Comments on: Idea Gardening: A Primer http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer Design, Entrepreneurship, Economics and Software Sun, 29 Jan 2012 14:43:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: subelsky (Mike Subelsky) http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-445 subelsky (Mike Subelsky) Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:36:35 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-445 This <a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/tferriss">@tferriss</a> post about entrepreneurial risk-taking (bit.ly/1v8mT9) reminded me of <a rel="nofollow" href="http://twitter.com/davetroy">@davetroy</a>'s Idea Gardening post (http://bit.ly/g0Nhd) This @tferriss post about entrepreneurial risk-taking (bit.ly/1v8mT9) reminded me of @davetroy‘s Idea Gardening post (http://bit.ly/g0Nhd)

]]> By: tobins (tobins) http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-441 tobins (tobins) Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:57:14 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-441 Dave Troy's essay on Idea Gardening http://bit.ly/g0Nhd Dave Troy’s essay on Idea Gardening http://bit.ly/g0Nhd

]]> By: ouc (ou c) http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-440 ouc (ou c) Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:55:22 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-440 Ideas Are Cheap http://davetroy.com/?p=547 Ideas Are Cheap http://davetroy.com/?p=547

]]> By: spaley.myopenid.com/ http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-409 spaley.myopenid.com/ Mon, 13 Apr 2009 02:03:44 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-409 Costs, without question, have come down, enabling the possibility of trying out many ideas, and there is much that is sensible here. But isn't there such a thing as stretching too thin? Isn't there something to be said for finding one thing to focus on completely? Wouldn't that increase the likelihood of success for that one thing? There is a reason for the phrase "jack of all trades, master of none". We all have only so many hours to devote to our work. Splitting one's time between many different ideas and concepts will dilute the chances of success for any of them. Seems to me a balance is in order. Costs, without question, have come down, enabling the possibility of trying out many ideas, and there is much that is sensible here. But isn’t there such a thing as stretching too thin? Isn’t there something to be said for finding one thing to focus on completely? Wouldn’t that increase the likelihood of success for that one thing? There is a reason for the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none”.

We all have only so many hours to devote to our work. Splitting one’s time between many different ideas and concepts will dilute the chances of success for any of them. Seems to me a balance is in order.

]]> By: davetroy (Dave Troy) http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-396 davetroy (Dave Troy) Tue, 07 Apr 2009 02:03:44 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-396 Idea Gardening: some thoughts on entrepreneurship and developing ideas for the market. http://davetroy.com/?p=547 Idea Gardening: some thoughts on entrepreneurship and developing ideas for the market. http://davetroy.com/?p=547

]]> By: lhenriquez.myopenid.com/ http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-393 lhenriquez.myopenid.com/ Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:43:56 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-393 Great post on the entrepreneurial process. In addition to what you illustrated, what I've learned is the great importance of starting. For a long time I waited for the "right" idea to come along rather than just implementing the ideas I had. Once I started implementing one such idea, I learned so much in the process that many better ideas emerged. That first idea wasn't successful, but had I not started, the second idea wouldn't have happened. In the mean time I became a much better engineer, which helps me implement any idea. The ability to implement and the idea generation process are intertwined - each feeds and grounds the other. Great post on the entrepreneurial process. In addition to what you illustrated, what I’ve learned is the great importance of starting. For a long time I waited for the “right” idea to come along rather than just implementing the ideas I had. Once I started implementing one such idea, I learned so much in the process that many better ideas emerged. That first idea wasn’t successful, but had I not started, the second idea wouldn’t have happened. In the mean time I became a much better engineer, which helps me implement any idea. The ability to implement and the idea generation process are intertwined – each feeds and grounds the other.

]]> By: blog.adambachman.org/ http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-391 blog.adambachman.org/ Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:54:04 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-391 This sounds a lot like Daniel Cook (danc)'s "Stage Gate" model for game and software design (intro: http://lostgarden.com/2007/01/project-horseshoe-report-building.html , explore: http://lostgarden.com/2007/02/rockets-cars-and-gardens-visualizing.html ). I've not worked in the game industry professionally, but from his description of the process, they're dealing with the same risk factors. Sunk costs, idea pursuit dilemmas (Is this idea great or just good enough?), over commitment, etc. His conclusions are similar: like gardeners we seed ideas, prune and compost (reinvest) waste, and seek diversity. It's interesting, but not surprising that the same metaphor would occur separately but at the same time to two authors. It suggests a larger trend in entrepreneurship and invention. This sounds a lot like Daniel Cook (danc)’s “Stage Gate” model for game and software design (intro: http://lostgarden.com/2007/01/project-horseshoe-report-building.html , explore: http://lostgarden.com/2007/02/rockets-cars-and-gardens-visualizing.html ). I’ve not worked in the game industry professionally, but from his description of the process, they’re dealing with the same risk factors. Sunk costs, idea pursuit dilemmas (Is this idea great or just good enough?), over commitment, etc.

His conclusions are similar: like gardeners we seed ideas, prune and compost (reinvest) waste, and seek diversity. It’s interesting, but not surprising that the same metaphor would occur separately but at the same time to two authors. It suggests a larger trend in entrepreneurship and invention.

]]> By: subelsky.myopenid.com/ http://davetroy.com/posts/idea-gardening-a-primer#comment-384 subelsky.myopenid.com/ Mon, 06 Apr 2009 15:14:06 +0000 http://davetroy.com/?p=547#comment-384 My favorite aspect of this innovation model is that it starts you out further along a path you're going to be following anyway. Almost all the great ideas out there mutated from something else. I know that's been the case for us at OtherInbox; we started with one idea that grew into something else. So it seems to me if you spread out your initial efforts across a few different projects, you'll be much more likely to allow them to mutate - because of lower sunk costs and because you're building in a greater degree of flexibility right from the start. My favorite aspect of this innovation model is that it starts you out further along a path you’re going to be following anyway. Almost all the great ideas out there mutated from something else. I know that’s been the case for us at OtherInbox; we started with one idea that grew into something else. So it seems to me if you spread out your initial efforts across a few different projects, you’ll be much more likely to allow them to mutate – because of lower sunk costs and because you’re building in a greater degree of flexibility right from the start.

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