Present one idea at a time and let others build upon it
2009-11-27
Writing these articles has been really rewarding.
I present one little idea, something anyone can read in under two minutes, and shine a spotlight on it.
If it’s well-received, I’ll see it Tweeted, re-Tweeted, linked-to, forwarded, and maybe voted up the charts at Hacker News by a jury of my peers.
The comments always improve upon it, making me see new perspectives or how I could have communicated it better.
I’m usually surprised by which ones get a reaction. Something obvious to me may be powerful to others. Something powerful to me may be obvious to others.
But each idea gets its chance in the spotlight.
The work it takes to present it clearly and succinctly is rewarded, because it’s:
- easier to communicate
- easier to explain to others
- more likely to be read, instead of someone saying, “Too long, I’ll come back later,” never to return.
When I’ve written articles that were too long or had too many ideas, they didn’t get much of a reaction.
When I read books, I often feel bad for the brilliant idea buried on page 217. Who will hear it?
Stop the orchestra. Solo that motif. Repeat it. Let the other instruments build upon it.
The web is such a great way to do this.
Present a single idea, one at a time, and let others build upon it.
Good.
beautiful - thankyou.
Observation.
Good idea.
Don't be afraid of using your own idea.
Yeah some awesome user generated content.
I can barely keep up with it all, I don't know how you do!
That's really great.
When you present a single idea to others the final result of it turns out totally different.
Excellent advice which I will apply.
Great food for thought. Everyone should be able to benefit from that single, most powerful thought.
Yes, thank you Derek! You confirmed for me how some of my websites have sections that I even get bored reading . . . short 'n precise is much better! Thanks again!
It's how we learn. I just wrote a piece on Tone and Timbre. How you communicate in conjuction with what you communicate.
Thoughtful, succinct and simple. As always, you manage to pick our interest. Keep on inspiring us, Derek! and thanks by the way
This article came right on time. I'm about to make a YouTube video and this has helped me to focus ;-)
Thanks!
-Rochelle.
www.youtube.com/rochellehansonmusic
I can apply this to putting out singles as opposed to full length albums. These days the average person seems overwhelmed with a CD of 12 or more songs. You'll serve yourself better if you hit them with one great song at a time.....
That's how the best songs are written. I come in with a line or feel, my partners chime in with their uniqueness,and this one thought becomes fully realized. Thing is, it's always a lesson in letting your idea fly...sometimes the ego must be checked at the door. That's my favorite part :0)
The burr of singularity
YES!
Love the photo at the end!
Doing my own blog, I've found that it's also easier to organize a post around one idea than several.
conciseness!
you seem to have a theme going here. simplicity = productivity. and: don't speak about it - be about it. thank u
One day at a time, one thought at a time, one idea at a time.....
music being derek
that is the model we used for the
www.lehighvalleymusicawards.org
the community gave the feedback, their suggestions were taken to heart, we grew from an audience of 150 to 1200 this year at a beautiful & prestigious venue.
each journey starts with one thought. (except in the case of schizos)
bright musical ways
ian the being
and i worked hard to keep the voting from both music peers & the public fair and easy to do,
SO SO true Derek. 100% thumb up
Very Helpful. Thanks!
Full of ART.
Thanks, Derek. Simplicity is one of the keys to success. We learned this at Toastmasters. http://www.toastmasters.org/
Robert
How serendipitous. I started with a simple premise, a tool for musicians that I thought would help them manage their careers, and it was taken by others to help flesh it out. In the meantime, I was asked to consider applications. I (being an older, hearing impaired musician) heard "implications". Something deeper developed. Eight years later, I have, with the input and assistance of others, a remarkably well developed design for something that is, admittedly, dense. What is timely, is that it has, within the last week, become more pointed in its focus, without watering down the principles and potentials of the grander mission. What's more, it has become cheaper to create and affords the conventionally minded investor the metric base that he has adamantly insisted upon, while demonstrating its real value and potentials.
Thanks, Derek. You have given me another day's affirmation.
The art of the brilliant idea is that 'IT IS on page 217' in 'THAT book', and if you don't read it you won't know it. I love that sort of thing... only the people who have read it are in on the BRILLIANT idea.
You'll be out at a club, or in a class, or out eating when you encounter someone else that has read 'that page' and you will both be blown away tat you've both read it, and can talk about it to each other.
Yeah but I wish those buried ideas would get out more! It's a shame that so few will find them. -- Derek
Very good thoughts to work by enjoyed it
You always have very insightful ideas that are always very well presented. I enjoy reading them and then try to measure myself accordingly to see if they are something that I have been applying or could be applying.
