the spirit of taking action to support others.

Quixoting™ - A Quest for New Ideas; So far . . .

This is a summary post of this blog so far. My goal is to highlight the posts since this blog started in early September so that new readers can get a sense of where Quixoting™ started and what it has become.

But, let's be clear, 6 weeks is a very short time in the world of blogs. So this is not a celebration of my posts to date but rather a chance to review and share my content to date.

I'd also love to get your feedback! Do you have favorite posts or ones that you think fell flat? In fact, if you click on any of the posts below, I'll take that as a thumbs up for that post.

Here's what I've covered so far:

More of Finding the Meaning in Life
Left Off™ - The beginning of the end for hip fashion
The Hamlet Complex - To Be or Not To Be
Finding the meaning of life in your ideas
Remembering Kurt Vonnegut
How do you know when it's time to kick off an idea?
Pre-wrapped and ready . . .
Righting all wrongs . . .
It seems like my kids are always slapping on sunscreen
How about a coffee mug that fits in more places?
For all you dog lovers out there . . . rest easy
Seems clear to me - what about a see-through car cover?
(Key-ho-ting) In case you were wondering . . .
When your ideas aren't as obvious as you'd like . . .
What to do with your old and new ideas?
Google offers $10M for 5 great ideas . . . OK, I'm listening
Please don't drink and drive - really, don't
Fear of never having been knighted
When your idea is no longer your idea
The Value of Ideas - Heard on NPR
Stadium seating for Dr. Seuss?
Where do you keep your ideas organized?
If you put lipstick on an idea . . .
Intriguing quotes on the world of ideas
Bringing your idea to life
Ideas on the go
Slices instead of value meals?
Let your horse guide you on the path
Does anyone need a blanket in the summertime?
A river of creative juices
An idea for your feedback
Cleaning out the bottom drawer
What to do with a new idea?

Thanks for your readership so far. Your comments are always read and appreciated . . .

More of Finding the Meaning in Life

In a recent post, I wrote about the philosophy of Viktor Frankl. There's another wrinkle to that post which is worthy of sharing.

While a heady and often misunderstood concept, Frankl defines some very interesting aspects of existentialism.

The aspect of Frankl's philosophy that remains highly relevant for us entrepreneurially minded folks is a concept called the EXISTENTIAL VACUUM.

According to Frankl, the EXISTENTIAL VACUUM experienced by 20th century man suggests that:

"No instinct tells him what to do, and no tradition tells him what he ought to do; sometimes he does not even know what he wishes to do. Instead he either wishes to do what other people do (conformism) or he does what other people wish him to do (totalitarianism). The existential vacuum manifests itself mainly in a state of boredom."

"What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general, but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment. Thus, everyone's task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it."

This blog is here to both share ideas as well as inspire the implementation of ideas everywhere. If you ever feel like this existential vacuum is stuck to your rear end, what could you possibly do to reduce or shut off the suction?

You need to take action.

Since your life's work is not usually obvious, the ONLY way you will know is try a few things and then check your reaction to them. If it feels good, keep going. Taking action on one of your ideas puts you "in the moment" and and gives your life meaning.

What idea do you have that is waiting for you to take action?

Left Off™ - The beginning of the end for hip fashion

Of all the "great" ideas I've had, this may be the worst. It may be because I am the least qualified in the world to be messing with the fashion category. It may also be that I just got lazy on this one - or I just didn't pull out the eraser fast enough.

Either way, the promise of this blog is to get all ideas out on the table.

If I used proper restraint this wouldn't be Quixoting™, now would it? The restraint comes in what I decide to pursue someday, but idea generation needn't have a filter.

But hey, there have been some pretty crazy ideas that made millions after they sauntered themselves down a New York runway (no, I've never been there for fashion week but perhaps some of you have). Also, if they can sell jeans that were (so it appears) blasted with a shotgun at close range for premium prices, I say anything goes.

So here's the idea. It's a clothing line called Left Off. It means that key aspects of clothing that are expected to be there, are not.

OK, as soon as the laughter dies down I'll continue. . .

. . .

. . .

Thank you. Here's the page from my idea book:

If you can stand it, you can double click on the image to make it larger.

So what's in the line. Well, of course, there is logo'd apparel. But the key items in the line include:

1. A baseball hat with no brim (hey, we all wear them backwards anyway, right?)
2. A button down shirt with no buttons, no pocket and no collar
3. Shoes with no laces (OK, these already exist - but we need a full line to succeed at Nordstrom)
4. A belt with no buckle

So what do you think? Is it time for the filter? If not, what else should the line include? There's got to be someone out there with some fashion sense!

If you are playing along at home, please leave a comment with your vote.

1 - Stinky
2 - Kinda Stinky
3 - You May Have Something There
4 - Potentially Great
5 - Book Travel for New York, You've Done It!

I'll be waiting . . .

