DISQUS

Ria · 11 months ago

This may be the best metaphor I've heard yet. A lot more appealing than going solo (ala Old Man and the Sea). But truly I just came because I thought I'd get to see Seth catch a catfish bigger than my kids.

Philippa · 11 months ago

Great post. And great timing. I have considering starting a new business venuture and have been hesitating but the advice giving was what I really needed to hear to make up my mind.

MizFit · 11 months ago

Love it. Such a good point about having the idea and the, as my people say, chutzpah to take that next step.
To 'feel the fear & doing it anyway'
I also love how you point out the bringing others on board.

IMO great ideas wither & die when kept to self in hopes of launching/creating alone.

What is joy abundance & success if not shared?

Thanks for a great read to start my Saturday.

solargroupies · 11 months ago

May lead to a new ailment: "flipper and mouth disease"

sean808080 · 11 months ago

So many good ideas and so little action. This post is a great reminder that with no action, we all go hungry.

sean808080
http://sean808080.com

nfpn · 11 months ago

I couldn't agree more - having been involved with a number of start-ups (tech's and non-profits), those that made the biggest steps towards achieving their goals were the ones where we had the scope to "have a go" and find the innovative solutions to our challenges. Getting the right people behind you also makes things happen much faster...take home message - don't be afraid to share!!

Seth Simonds · 11 months ago

Ria: I'm sorry to disappoint. If I ever get the chance to go noodling, you can be sure I'll take it and post some pictures so you can see giant fish mawing on my bloodied arm. =)

Phillipa: Best of luck in your new venture! I hope you have many smart friends ready to support you and lend a hand where needed.

MizFit: One of the comments I've heard Guy Kawasaki make from his experience in Venture Capital is to the effect that the people who are most protective of their ideas tend to be unoriginal. I've certainly found that the more I share, the more I have.

Solargroupies: Yeah. Noodling might be fun but I don't think it'll catch on as an idea-generating corporate retreat activity.

Sean & nfpn: Yes! Grab some people you trust and jump in! You might come up with something big...and even if you don't, you gain life experience and deeper friendships. Pretty good results from something most of us would call a "failure", no? =)

claudiabroome · 11 months ago

Amazing comparison. I love it and to me the most important part is about getting people to help. I will have the picture of being in the water and having help to drag out the fish impeded in my memory banks forever. Great article. Thanks Chris.

Janice Cartier · 11 months ago

ROFLMAO- most creative analogy in awhile. I did stick my finger inside a ladyfish's mouth at the urging of my fish guys on location, then they cut it up for chum- the fish not my finger. They were after shark. And we got them. So the be willing to share. That's a good one. The prize is amplified and you get to have scotch and cigars with really cool friends on the boat.

Seth Simonds · 11 months ago

Janice: Thanks for sharing that memory! My wildest fishing trip involved most of our party getting seasick and hurling bright blue vomit over the sides of our boat. Who knew blueberry pie could be such an interesting thing? =)

You're right. There's nothing quite like sharing a triumph with friends!

brandonacox · 11 months ago

Seth, I'm from Kentucky, where noodling is big. It's also stupid and gross. Water snakes are big there too, and they live under the same crags as the cats! Kind of makes the point, however, that jumping in and going after things has its inherent risks. Problem is, you could die or lose a finger. But maybe its worth it to catch the right dream.

Janice Cartier · 11 months ago

Or the "blueberry moments" either. Like ooh, that really did not work. LOL And then one of your team notices that that little school of fish in the water LOVES processed blueberries. And you're off again on another ah ha moment.

Seth Simonds · 11 months ago

Brandon: Ah, a voice of experience! I think every idea comes with its risks and rewards. I wouldn't risk my arm for a catfish, but there are some things I'm certainly passionate about that I might give up a limb or two if it meant success!

Janice: Yes! Those "ah ha" moments make the discoveries worth what brought them about.

stevenimmons · 11 months ago

Some lovely metaphors there, I guess you should also ensure you can identify cat fish - i.e. big mistake to confuse cat fish and crocodile.

I was out for a 'pointless drive' this afternoon and the question came to be "are guest posts the Botox of Social Media"? The question is not pejorative, I just think a guest post every now and again removes some of the wrinkles of a 'furrowed blog'. The imagery in this post made me smile...

Jared O'Toole · 11 months ago

Writing down a new idea everyday is great advice. Without those there will never be anything to actually act.

Any successful entrepreneur will say how they are constantly innovating and creating. Even if business is great there are always more possibilities.

Young Che · 11 months ago

Whoa, the metaphor was awesome indeed. Those guys actually had their arms stuck inside of huge catfish mouth.

Seth Simonds · 11 months ago

@Steve, "pointless drives" can be invigorating...at least I find them to be such. In the case of trying to catch a crocodile, I suppose it all depends on your equipment and how much help you have! I'm not certain that guest posts are the botox of social media as much as the human interaction that inspires them.

Henie · 11 months ago

An idea is not an idea until it leaves your head. I always carry a pen and paper just to make sure. Then as always, thankful I have friends for the sharing, listening and doing!

Great post as always, Seth! Thank you!

Linda Smith · 11 months ago

Awsome mental picture! I just did this in my business recently...I was a bit afraid of doing a presentation about my business with someone with whom I do not share a native language; but I decided to let the language "fish" eat my arm! We actually did pretty well and I was able to find materials in his language and even found someone willing to be on the phone during the presentation for those questions that just had to have good translation. If I hadn't offered "my arm" my business would not have grown that day.

Komikya · 11 months ago

Thanks

Chrsiti Wharton · 11 months ago

Oh my stars! I'm from the South and had heard of this but never SEEN it! The analogy is great but it is going to take me a while to get over that video!! I think the idea I'll write down today is think "twice before going swimming in the lake."

