42. Sharing Ideas

I was excited to share my big idea, so I invited a mentor to lunch to explain my plan of action. He patiently listened.

When I was done, he responded with the following: “Everything sounds amazing over a beer or a cup of coffee. If you really want to know if your idea is any good…write it down.”

The insight here is understanding how to align the medium - talking versus writing - with the goal at hand.

If you’re at the idea development stage, talk it out. Have a two-way dialogue where you brainstorm, ask questions, and get feedback.

If you’re at the idea execution stage, write it out. Writing creates structure and clarity. It requires linear and logical arguments.

My problem was that I was attempting to execute an idea in a conversation. Instead, I should have used the conversation to flesh out new perspectives that could have eventually been solidified in written form.

Talk first, write second. You need both and in that order.