The Hamlet Complex - To Be or Not To Be

If you have not read or listened to or watched Shakespeare, it's OK. You are forgiven. But if you are a person with dreams of starting your own company or writing a book or taking any creative work stored in your mind and making it real, there is something for you in Hamlet's famous soliloquy (Act 3, Scene 1). You can watch this short speech below - this version by Kenneth Branagh in the full length motion picture version:

OK, now you can officially say "Yeah, I've seen Hamlet's famous soliloquy. Brilliant!"

In describing his desire to play Hamlet, Branagh says he kept that desire a secret. He did so because so many had gone before him. Could his version add anything to the many incredible performances over the years? The reality is that there are precious few new ideas and many more add-ons or re-do's that improve on or re-surface the prior one. But that's OK! The market will not penalize you for this . . .

So re-reading Hamlet brings up a number of comparisons for me with my life and with Quixoting™ (this blog):

1. Hamlet was a melancholy (sad) figure. As I've said in prior posts, those who sit on their ideas and let them waste away in a bottom drawer will also be sad. By not acting on ideas that you once thought were pretty cool, you leave your ego with no choice but to assume that those ideas were never really very good in the first place, right?

2. The question Hamlet asks can be asked of us all. To be or not to be? Translated as: Are you going to act on your ideas or wallow in what could be? In this tough climate where jobs are being lost in big chunks, starting your own business or acting on another money making venture should be a very real possibility to consider. If you are out of work or fear the possibility, shake the dust off your ideas as an alternative to building a job search strategy.

Don Quixote lived life on impulse (mad or not). There is an interesting comparative essay that I could write some day! Not today, though.

ASK YOURSELF - Do You Have The Hamlet Complex? Me, not anymore!

Finding the meaning of life in your ideas

Viktor Frankl wrote a book in 1946 in which he described his experiences in a nazi concentration camp. Man's Search for Meaning is a pretty powerful book. Not just in the painful stories of suffering and loss but in the lessons taken from the experiences. His logotherapy, which came out of these experiences, suggests that: "this striving to find a meaning in one's life is the primary motivational force in man".

So how do we find meaning in life? According to Frankl, the three main avenues to find meaning in life are:

1. Creating a work or doing a deed.
2. Experiencing something or encountering someone
3. Turn a personal tragedy into a triumph

If you are one of those who is always wondering whether you are experiencing life as you should be - always looking for that deeper meaning - this site is here to inspire you to act. By launching your idea or writing that book you are fulfilling #1 above. You are also rewarding yourself psychologically for having the idea in the first place.

If you are looking inward for your meaning, you may not find it. Again, according to Frankl "I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or in his own psyche, as though it were a closed system".

To me, this means that you find your meaning by taking action toward an idea or ideal. And that's a key reason for my writing this blog. To nurture my ideas by kicking open a few doors.

Remembering Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut died at the age of 84 on April 12, 2007.

He wrote stunning novels (my pick - Slaughterhouse Five) and short stories. While today has no particular link to his life or death, a few quotes from him brushed up against my sleeve as I re-read the journal that I wrote during my 2007 job search.

There are three to share:

"We are what we imagine ourselves to be."

"I always say to people, practice an art, no matter how well or badly (you do it) because then you have the experience of becoming, and it makes your soul grow."

"I want to stand as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all the kinds of things you can't see from the center."

This last quote is a powerful one and reminds me of other quotes that inspire the first early steps in entrepreneurship (i.e. that the bridge will form with each step one takes away from safety).

I've seen and felt some of this as I've pursued this blog. I look forward to what is to come . . .

How do you know when it's time to kick off an idea?

Do you believe in serendipity or divine intervention? Either way, your path to kicking off a new idea may come to you a number of different ways.

Sometimes the right ideas:

A. find you just at the time you are ready to implement them.
B. hit you hard prior to the date when you are ready and you are left frustrated and repressed
C. are late to the party, they are not the first you try but they are worth the wait

My path to this blog (and the ideas that were inspired as a result) came from many places over many years. But the decisive point came over a five month period last year when I was in between jobs. A great blessing to have time to think about life and the role you will play in it. How did I know it was finally time to dust off my idea book and pick a few?

Like everything else, it came in a set of three ...

1. I was at the library looking to see if root definitions were included in the dictionary for a possible website url. The Webster's Dictionary at the library was 1,571 pages. I grabbed the big 4" volume and the book flipped open to page 391. I looked mid-page and saw the word "Donor". What was right below it?

"DON QUIXOTE"

2. During my various networking events that year I met a fellow job seeker. I was gratified to provide her the lead that led to her new job. What was her last name?

"CERVANTES" - (also happens to be the author of Don Quixote)

3. One of the ideas I was experimenting with during this time was a new beverage for athletes. This project took me to a product development firm in Southern California. What was prominently placed on the wall in their conference room?

"PABLO PICASSO'S DRAWING OF DON QUIXOTE" (pictured above)

This was too much for me - I had all the rationale I needed. Will your idea come to you this way? Are your eyes and ears open to seeing and hearing these hints?