Seriously, I was trying to come up with inspiration for my blog articles this week and saw this at Google reader. Thanks for the inspiration.

claudiabroome · 11 months ago

OOPS! I goofed. I thanked Chris instead of you Seth. I am so sorry!

Seth Simonds · 11 months ago

@Claudia, You were right to thank Chris! He was generous enough to let me share some of my crazy ideas with the brilliant individuals that make his community so vibrant. People like you, Claudia! You saying that the picture stuck in your mind is thanks enough for any writer. It doesn't get any better than that!

Please, continue to thank Chris. He puts heart and soul into his work and stands as constant source of inspiration for anybody willing to listen! Definitely a good guy to call if you're having trouble getting an idea out of the water. =)

I've met my quota for exclamation points in a comment so I'll wish you a great day but it won't seem very emphatic. <---I would have put an exclamation point there. =)

Mike Shangkuan · 11 months ago

Hi Chris. I have been reading your blog for some time now with great enthusiasm. I love coming up with new ideas, and like your recommendation to ask friends for suggestions.

What do you think is the best way to do this?

claudiabroome · 11 months ago

Seth,
I signed up for the Dating Papers and made a comment yesterday. I think I said something like you are brilliant...Duh...like why didn't I think of that? I agree, Chris is amazing...no ego...kind..smart, etc. Are you on Twitter? I can't find you!
Claudia! (LOL)

Seth Simonds · 11 months ago

@Mike

Chris DOES have an awesome blog, doesn't he?!

In terms of asking friends for suggestions, I'd suggest three things:
1. Start spending quality time with people who are smarter than you and listen as much as you can. Do that with enough people and you'll start connecting concepts to enrich your own ideas.
2. Read as much as you can. This is a way to connect with more of those smart people you can't physically spend time with. You're already doing this by reading quality blogs like this one. Ask some smart people you trust about what they like to read and start with those selections.
3. Start talking. When your friends know that you're a good listener and an intelligent thinker, they'll share more of their thoughts with you. This is a great chance for you to start responding with thoughts and ideas of your own. As you get a better handle on the expertise and passions of the people around you, you'll find that you know who to run to when you have a question about an idea.

I have techie friends who read a lot of great literature and writer friends who read only tech publications. Because I am in consistent value-added conversations with them, we can all bounce ideas of each other without anybody feeling exploited.

I hope this helps a bit. I wish you all the best in your adventure!

Jamie Lee · 11 months ago

Crazy beats boring all day long.
I'm on the edge of jumping off into some new waters of my own - a couple projects that have been brewing away on the back burner of my brain for a while now. I absolutely love this metaphor (though it's not something I'd every try in real life!). The advice you offer to "get in - do something - invite friends to join your party" is so simple it's brilliant.

For those who, like me, are in the baby-step phase, I'd like to share 10 quick ways to chalk up some checkmarks in the "DO!" category:
1. Give your dream a home. Set up a file folder (manilla or digtal ... doesn't matter) so you have a destination for any thoughts, references, or random notes.
2. Research. Set up a few Web searches in your area of interest so you can keep up to date with the latest greatest.
3. Learn.Subscribe to blogs in your area of interest - talk about immersing yourself ... blogs are one of the best ways to learn what's going on in a given industry, AND they offer the opportunity for dialog and creating connections.
4. Buy a domain. A personal favorite of mine. It doesn't cost much money, gives your vision a sense of reality, and is a little like calling "dibs" on your project's name.
5. Set up a twitter account. Even if all you do is put a "coming soon" or "stay tuned" message out there - it's one more way to start creating something out of nothing.
6. Fill your project folder!! Whether you're clipping Web pages, starting an address book, or just capturing your brilliant ideas as random notes; start to collect everything in one place. It won't take long to build an impressive collection that will provide you both reference and inspiration as you move forward.
7. Tell someone. I don't mean the guy at the local paper or your whole twitter network. Be discreet. Be protective. But sharing your idea with a trusted confidant continues to build a sense of "this is real" in your mind. And the perception in your mind is what matters.
8. Invest in your ideaIt doesn't have to be a huge investment, but I've found that plunking down some cold, hard cash has a way of inspiring me to take a project to the next step. It can be something small - rent a PO Box, print a few business cards - anything.
9. Open up a business account. In many instances, this is free and requires minimal paperwork. I felt very "official" when I opened my first DBA (doing business as) account.
10. Set some goals. Don't freak out about creating a whole business plan right away, but start to think about what it is EXACTLY that you'd like to accomplish. Make your goals concrete and very specific. Create some that are pie-in-the-sky (so you have something to shoot for) and some that are "quickies" (so you can get a sense of accomplishment early on). Make it a game and play for all you're worth.

Good luck to everyone starting out on a new adventure!!
I hope to reconnect when I'm ready to announce my own launches.
;)

Demian Farnworth · 11 months ago

I love it. Baiting the big fish. This indeed does work. The first step has to be key. Success favors the prepared, the ready.

And what a freaking cool story. Unbelievable people will do for fun.

Richard Skaare · 11 months ago

This is definitely the whackiest analogy I have read and seen about taking charge of ideas and your life and definitely one of the most intriguing,insightful, and memorable. Who would have thunk it but Seth Simonds! It will be on my mind for a long time. Thanks, Seth, and thanks Chris for hosting the promotion of ideas that are innovative, to say the least.

Jo · 10 months ago

Charlie: What a riot! I only looked at the catfish video. Never knew stay at home dads could have so much fun! More later.

Jo

dmcconnell · 8 months ago

Great post, Seth, full of energy. I'm about to print the whole trail, highlight the points I plan to implement, and get moving!

You know your post is a good one when the comments are this engaging. =)