Somewhere along the way, we were sold a lie: that great ideas arrive fully formed, perfect from the start. That the people who create masterpieces—bestselling books, hit songs, viral products—are simply more gifted, more inspired, more in tune with genius.
But that’s not how it works.
The truth? Every great idea was born from a pile of bad ones.
Creativity isn’t about waiting for the perfect idea to arrive. It’s about generating so many ideas—bad, weird, impossible—that the good ones have no choice but to show up.
The Fear Keeps Us Stuck
People don’t just fear bad ideas—they fear looking foolish, wasting time, making the wrong move. So they sit, waiting for inspiration, hoping their next idea will be brilliant right out of the gate.
That’s the real mistake. You can’t have good ideas unless you’re willing to generate bad ones.
Painters, musicians, entrepreneurs, writers—the best are the ones who fail the most.
Not because they’re reckless, but because they keep creating, keep experimenting, keep showing up.
The Two Secrets to Good Ideas
- Make More Bad Ideas – The more bad ideas you create, the more good ones will slip through. Volume leads to discovery.
- Be Generous – It’s easier to come up with good ideas for someone else. Remove the pressure of perfection and focus on solving problems.
How to Build Your Bad Idea Machine
- Write 10 bad ideas every morning. Business ideas, song lyrics, podcast topics—it doesn’t matter. Train your brain to generate.
- Create without judgment. The first draft, first take, or first version is supposed to be messy.
- Share before you’re ready. Perfectionism kills momentum. Put your work into the world and learn as you go.
Great ideas don’t come to those who wait for them. They come to those who show up, show their work, and keep going.
Yes, Miles Davis recorded Kind Of Blue in roughly 7 hours, and it’s regarded as one of the greatest Jazz albums of all time…but he also recorded ~60 studio albums, 39 live albums, 46 compilations, 27 box sets, 4 soundtracks, 57 singles and 3 remixes. A flash of genius, 50 years in the making.
