Commit 2 ShipLessons & Learnings of Linchpins

Last month, I read Scott Belsky’s Making Ideas Happen. I found it to be inspiring, eye-opening, and jam-packed with useful ideas. Belsky’s main argument is that for most creative people, idea generation isn’t the problem. The problem is idea execution. However, Belsky believes there’s an elegant formula for overcoming this problem:

Making Ideas Happen = Ideas + Organization + Communal Forces + Leadership Capability

Through insights he’s gleaned from a number of creative professionals, as well as his own insights as the CEO of a successful consulting firm, Belsky offers concrete steps on how to become better at shipping and turning your ideas into reality.

Among my favorite ideas from the book:

Act without conviction. Don’t wait for inspiration. Act first. Let the inspiration come later.

Thrash at the beginning, not at the end. Use the beginning of any project to generate ideas like crazy. But once you’ve committed down a path, focus on execution; avoid the desire to keep saying “what if…” Course-correct when necessary, but focus on shipping. Changes can always be made after the first iteration.

No one ships alone. Even if you’re a “solo creative,” you usually need the support, ideas, and feedback of other people to turn your ideas into reality. Intellectual cross-fertilization leads to better ideas, while accountability to another person (or to a team) leads to a deeper commitment to ship. Execution rarely happens in isolation.

Limit your “insecurity” work. These are tasks you do out of nervousness or insecurity (i.e., compulsively reading blogs in your field, mindlessly checking email) but that don’t actually further your productivity goals. You do it simply to feel reassured. Scott’s advice: stop looking for reassurance and get to work.

Are you a Dreamer, a Doer, or an Incrementalist? Figuring out which one you are—and which one you need to be paired up with in your professional life—could make all the difference in terms of your productivity and impact. Here’s a short blog post that explains the three personality types.

In short: a highly recommended book for all you Linchpins out there. Your “lizard brain” may not like it, but that’s exactly the point!