I often wonder how long it takes you to write these well-written articles. I know that when I sit and write, that it can take me an hour or two just to write a paragraph or two, in hopes that I have written it to be understood with what I am trying to say.
This comment took me five minutes to write, by the way.
Solitoode
Thanks! And yeah I take 1-3 hours per article. One with lots of outside references (like this) may take up to 6 hours. But it's worth it. -- Derek
Hi. Derek,
You may have solveed a problem that I've been having with Bloging, I seem to run out of things to talk about. But throwing it out as "Ideas" maybe the answer to my blogging block,Thanks Derek..
Seth Godin's blog is the big inspiration for this. Sometimes his posts are only two sentences - but always throught-provoking and always better than nothing. -- Derek
A column about the idea behind this column!
-- Derek
Of course, I sense a bit of fear on your part in the lack of presenting the whole picture, a complex multi-idea process and suggested solution, of unwarranted criticism or failure.
The opposite: not fear, but sharing what's worked for me. I've written many things online for the past 11 years. These short one-idea-at-a-time blog posts have received the best feedback. So just thought I'd share that.
Create a concisely worded insight or specific idea to inspire further thought or investigation by those who are set in motion by the impetus
-- Derek
.....
The above is in case you want to tweet your entire article.
Niiiice
ABSOLUTELY...
...the key is to find that one "button"...the thing that everyone wants to build on....
....knowing your target audience is key.... and focussing on what this audience is interested in....
...and damn... this is sometimes difficult...and sometimes it clicks!
ALWAYS...ALWAYS... ALWAYS open to input... so ... anyone?
~rhonda
Every journey starts with the first step. Every great accomplishment often starts with one simple idea. Keep up the great work.
I think your blog is fantastic! I've been hooked on it for weeks ever since I stumbled across it. I even picked up a copy of Ignore Everybody thanks to your suggestion and loved loved that book too.
I like the idea of one idea at a time. that's what you call FOCUS.
It takes me about 3 months to complete each of our tracks but when they are complete they say a lot more than something I could knock out in 3 days, one at a time seems to work well.
Yeah, keep it simple. Everybody has a short attention span in the post-Myspace era.
Do you take the pictures for these essays?
Interesting that you outlined, well, a bit of "simplicity" if you will, and the replies to this as opposed to most of your other posts were short, sweet & to the point... I actually got through them all in one sitting for a change.
and this comment one of the longer ones
The articles have been goo for me and many of your peers too. It has been a worthwhile use of the Internet and I think you will see Oprah using some of the ideas found here on her new Own Network.
One idea at a time works.
Derek,
Well I enjoy getting your emails.
Keep the ideas coming one at a time mate : )
Dan-O
Something buried on page 217 and Derek feeling sorry for it. That image certainly gets the point across. I'm trying to do justice to a topic that is important to me and I've been adding too much and taking it out again all day. "You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away." That's Antoine de Saint-Exupery on my wall under ketches and yawls in the mist, and I've been reading it for two days and not applying it to the here and now. You're very good at being very clear and I'm almost deaf when I'm fighting myself.
The KISS principle in action.
I think you're mixing bagels and donuts by comparing blogging to book writing. Don't let the computer screen become your reflecting pool.
I love these idea discussions. Your thoughts have shifted my own life at least a half dozen times now in the 2 years I've been following your blog. I feel privileged to know a little about you, and honored to share your stories with my world.
I've always been emotional, long-winded, passionate... and that has also changed because I've seen the effects that your short musings have on all the people that comment here. Talking about your thoughts with other people actually makes me more credible as an open-minded free thinker, they cause my mind to grow. AND I'm becoming more concise. (maybe not today, am I gushing?)
And I like your blog WAY more than Seth's hehe
Many minds make the work light. We have collaborators we'll never know about until we make room for them.
This one-idea blog gives me an idea for my first blog because I've been toying with what to write, how much of it to write, and how much research to put into it. Is it the same principle as the KISS one?
This simple few words of yours is worth a thousand! I will take your idea and remember it in band rehearsal tonight! Be patient and present it clearly, THANKS Derek!
As a guy who's blog is all over the place, this little post is a revelation. I'm reckless and scattered, but ultimately I want there to be value for the reader and if the posts I write are not easy to digest, most will simply choose not to consume.
I'm going to experiment with this.
Agree. Well put.
But, don't books still have a place?
I'm reminded of the movie City Slickers when Jack Palance tells Billy Crystal it's all about one as he holdsup his index finger.
Love
Hey Derek
How do you come up with all these cool ideas!
From now on I am going to just go with one idea at a time, and just slow down a little bit!
