Seriously Creative IDEA Engineering

October 9, 2012 by Raul Colon

Ideas pop out of everywhere, some of us have ways to nurture them and make them come to life. Some of us need help developing good ideas into projects.

Last week I had the privilege of getting invited to the IDEA Innovation Workshop that Dana Montenegro and Angiemille Laratorre from Seriously Creative offer.

This half-day workshop is where we kicked off our shoes with the purpose of better understanding how to take ideas and make them into successful projects while having fun.

Ideas occur at any time during the day or night. Sometimes we are sleeping and we wake up to an idea. I keep at least a notepad near me so I can quickly write down any thoughts. On other occasions we are driving and we get an idea of how to fix something. By the time we stop at the next stoplight, we might have forgotten our solution to the problem because we jumped to another topic about what we where having for dinner that night.

Our brains consistently shift and overwrite information; we end up forgetting things we would have liked to keep stored in our memory.

Necessary Stages and Steps for IDEA Engineering

I have always been someone to change processes and the ways things are done in order to be efficient with time.

I get an idea and I go after it.

However when I look back at dead projects like a Local Job Board we set up, Twitter knowledgebase when people did not understand twitter, and some of my more recent projects like Veglatino and Papaheroes, I realize that I love to launch things and then tweak along the way.

Over the years of being as small business owner, I have cut away most of the initial steps of extra planning and other things I did before launching a project. Having a diverse background as a small business owner grooming dogs up to developing and coaching people on how to communicate online more effectively.

What my Brain Favors when it comes to IDEA Engineering

The many things I have done in the past help me relate with many aspects of IDEA Engineering. One of the key takeways from the workshop was being able to identify how my personality fits in with different stages of the idea.

The opportunity to sit down with other small business owners and management executives from other industries helped me understand where I fit when it comes to brainstorming and getting to work on ideas in a better way.

In just a few hours we where able to take on challenges such as enhancing customer experience or helping kids eat healthier and take a 360 degree view to find ways to approach the issue and solve some problems.

Next Step for Me

I can’t wait to attend their next workshop which will happen on January 16th, 2013 and get more information on what I already learned, so I can become more effective and efficient when engineering ideas.

Idea Engineering Full Day

Till then I will be using the frameworks and guidelines I learned from Dana to take a look at a few ideas I don’t have running.

Disclosure: We where invited by the Seriously Cretive with a Complimentary space for the workshop. Even though the knowledge we acquired was an invitation by the Seriously Creative we don’t feel that this influenced the writing of this post in any way.

Ideas on a Leash

September 10, 2012 by Raul Colon

As I walked Juanga (My Black Labrador) early in the morning a few days ago I bumped into a dog with a pretty neat collar but was off leash and just harassing other dogs by following them and barking at them.

As I had the help of some young men (teenagers) to get the dog away from Juanga I was wondering what can be done to make sure all unstable and mischievous dogs are on a leash when in public areas.

Dogs should not be on a leash all the time but if you are taking them for a walk where they will encounter other dogs and people who are scared of dogs the polite thing is to keep them on a leash while you walk them. I keep my dog on a leash when in public areas.

As I thought about the dog off the leash, I realize that just like the dogs off leash are running rampant around the beach, so are many of my ideas and at times seem to have no direction.

As I thought about the leash problem, I realized that as I make a major transitions in my life I have many ideas floating around and I have to put a leash on them or at least leave them in the back of my head until it is the appropriate time to unleash them.

Here is how I control my ideas or let’s say put a leash on them:

I Write it down

When I get an idea I make sure I write it down either on a sticky note, iPhone app like Things, and/or Evernote. Similar to getting you’re dog on a leash.

Categorize the Idea

Once I write it down, I take the time to look at my ideas and see which ones I can execute and which ones I will leave in a central repository (in this case let’s call it the Kennel). After that I will come back and evaluate which Ideas I can execute on immediately and I prioritize them. I also come back to the “kennel” periodically and see which ideas from there I can make happen.

Release Some Ideas

Some ideas deserved to be free; as much as I would like to keep my ideas on a leash or in the kennel, I know I can’t execute on all of them. Once I see someone that might be able to execute and benefit from them, I share my ideas. This is a way to see how others execute on your ideas and its also an opportunity to create healthier and closer relationships. Also be aware that 99% of the ideas you share others will ignore and probably not execute on them. Just be happy you shared something that might have been of benefit to that other person or group.

Taking your Ideas on a Walk

Once you have your ideas on a leash feel free to start executing on them and monitor for results.

We all have ideas that seem to take control of us. Try to focus on the ones that will help you reach your dreams and improve your lifestyle.

I am off to start a new project I have had in the kennel for a year. Will share a bit more soon on my blog so if you would like to be the first one to hear about it sign up and receive my blog updates directly into your email.

