Quixoting™ - A Quest for New Ideas

Signs That Your Idea Needs Love And Attention

Sometimes I get lost.  Not real bad.  But lost enough that I'm going to be late for something that matters.  A few weeks ago I was on the way to pick up my daughter at soccer practice.  At her normal field - one I've been to many times before.

This time I got lost.  Turned around.  Took a wrong turn.

I ended up two streets away and had to do a u-turn to get back.  The u-turn I took was an illegal one that forced me to do a 3-point version.  These are slower and potentially more embarrassing if someone comes driving up the other way.

And someone did.  Right as I was completing my turn.  And they were not happy.

But before I get to that, know that I found a purpose in the middle of my u-turn.  One that caused me to sit there in the middle of the road.  Facing the wrong way.

You see, I was in the middle of my turn (grumbling about making the original wrong turn) when I came upon the street sign above.  And decided to stop, get out my Blackberry and take a picture of it.

That's why I held up traffic for a short while.  After all, it's not often that you get a "sign" suggesting something in life that is actually a street sign.

But in this case, this sign is yet another quirky reminder that I am on a good path with Quixoting.  If you don't know the story, Don Quixote lived in "La Mancha" and his horse's name was "Rozinante".

So these signs and others along the way keep me going on this path.  To find the true path.

As blogs go, this one has a pretty small number of page views per day.  About 5% of the views that Spin Strategy gets.  But that is OK.  That path is more clear.  And I found the right path sooner.

In the end, if this blog ends up being my own personal place to play and generate ideas that's OK too. 

But I'm going to keep looking for signs that something more is there.  Something that will allow Quixoting to live an authentic and well-followed existence.

As long as the signs keep coming.

A Man Needs A Little Madness

So if you've read this blog you understand that it is based on the story of Don Quixote. His desire to take action on things he believed in makes him a great symbolic mentor. 

Of course you can argue about his mental state if you'd like... 

I'd like to say also that life is full of nudgings. Where they come from, I cannot be sure. But Quixoting came to me over a few months. OK. 240 months. As the time to act got closer I had a number of big indicators. Signs. Telling me it was time. 

So I started writing both blogs (this + Spin Strategy) and the nudgings come more often. I must be doing something right! 

Well, a few weeks ago, a good friend suggested a movie for me. Made in 1964 and starring Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates, the movie is Zorba The Greek. It tells the story of a man (Bates)who travels to the island of Crete to manage land owned by his deceased father. Zorba (Quinn) meets him in a bar prior to departure when the boat has to wait for weather to clear. Zorba is looking for work. 

There is a great mismatch here as the man is uptight. Zorba, on the other hand, is impulsive - an adventurous soul. 

Near the end of the movie, there is a great line I wanted to share with you that fits beautifully with the philosophy here at Quixoting: 

(Zorba speaking) "Dammit Boss. I like you too much not to say it. You've got everything except one thing. Madness. A man needs a little madness. Or else ... He never dares cut the rope and be free."

Hmmm. How much madness do you have?

How to create a new logo for your website, blog or product idea

So, I've been a little busy these past few weeks.  Busy acting on a few ideas . . .

I've been working on a number of projects including my job search blog and website called Spin Strategy™. If you remember, Spin Strategy was one of the first ideas that came from Quixoting (to the extent that it operates as a bit of an incubator). 

Also on the "to do" list has been the job of creating a logo and design template for Quixoting - it's been terribly painful staring at the basic templates available from TypePad.  Not bad, mind you.  Just not very inspiring. 

So, step 1 is now complete. Do you want to see the new logo? 

Well, let me tell you about my process first . . . in case some of you would like to create a visual image of your own brand, product or company.  First, I wrote a creative brief (this one covered work for both Quixoting and Spin Strategy).  If you have not written one before, I attached mine below for your reference.  

Download Q Brief 

Basically the brief outlines your objectives for the creative work.  It provides a history of your work to date, a sense of who you are trying to reach with your content (target consumer), the personality of your brand (fun, serious, introspective) and the environment in which you sell or market (channels, competitors).  Send lots of samples of competitive content so that your designer can see what they will be designing against. 

You write the brief for yourself first (it should take at least a few hours) but the real consumer of your brief is your designer.  I recommend writing the brief and then sharing it with friends or family to make sure your concept comes across clearly to others.   

Next step, find a great designer.  You may even want to provide a mini brief to a few designers first and ask them to talk to you about their process (how they work). Depending on the project's scope, how available you are and, importantly, how well you know what you are looking for, the project can take anywhere from 6-12 weeks.  Don't be in a rush - especially in the first 2-4 weeks when the more big picture thought process happens.  Once you love your brief, present it to your designer either over the phone or, ideally, in person.

I found a GREAT designer. Actually, I re-found her.  She did some work for me at another company a few years back.   

What makes a great designer and how do you know you found a good one?  

Well, for me it has to do with their engagement and excitement.  I want someone who clearly is interested in what I am doing and actively works to help bring the creative brief to life.  They ask a lot of questions. They also push you outside of the comfort zone with early design options that stretch your vision a bit. For me, this stretching is not only fun but also makes me re-think my original vision. 

The first round of designs I received included 15 logos (black and white, simple and all clearly a fit with the strategy outlined in my brief).  This doesn't always happen. There's a reason why big companies force ad agencies and designers to re-read the entire strategy before presenting new or revised creative!  Don't be afraid to push back - this first round is crucially important.

From that first group, I chose three logo directions.  This is important because you have to make some early decisions to limit the work or your budget will go haywire.  It can be hard to make these decisions as you often get many interesting ideas that you won't be able to pursue.  My advice?  Follow your gut. Which ones fit best and make your heart beat a little faster?  Also, try to imagine a version of each logo at the top of your page or on a business card. 

Next should come additional iterations on each of the three directions you chose. Perhaps you now add color and some tweaking of the font (the shape of the letters) and some differentiating visual images that nudge the feel of the overall brand. 

Once you've chosen a single direction, there is still more to do.  More work with color, font, size, relationship between words and images, etc.  This is where final little tweaks happen.  But don't spend too much time here.  Why?  What you create and put on your blog, website or product on day 1 does not need to be static.  It can change over time (and it should) to reflect the changes in your content or design. 

The last step is to take the new logo and drop it into a background or throw some design elements around it.  You can also just put it on a white background.  Simple and easy. 

My designer's name is Lani Merlina.  She owns Merlina Design here in Southern California.  I would recommend her highly to anyone.  She is fantastic!  If you send me an e-mail, I will get you in touch with her. 

OK.  Here's the new logo: 

Four points about the new logo and then I will let you tell me what you think. 

• The font represents the fun and whimsical side of the concept. 

• The orange color felt rustic and historical - indicative of the days when our lead man was running around the countryside.  

• The tag-line "a quest for new ideas" is important because it instantly tells people the purpose of the concept while providing an alliteration tying the search for new ideas (Quest) to the story of Don Quixote.    

• The last element is the image of Don Quixote himself. I tried the logo without him but a number of people didn't quite get it. Adding him helped cement the connection for a lot of people. Don't be surprised if he moves around a bit vs. staying where he is all of the time. Why does he start in a position in front of the logo? He is there to symbolize the interruptive nature of ideas. You can't always control when they come and when you'll be ready to launch them. 

So, what do you think?  Don't be shy.

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.