Or maybe I'm just mad. :-)

Pre-wrapped and ready . . .

So here's another one from my idea book. If you remember, this blog is about taking ideas that have been smoldering away in a closet somewhere and releasing them to the world. Hey, maybe someone out there really needs an idea like this! If not, there is still some great satisfaction for me in dropping another proverbial "message in a bottle" into the internet sea.

So this idea stems from an experience that many of us have and is one of those "nuisance solver" or "convenience adder" ideas that may not solve world problems like the announced Google contest, but may make a few people's lives a bit easier.

The experience is this:

My wife and I are heading to a birthday party a few years back and realize halfway there that it would have been a nice gesture to bring a present. Not necessary, of course, but sometimes you feel a little more welcome when you enter a room with gifts. Agree? Of course, we should have thought of getting a gift the day before but we didn't. So there.

Now we are on the road and looking for a place to stop that won't take forever to park, will have a few reasonably priced gift ideas and has some decent wrapping paper plus tape, etc suitable for a guy in his 40's. Not flowery or pink, right?.

So we stop at a Target where we assume all will be found. Of course they have it all but it is not a small store and you don't want to pick up JUST ANYTHING. Long story short, we spent $30 on a surf branded t-shirt and $8.00 on a gift bag, colored tissue, ribbon and tape to make it look nice. I will not tell you the story of the wrap job in the car - I'll just say I'm glad it wasn't me doing the wrapping - I'm bad enough on a flat, non-moving surface.

So the idea is this:

A drive through store carrying only pre-wrapped gifts. I'd call it Redi-Wrap™. It would carry only a limited selection of popular items ranging from $9 to $99. You can either pre-order online for speedy pick-up or drive through and select on the spot.

Now the fun part:

PROS
1. Convenient and easy to use
2. Solves a problem for busy America in an easy, known format (drive thru)
3. Has wide appeal - everyone drives, everyone goes to parties, everyone gives gifts

CONS
1. I've seen pre-wrapped gifts before at the mall - have not bought them
2. Don't people like to see/be sure of what they are giving? What if there was a mistake?
3. Can you really come up with the right selection and price points?
4. Isn't the hand-wrapping part of the gift?

What do you think?

Righting all wrongs . . .

I see a relationship between chivalry and idea generation. Sometimes as creative folks we want to right all wrongs (solve all problems). We have a penchant for seeing the world as little bits of broken pieces and our stream of consciousness as the solution. We keep a notepad with us or record voice notes on the Blackberry when a problem identified is quickly matched with a "what if?". Of course there's nothing wrong with this - the world needs solutions, right?

Sometimes, I'm not so sure. I'll give you an example:

I took my family to dinner last night at a taco place that opened up recently in our hometown.  It was busy and looked like a popular place.  Their order system was kind of like Subway.  You order on one end of the counter then walk down as they ask you for details on how you want your order prepared.  The ordering process is painful enough with kids.  So after ordering for the five of us, I alone headed down the counter for what was a painful experience of repeating what I had already ordered to a different person.  Meanwhile the line is getting longer behind me.  Once through that gauntlet, I gladly hit the finish so I could pay and eat.  The man at the cash register asked a question that I didn't expect.  He said:  "what did you order?"  Hadn't I already shared that with two other employees?  I literally had to repeat my order (for five diverse people) a third time.  And then they got it wrong.

Back at the table, instead of digging in, my head was swirling with solutions to all the issues I saw with their service.  Was I alone?  For $41 dollars, shouldn't I get table side service and the privilege of having to define my order only once?  Sometimes I wish I could just walk around this world and just enjoy things as they are - to take things as they come.  But I guess that's one of the things that makes life interesting.  A constant eye out for for things that are out of place or slightly askew.  Spelling errors on a billboard or obvious grammatical errors just scream out at me.

If you are like me in this way, you have a lot of ideas.  Books full of them.  You write down everything that strikes you whether you've solved a major problem or simply identified a funny quirk.  Having a lot of ideas is fun and makes life an adventure.  It also, in my experience, makes it hard to know which of all the identified wrongs should be righted, with what idea and when.

Last year when I was in between jobs, I had some time to think about this concept.  While looking for my next role I also promised myself that I would take the opportunity to gather all my ideas and prioritize them.  Instead of righting all wrongs I would pick three.  The others I would share with the world without fear of giving away my secrets.  Since I had decided on my top three, who cares if someone liked one of my ideas and did something with it?  Isn't there some good karma in that?  Quixoting (this blog) was one of those three ideas and if you've been reading my posts, you'll have seen a few of the ones that I didn't choose to pursue.  One other idea that I did choose is my second blog called "Tim's Strategy™ " which you can find here.  The third may never find a home or it may show up here someday.

So, while this blog was inspired by Don Quixote, I have decided that focusing on a few wrongs is about right.  I am able to pursue a few creative dreams in my spare time and bring a few of ideas to life.  Instead of always threatening the windmills with good intentions, I have decided to take action.  It feels good.