A lot of those who are part of this community are trying to make ideas happen.
You might be trying to get an album made, a TV documentary off the ground, a studio built, or a new business going.
There are two words that matter.
Inertia
So you have a dream, a vision, something that everyone needs to hear or see. You think it’s amazing and has the potential to change lives or change the world. It feels like you are trying to a boulder up a very long hill.
It’s called inertia.
Inertia - is the resistance of any physical object to any change in its state of motion, including changes to its speed and direction.
If you have a bad idea then you’re not going to take your ideas anywhere, but even a good idea faces inertia. Resistance isn’t futile, it’s very real and part of the journey of any new idea or new vision.
It may seem like a bad thing, but inertia is a good way of honing you idea, making it better and making sure that you are able to clearly communicate the vision. The trouble with being an ideas person is that we imagine stuff and see it before it exists, so don’t be dismayed if you are met with blank expressions.
In 1997 I was helping to get a summer festival off the ground, the aim was to go live in the year 2000. A lot of people simply didn’t ‘get it’, in fact once we got it going the same people would come up to me with an enlightened look on their face saying ‘Oh this is what you meant?’ I wanted to scream!
If you are going to see stuff before it is a reality get used to inertia, don’t get mad with people, or become a victim, learn how to communicate better, especially with people not wired like you.
It is said most of the fuel used to get a rocket off the ground is used getting it just 1 mile up from the ground. Once it clears gravity then a lot less fuel gets used, so expect to burn a lot of fuel getting your ideas off the ground.
Traction
Traction - the extent to which an idea, product, etc. gains popularity or acceptance.
When we started this blog no-one wanted to talk to us. I sent hundreds of emails to brands, possible partners, all sorts of people trying to get help and support - a big fat zero.
Only a handful of people like Peter Gorges from AIR, David Gould and David Atkinson from Digidesign returned my emails and calls. There were also some early-adopter community members like Alan Zeleznikar, Beth Burnett and Simon Fine are three of the people in the early days of the blog who gave up their own time and supported the community.
When you start an idea you want hundreds, thousands and millions of people to get with you, but what matters more is that a handful of people help you make the idea a reality. Without them it’s not going to happen, so treasure them - you’ll never forget them.
Over time the tens become hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands and then millions - that’s traction.
Summary
If you have a new idea then don’t be surprised if you face inertia - even if you have a good one then it’s normal not odd. If it’s a bad idea then take some time to listen, you may have the beginnings of an idea that needs rethinking.
In 2004 a brand tried to make a phone that would play MP3 audio files, the phone was the Motorola E790, made in association with a brand called Apple. It bombed. They could have given up, but they took that kernel of idea and eventually made the iPhone. Apple took an early half assed idea and made it into one of the most successful products in modern history. Sometimes inertia is good.
A wise friend once said to me ‘It takes 20 years to become an overnight success.’ It does, but give your good idea time and eventually it will gain traction.
You might think that inertia is a bad thing, it may just be your best friend and will help you take you idea from good to great - then you’ll gain traction and nothing will stop you.