• A big idea sets a fresh direction. A blockbuster idea is somewhat like a deep-space probe. You have no idea what you’ll hear back . . . where from . . . or when. But, a tiny, imaginative flicker on the screen could change the whole course of history.
  

• A big idea sets a fresh direction. A blockbuster idea is somewhat like a deep-space probe. You have no idea what you’ll hear back . . . where from . . . or when. But, a tiny, imaginative flicker on the screen could change the whole course of history.

• A big idea has traction. It moves forward by attracting and attaching the input of others. Vibrant ideas have an almost organic grip. Think Lego plastic bricks. One reason they’re so reliable in modeling both structures and ideas is because they have what’s called “clutch power.”

• It can be communicated with a minimum of words; and as much as possible, through simple and compelling visual images. A big idea is tangible. You can feel it throb, but not like a headache. Your prospects of ever hearing a response to your idea rely on how simply and effectively you communicate it. (The same awareness prevailed when Carl Sagan and his crew deliberated so carefully about the contents of the Golden Record sent aboard the Voyager spacecrafts.)

• Big ideas crackle with energy. A vigorous idea activates positive energy, even – maybe especially – when it tackles a negative issue. What can we do to make something better? A big idea is ever on the prowl for high-potential solutions to nagging problems.

• It has the structural robustness of a good foundation. Visualize massive load-bearing strength. We may be amazed by the height of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the world’s tallest structure. The real knockout number may be the more than 100,000 tons of concrete pumped into its foundation. Now think of a big idea rocketing through cyberspace. It may need incredible thrust for lift-off. Consider this analogy: The solid fuel booster used to launch the space shuttle only functioned for 124 seconds but this foundation weighed more than a million pounds!

• A great idea has plenty of “surface area” which can be prospected and developed. You don’t have to walk down a tedious, detailed path of intricate reasoning or personal research to get to a conclusion. In this sense, a big idea is more like a dirigible than a streamlined spaceship. Imagine a huge blimp cruising, its skin upholstered with a massive message board and legions of people posting thoughtful comments to solve important problems.

• A good idea’s provenance is absolutely unimportant. Who thought the idea up – the label on the package – doesn’t matter at all. Idea originators of the past spent a great deal of time developing authority prelaunch. The opposite is now true. The real evolution happens out there. It’s not incubated in the brain of the person originating the idea. The new world of ideas is democracy at its very best!

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