Big Ran Feuers
does anyone out there have a single cell answer to the eternal question !!??? " WHAT IS THE STARS ? (keep it simple you said!)
I'm not convinced about one. I am convinced on 'short tho'. It's a microwave society. Short, fast, quick. If you spend maybe two more hours figuring out how to get more than one idea across in the same 2 minute ratio, I think it works. The idea is to brilliantly paint great idea(s) in something that short(simple). Hence, Picasso....dare I say, paint mr sivers?!
This is what I try achieving in writing music. One idea and get the most of it. It try to stick with what I want to express in the piece and get ride of what is not needed. I end up with a 2 to 3 minutes tune most of the time. Short and clear.
You're minimal Derek, did you know that?
U have a true sounding board balanced with many perspectives... many applications, no....
Maximum efficieny.it helps you grow
an a diffrent view
Aleee
Assuming of course, that you are in harmony with the way others are "building" upon it.
There is a place for short blogs and there is a place for longs books. One thing about a long book; it has to catch the reader on the first page, so in reality, the first page is the most important. Same thing with a song. You get about 10 seconds for somebody to start paying attention or to tune you out.
The thing that keeps me reading your posts is that you do keep them simple. You don't cloud them up with toooooo many links and outside references, though you include them when needed. And I like the simple design. It lets your words come out without distracting colors and graphics. The off white background, slightly darker box for the comments to highlight each, dark blue and dark green text, it all works well. It's not so much that it's exactly so quick to read because I find myself wanting to take the time to read all of the comments and actually ponder what your idea is. Seriously your posts are far better than a lot of big-name blogs I've perused. THANK YOU!
yes, but some people need guts to follow their ideas. I get paranoid sometimes and in the moment with my latest project I am fighting again with me.
It may not be possible to speak to everyone in a manner that everyone will understand at the level intended.
The great ideas are buried in a large work were intended to be understood by the few.
Bach composed hidden puzzles in his music and never intended for anyone to find it, but they were found and understood.
Great ideas and brilliant thoughts are not easy to understand, and would not be received by the masses in any form of discussion.
Don't try to come down to a level that more people can understand. Inspire people to raise up to the level you are aspiring to attain.
We can handle it Derek. Keep it coming.
Bouncing off ideas based on the one idea it came from sounds a lot like music to me!Thanks Derek!
There's a lot I could say about this but it seems I should just say..............true
two
I trust this builds upon 'one idea.'
I appreciate that 'obscure' isn't quite the same as 'ambiguous' and I cant quite recall which word was used by you in reference to song lyrics
.... but basically you prefered ambiguity to clarity which 'pulled me up short' as I've always gone for clarity in song lyrics....and in writing in general.
that's not to say that I dont appreciate depth and layers of meaning
...perhaps there's more scope for ambiguity in a song than with an article...
...all food for thought.
thanks one an' all
Thank You
I like the fellow that commented after what You said, He would apply it to his next Project,
One or Two Songs.
Yes !
Thank You
I hear ya....our speedy lifestyle makes the audience incapable of digesting anything larger than bite-sized concepts and "sound bytes".....however, it's not always the best way to pass the message. Book-length projects and in-depth coverage provide the information we need to know to make decisions, not just a surface glance at a complex issue. I get frustrated with the piecemeal way news media present things and would rather see all the little daily articles packaged up into a National Geographic article or book. But obviously, your little blog entry got us talking!
Thanks Derek!
Perhaps Google should have followed this idea before starting Google Wave.
I just got the invite to test it. I was excited because I could see the potential.
But it is hard to find a good use case! Too many features all at once.
Btw - I like how you always have a great photo for your posts.
short is sweet
Totally Agree!
Too many ideas at one go - will cause one or two of them getting a proper attention based on how its presented.
If its presented one at a time - yes, certainly each one gets its chance to really get a deep look at it in detail and well thought about - before undermining the idea.
whateverworks- there is no one way
what happens if your idea is made up of many ideas??
i try to let other people help me develope each one, so it isnt JUST me, like you said get different persepectives, etc.
housegrind.ning.com
I use wordpress for my blog and it has this neat little word count as I write the blog. I try to keep each entry to about 200 words. I get about 50 visits a day but, I don't advertise my blog except very occasionally. Your emails are a great idea but, no one is leaving their email. Since 90% of the comments were spam I figured it would be better to approve all comments. I wouldn't mind spam as long as it has something to do with the blog I wrote. How my blog about pedal effects has anything to do with weight loss has me at a loss.
Thank you. Brilliant in its unity, Powerful in the many implications.
Even the most complex system must be encountered and absorbed one step at a time.
