“Ideas are worthless if you can’t make them happen.”
Many of us believe that the creation of ideas will ultimately lead us to success. The question is, do these ideas just magically happen? No, of course not. The idea itself is only a fraction of the equation to launching anything successful. The idea is the easy part, but the execution of the idea is something completely different. Execution is the less sexy and, arguably, the more important of the two and Scott Belsky’s book, Making Ideas Happen, gives you a pretty good set of tools to launch even the loftiest of ideas. This book is a compilation of Scott’s years of learning how the most productive entrepreneurs and creative minds operate and manage to push projects to completion time and time again.
Here at A Design Mafia we had the opportunity to read, digest, and review a preview copy of Making Ideas Happen, which launches in book stores everywhere April 15th. Check out our reviews after the jump and keep an eye out for our exclusive interview with Scott later this week.
Reviewed By cass_mafia.
In my eyes, “Making Ideas Happen” is written for two groups of individuals; the individuals who are appear successfully organized and those who thrive in controlled chaos environments. I agree 99% with the author, Scott Belsky when he says that ideas are worthless unless you can turn them into something productive and useful. The remaining 1% of me feels that the ability to come up with any idea means you are thinking, and in return is not “worthless”.
As an already organized creative individual, I was able to use Scott Belsky’s book as a resource containing new methods for organization, workflow, cataloging references, and ultimately making my ideas happen. Being able to reference a method/process that has proven vital for the most successful companies and individuals is convenient when hitting a roadblock. Although completely overhauling my already successful process of making my ideas happen seems mildly ridiculous, I look forward to implementing some strategies/methods presented in the book. Some of my favorite ideas include creating an engaging community that will hold me accountable, viewing everything in my life as a project, and creating a “back-burner” idea ritual.
To someone who loves NOT having any particular method and finds freedom in their controlled chaos, this book could be a life-changing eye-opener. Following the steps outlined in the book will allow these individuals to organize all the creativity within them and leap over the creative blocks. This book turns all the mumble jumble into something tangible. Everyday challenges turn into practical methods and blue sky ideas turn into realities.
Stop complaining about how you never have the time to complete a project or don’t know how to go about achieving your goals and pick up Scott’s simple, practical and powerful guide. You’ll say to yourself, “So that’s how it’s done. I can do that.”
Review by The Godfather
Everyone needs to read this book. Whether you are a creative individual, part of a creative team, or someone who just wants to be more organized, this book will provide you with tips and tools to get you there. I’m not saying that if you read this book you will magically be transformed into the epitome of efficiency, but there are concepts and steps in this book that will help guide you toward turning ideas or goals into reality.
Making Ideas Happen is a readable compendium of many years of research and observation and it shows. This book is nearly a decade worth of observations of companies like IDEO, Apple, Brooklyn Bros., Walker Digital, Google, Disney and many more. Scott immersed himself in their process. Not asking questions about their ideation process, but about the less-sexy aspect of execution. Some of these companies are able to walk a fine line, balancing ideation with execution and embody the counterintuitive practices such as: generating ideas in moderation or acting without conviction to keep momentum and rapidly refine ideas. Scott emphasizes the value of community and the idea that “circles” help give value to an idea. He also goes into depth about the idea that of incorporating these ideas organically into your own process. Take the time to walk these steps into your own process because habit breeds loyalty.
This book may be hard for some to swallow. Many out there thrive on the creative chaos, that lone creative genius, and may turn their noses up at adding any sort of structure that this book suggests, but this structure, these steps are not about stifling creativity, they’re about taking action. You can have a plethora of ideas floating around in that creative ether, but if you can’t organize those ideas in such a way that will allow you to put pen to paper and move those ideas closer to reality, then those ideas are worthless.
Making Ideas Happen is more of a reference guide than a how-to book. Everyone’s has their own organic process that may shift and change depending on the project. I have already begun breaking down projects into the three categories of Action Steps, References, and Backburner Ideas. It has allowed me to begin the process of organizing and prioritizing which in turn saves me time and energy. Taking these steps in little bits and pieces, as opposed to a prescribed method, is the intention of Making Ideas Happen. Some of it may be vague at times, but when you start applying the concepts to your own projects and workflow, you begin to understand the power of this book.
Order your copy of Making Ideas Happen
Thank you | Scott Belsky | Portfolio Imprint
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I have GOT to read this book!!!!!!
It’s a good quick read and a great reference. Definitely check it out.
I just got this book! but I have not had time to read it.
I will soon. =)