Sometimes an idea should just not suck

Knowing what an idea should not be, is, in many cases, easier and more practical than figuring out what the perfect idea would be. Especially since what is the end of perfection, what type of perfection is good enough?

Moving forward with ideas is all about knowing what is good enough. And to establish your level of acceptance of good enough, it is sometimes the easiest to define what you want to stay away from.

It is remarkable how much long-term advantage people like us have gotten by trying to be consistently not stupid, instead of trying to be very intelligent.

Charlie Munger

It might be obvious, but not being stupid is a viable strategy. Like chess, grandmasters often win by not losing, and an easy way to get rich is not to go bankrupt (when others do). Figure out what makes your idea not stupid, and you are halfway there.

Are the actions you need to do to bring your idea to life reversible? Move forward full speed. If it doesn’t work, you can go back and choose a different path or different view. If the actions are irreversible, consider making your idea smaller into reversible chunks so you can experiment care-free.

Most notably with every idea: get real. The issue is not having a list of ideas. It is about having good ideas. Go out and test your ideas in reality. If it doesn’t work: find a new concept to work on. The best way to come to high-quality ideas is by having a lot of them and getting them in touch with reality.

Choose quantity over quality.

Not stupid over being intelligent.

Finally: take action. The more you practice, the more you learn, the closer you reach your goal.