With one idea, you can be clear and complete, leaving room for the reader's hunger for more, for where the idea may lead.
Your writing style constantly pulls back the curtain. I can feel the compassion for your reader. Your language makes me feel like someone you are trying to help by showing some very personal "aha" moments, expressing these single specific ideas. From what inspires you to what surprised you about yourself, these are the things that will always bring me back to your site when I hear there is something new.
One thought at a time, we write our lives, don't we?
Simplicity = clarity = understanding. Most gratifying for any teacher to hear from a student is "I understand!"
i find this to be true as the more i share my ideas with others the more interesting the final product glory
It is a sad world for people with many ideas!
I have found that when I explain an idea 3 times, people start to get it. They usually come back after a weekend and explain the same idea to me as their own discovery. This is not because I am so smart and others so dumb. It probably takes me a few times to fully understand other people’s ideas as well. For years I was really annoyed by this. Then I realized that having the same understanding with someone I am working with on a goal is a lot more important than who came up with the idea. Bottom end; If it is so hard to get one idea across, how foolish is it to try many at the same time!!!!
Acknowledging the practical wisdom above, I still value writings with many insights. I am willing to dig deep and discover all the gold. Perhaps, all the gold belongs only to people who are willing to dig for it.
Couldn't agree more. Great food for thought
One Idea spawns many concepts.The idea can be great but if it isn't built on and followed up with patience and care it means nothing.Many good ideas out there.Who has the commitment
and passion to follow through?
True.
One word can fill a page.
Especially in these times of information overload. Excellent!
the most i like in your article is the word "one".now it just need that the meanings of all the ideas we all "one's" are putting out doen't look at the "one" as the "one himself" but at the "one world".yes we are"one" organism!
marco
listen
There is a very good book of short "ideas" arranged by topic called "Wisdom for the Soul"...it's a collection of quotes from all sorts of people...ancient and contemporary...so you can look up "love", for example, and get a myriad of short takes on the topic...if you can get it, let me know how you feel about it.
Think of one.
Thanks Derek
MMMMMM Cereal.....
What do you mean Pasta? Y I otta...
It is also a sorry commentary on the attention deprived nature of our society - complex ideas need to be reduced to simple sound bites that don't necessarily respect the context or greater picture of the issues
Not necessarily. Look at the success of giant long TV shows like Lost, 24, Sopranos, etc. That's a 50-hour-long single-story drama! Or Harry Potter books, etc. But different mediums have different styles. On the internet, people are often busy doing something else, and just breezing by quickly (perhaps like airport shops?) - so the presentation needs to be adjusted accordingly. -- Derek
I agree with Karen Segal's reply 100% (2009-11-28 #2). Any difficult task requires a more complex structured attack (such as recording & releasing a CD). The task is ultimately broken down into smaller managable tasks, but the information required to complete a task is rarely spoon fed one idea at a time. Education is about learning to think through complex problems without being given one right answer. Most problems have multiple solutions and the answer is never black & white.
Being sometimes a protest singer with disturbing views of some politicians, I find it difficult to keep things to a minimum when I write songs, which express my views. I wrote and recorded 'George Bush Blues' but I was blacked by the press for my CD promotion because I'd had a go at the President of USA when he was behaving stupidly! Now many people seem to share my view. Thank God for Obama!
Dennis Derby
Thanks for that reminder. You are like having a private coach. I love you.
Happy Holidays Derek.
You inspire me at least once a month.
In my opinion online content needs to be short and to the point, I only read a few blogs, there's just too much going on for me on here; too many distractions. What I love about your blogs is that they are though provoking and inspiring. They always lead me to take some sort of action which makes my day better! Always!
JVB
Single ideas are just that: single ideas. They seldom have enduring effect. The world is a complex place.
keep on keeping it simple for the benefit of me and many others. thanks
Thank you for this post. Feel free to checkout my site.
i must add that some of your responders need to take a lead from this post and keep their responses as short and simple as possible.
Brevity is the soul of wit, said Shakespeare.
You are correct about the internet being a place for quick reads, esp. when checking email. That's when we get notification of your commentaries.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and for the time and effort to make them concise.
Well put
This item was good. Simple single more time to read. Sometimes I have to remember that when I send long stories about my travels as an entertainer. I try to put enough funny and serious stuff in the e-mail to make people come back. I do not always get simple in my mind when e-mailing peopl.
Thanks Derek
The spotlight would never be shown on all the little hidden treasures unless someone with a flashlight digs deep to find it. Derek = flashlight. I'd like to think that I'm a flashlight too.
Makes sense to me; thank you Derek for that nuggett
One idea at a time has always worked best for me.
