david hieatt

Great ideas often have no reference points. We have nothing to compare them to. They are original, and awkward. And so they are the most vulnerable to people trying to kill them. They do not conform to what exists, so they challenge us.

So in order to keep the idea alive you will have to rely on your gut instinct, which sometimes is the hardest sell of all. You have to believe in it when no-one else does. The parent has to love the ugly duckling until it turns into a little beauty.

We also judge ideas too quickly. It’s not always clear from the beginning which are the good, the bad, and the ugly. Learn not to judge them too quickly. That dumb idea could be the one. If you think conventionally you may dismiss the ugly duckling. 

Excerpt from my new book: Do Purpose. Why brands with a purpose do better and matter more.