Peeling Onions

“Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die…”

I’m not generally interested in posting book reviews, but this book is perfect for a blog post because it’s got a cool acronym. Made to Stick (2007) by Dan Heath & Chip Heath is a handbook on how to make your ideas more memorable…’sticky’, so to speak. Despite the acronym, there’s no magic panacea – it’s very Seth Godin, in that your ideas must have merit and be worthy to begin with, before any of these extra efforts will make a difference. In order to be remarkable, you must have a remarkable idea.

S.U.C.C.E.S:

SIMPLICITY – Pare your idea down to it’s essential core. AND make it profound. Easy. Cake walk.

UNEXPECTED – Use unexpectedness or apparent disparity of purpose or degree to maintain your audience’s interest.

CONCRETE – Use basic, simple language to deliver concrete ideas.

CREDENTIALS – The proof is in the pudding. The worth & value of your idea is baked right in.

EMOTION – Elicit an emotional response from your audience – BUT, make sure you’re going after the correct emotion!

STORY - Your idea needs to tell a story. Stories are how we learn, connect and make decisions.

The Brothers Heath explain these concepts in detail with examples and although it doesn’t make coming up with remarkable ideas any easier – you can at least concentrate on the important parts – the S.U.C.C.E.S of your idea.