Presenting one idea at a time especially to the "Masses" and what drives you is like the foundation in which we all build our dreams upon...build it up, even if it's your own music machine of people or even your own website...go ahead, just ask your Fan's what they would want you to produce and well...simply just do it! Give it to them!
I think your methods have been brilliant. When money and status do not equate freedom of expression, real talent and intelligence can emerge, and hopefully contribute to humanity.
Rachel
Less Is More!
Hi Derek hope you are well and happy. I just want to say i enjoy all your ideas & thoughts that you share with us I get more emails from you than any of my friends, and it's the only 'spam' i don't delete and i actually read it! x I don't normally respond and submit comments though because generally i agree and just like to think about it. And it seems nearly everyone else agrees with your comments. It seems to me you are a quite an online guru to many people and if anything the responses to your blogs are a good indication of how many 'students', 'friends' or 'followers' you have which gives you a good idea or indication of the power or 'army' of friends (hopefully peaceful!) you have at your disposal to call upon achieve any goal or idea ! It seems with this 'one single idea' you have 109 people who have shouted yes ! to the single idea ! However very few have added a second idea because you are the guru, teacher, leader they are waiting for your second step ! best wishes Si ok the second idea...Let's do the right thing ! ?...best wishes Si
An idea regarding an idea... Cool.
This is similar to what I have discussed with musicians, some are busy writing the perfect song, monthe after month they add a bitscrapa bit, lengthen a bit but in the perspective of industry they have written ten songs & scrapped them all, when they were all perfectlygood ideas in the first place.
Or very commonly small bands get bored with a perfectly good set when in reality they have spent six months rehearsing it, played it at 5 Gigs, to around 40 people at each Venue & because they are not excited about it any more it goes in the bin when less than 300 people have heard it!!
A song a month forever... hehehehe.... worth a go mebbe
I'd rather have a 100 ideas, 50 of which fail, than 10 perfect ones.
D. You know how it goes...got time and inspiration...great. Got time and no inspration...0h well! Got no time and inspiration! D...it. Got it all...You're still playing the lottery. Bill
I'm starting to breeze by your articles more regularly, and usually end up smiling at the photograph at the end, and thinking -'he does this too??'
thank you - why not!
are those Alpha-Bits? i love Alpha-Bits!
This post reminds me of my favorite quotes.
"Simplicity is the Ultimate Sophistication" - Leonardo da Vinci
There is talent involved in reducing a sophisticated idea, process, or design down to its most simple, efficient, elegant, and core truth.
I think the music world is lucky to have you posting articles all the time!
I have two thoughts:
(just kidding)
Focus on one, have more fun. Look at it all, and you climb the wall!
Well, you've drawn me in!
I love checking up on your thoughts primarily due to the fact that they're a quick read and they stick with me. I don't just skim through them and forget about it 5 minutes later.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Thanks for the affirmation! The key to effective vocal improvisation is keeping the riff simple and repeating it so the next person can take it somewhere else -- then shut up and wait until they break their ideas down into something simple which you can expound on.
Yes, I've especially noticed this concept in collaborating with a few trusted friends when it comes to songwriting, arranging and producing...it amazes me how I throw out an idea...my friend(s) build on it...I modify it...by the time it's done the sum of the song is better than the individual parts...it's a very magical process when that happens...
Very Best Regards,
George
This is exactly why your blog and Seth Godin's one are the only blogs I subscribe to on my phone. They provide me with a good 'to the point' read as I commute to work everyday.
I think you are completely correct and I wonder what it means. The brilliant idea on page 217 goes unnoticed, and we all want the cliff notes to life, the teacher's edition with the answers at the back. Cut to the chase, no room for complexity - but what gets lost is more than the idea on page 217 I think. Complexity and subtlety are a hard sell, but then maybe they don't need to be sold. Maybe the half dozen people who get to page 217, who take that idea and run with it, instead of just retweeting a tasty morsel, are the people who can take that idea forward. I'm not sure, just thinking.
Just logged in, I agree with some of your ideals. It is unfortunate that you feel you have to write so much in so few words because nobody would read it. Your fan base knows how to read!!
I can tell you that its good to write these stuff,without a doubt it helps many people,there are some who dont like to read and there are some who realy like to read
Great post. Although if I find something is too long and I want to read it later I use Evernote - check it out!
This is a great tip. Something I need to practice. I know the longer ones would be better as two but it is writing it in a way that makes them connect without being so far apart. I am going to have to spend more time on this.
Yes, I think reducing the words on my website just may be the key to getting more action on it. Now, for the how??? ;)
Great idea.
Thanks,
Ziv.