Refreshing your ideas and goals by reading other blogs

September 8, 2011 by Raul Colon

I love to read blogs as much as I love to read books. I have many bloggers I admire and I want to make sure I make it to their blog as often as possible. With so many good bloggers and all touching different subjects sometimes it makes it really hard for me to go visit each and every one of those blogs. But when I get a chance I go in and I read their latest blog posts and catch up.

Daily Gold Nuggets of Wisdom I find on MargieClayman.com

I have people like Margie Clayman who always post something interesting daily. She also has the ability to create a lot of content for other sites and is always willing to share her content with friends so they can publish in their blogs. As soon as she read that my Dad was diagnosed with cancer she jumped in quickly and offered me a few blog posts so I could focus on other things while keeping enough content on my blog.

I guess this is when you really identify that even-though you might not have met someone in person they are a true friend.

On many occasions reading Margie’s blog I get refreshed on many things I have to stay focused on. I really have to say that she does it in such a creative way I end up learning about other subjects as history, pop culture, music, entertainment, and art.

Many of Margie’s posts have made me re-think many of the ways I approach some of my personal and business projects. Margie has the ability to transfer positive energy via the Internet, which also motivates me and keeps me going.

The Fellow Service Member’s Blog

Another blog I have been reading lately is marketing hacker from Ryan Critchett I also go to his blog and find many posts that get me thinking towards keeping myself focused on the business side. Something I quickly forget especially when I am blogging. I read this article where he asks for advice on Conversions in which I think I need more advice on and might need to re-focus.

Poder 5 Blog

Other blogs like Poder5 serve various purposes by creating awareness and having the owner of the blog and my good friend Michael DCC share his thoughts too. Michael and I agree on many things although I have a very different perspective on others. This keeps it interesting as he maintains a good community of readers that are always sharing their thoughts on his blog. Michael is also a good example on somebody that supports his online community. I was very grateful the other day when he put up my Company logo when he heard that my business was not doing that well. I guess his positive energies really helped out because thankfully after he did that we have been getting many requests for proposals.

3 People I Can’t Wait to Meet in Person

These 3 individuals I have mentioned I can’t wait to meet in person one day and be able to give them a big hug. I have many things in common with them and I really appreciate I have them as part of close online friends.

What things trigger you into refreshing your ideas and goals? Do online relationships affect that? Does your online reading affect that?

Lack of Collaboration Hinders Personal and Business Growth

July 26, 2011 by Raul Colon

I love experimenting and trying new business models. Every week new business ideas pop into my head. The problem is I don’t have the capital or time to get myself into 95% of my ideas. So I keep them in the backburner and wait for the right opportunity. Some of these ideas I end up sharing with clients if I am lucky I get paid so they can execute them. Instead of having these ideas go to waste, why not share them with someone that can take advantage of them.

In the environment I am in, I am usually around most people who are scared of sharing ideas because someone might take steal their concept and run with it. But how valuable is an idea that cannot be executed because of lack of resources? Many of us saw the movie Social Network and saw how in the movie the character playing Mark Zuckerberg conveys the message that nobody else in the room could have created Facebook because they lacked the knowledge and possibly resources.

The attitude of keeping everything secret and not wanting to collaborate with others thinking others will benefit from their ideas is one of the reasons Puerto Rico produces very little to export. The lack of a collaborative spirit creates a huge wall that we can’t individually jump over.

Sometimes I don’t blame many individuals because many people here are always getting ready to eject and go their own way and benefit completely from whatever was created without sharing.

So how can we fix this issue of Safeguarding ideas that most of us will never use?

Look for a channel where ideas can be put into place and you can receive credit or economical benefit.
Create additional services, which can be attractive for many of us to go after by testing the waters. I am currently offering Translation Services in the process of getting the last touches into place. I will not be doing all the translations but I can clearly make sure the other factors like customer service and the adequate platform for people to reach the services is well taken care of.
Find someone that needs help and give them a small push so they can move their business forward. I have shared my ideas with many small business owners and they have taken ownership of them (which makes me happy because it means my idea made some sense).
Join a forum like Kitchen Table Companies (Affiliate Link) and share your idea. You might be able to identify resources or knowledge you needed to get the project off the table. At Kitchen Table Companies many small business owners end up capturing many great ideas we can put into play. The best part is that the forum is closed to a few selected groups of people, which are all in there to learn and collaborate.
Look for ways to test the idea that does not involve sacrificing a huge sum of resources. For example setting up a simple landing page on a site might help you with getting a service off the floor.
Look for partners in getting the idea of the floor. But make sure you choose your partner wisely . I see many organizations and individuals failing because they have established partnerships with people that are not ready to collaborate.

If you have an idea and are not willing to share please don’t mention the idea. The message you are giving me is the following:

I have an idea but I don’t trust you with it.

I follow my favorite quote.

“Love Everyone Trust No One, and there are exceptions to the Rule”

How do you view collaboration?

What is the most important part of being able to collaborate and share ideas?

Do you see any value in this approach?

by Mundilfari*