If you want to bounce new ideas off someone find a person who is genuinely willing to engage. Someone who gets you and what you are trying to do. Otherwise new ideas can end up like seeds that do not grow due to lack of attention.
The right people
You may have habitual go-to persons to discuss new ideas and when engaging with them ask yourself: Are they really the right people? Otherwise, there is a risk that a perfectly good initiative is nipped in the bud, rather than nurtured and given a chance to grow.
If you have invested the time to come-up with something that you believe is worth discussing, you owe it to yourself to find the right people for that discussion.
There is no point engaging with someone who is not willing to give your their full attention and an open mind. It is even less productive to engage with someone who doubts you and what you have to offer as a person. Why even bother ― they are probably not even listening.
Even experts get it wrong
Remember that even experts can get things wrong. When Edison developed a more workable version of the light bulb in 1880, Henry Morton, the then president of a prominent technology institute famously said; “Everyone acquainted with the subject will recognise it as a conspicuous failure.” And, how wrong he was. More recently, so called ‘expert’ investors who invested in commercial successes like Facebook, passed on others like Uber and then regretted it. Such stories are endless.
Predicting the ‘success’ or ‘failure’ of something depends on the consideration of multiple unknowns and ultimately by what criteria you judge it. May be you are not even interested in a mass market or viral product, but something very different. And, you need to be clear about that.
Be clear about what you want
When discussing a new idea with someone, tell them what you want from them. For example, do you want feedback on technical deliverability or commercial viability? The two may be very different conversations.
Sometimes, it might be difficult to be clear about what you want because your idea is at an embryonic stage. And, that’s fine ― just remember that you need someone willing to engage with you in that place, with an understanding of where you are.
Final Thoughts
Whatever your initiative or idea may be, allow yourself the opportunity to discuss it with someone who gets it, and gets you. It takes creativity and effort to bring new ideas and you owe yourself this much.
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