How to Advise Billion $ Companies and Change the Future of the World
Why a lack of skills or experience will never be enough to stop someone who believes their ideas matter
Ideas are everything to me — they have been my lifeblood for the last two years
In that time I have consulted on growth strategies for everyone from seed-funded startups through to tech unicorns. I have advised businesses in the restaurant and hospitality sectors, retail and alcohol industries as well as some of the most recognisable names in technology.
Quickly, my ideas have grown in appreciation, gained acceptance, then traction and ultimately been implemented for millions of users across the globe to consume
How can I get anyone — from small companies starting out to billion dollar tech giants — to listen to my ideas? How do I get them to pay attention to what insights I have to offer or take any of my ideas or suggestions seriously?
It’s simple: if you don’t have any ideas you need to get some or outsource that task to someone who does If a business isn’t busy generating new ideas it is busy dying
Some of the biggest companies in the world struggle the most to develop new ideas
I offer ideas freely, without any preciousness or expectation that I will receive anything in return, directly to the CEO/Founder/Owner of any company that fascinates me. I don’t care how my offer is judged or perceived, whether they are binned or acted on, all that matters is that I have volunteered a perspective that could lead to the emergence of something new.
Think of every idea offered as a seed that can grow into something great which you could be a part of
I may be walking down the street and see an advert for a small business which I believe I can help grow, I’ll then call up the owner and offer my insight, ideas or advice for free, or I could reach out to the most powerful women/men in the world with an idea for expansion or augmentation of their platform or service.
Often it falls on deaf ears
If they aren’t willing to entertain the thought or have strong opinions I don’t argue my case or bore them with details of my credentials. I don’t get offended or push to be understood. I give a thorough explanation and allow the idea to germinate organically and grow.
If nothing happens I move on. I never offer examples of previous success because they are irrelevant
My ideas speak for themselves, are standalone and should always be judged as such. Previous successes may be indicative of future performance but one swallow does not make a spring
Dismissing an idea because it comes from the most unqualified source is even more stupid than pursuing an idea because it comes from your best employee
Qualifications are worthless when measuring the potential success of ideas.
Ideas can come from anywhere or anyone at any time. They must be judged individually on their merits without and consideration for what external factors may create sway or bias in your decision
That’s how I can get people to listen to my thoughts and ideas — ultimately they are the beneficiary. They have the most to gain from the unique insight and perspective that I can offer. That I go above and beyond the reasonable expectation of an email filled with ideas — often creating elaborate analysis of potential markets, thoroughly imagining marketting stunts or imagining entirely new business models — also helps.
No person ever to have lived has the same combination of life experiences, knowledge and ideas as anyone else. Nobody see’s the world through your eyes except you. We all possess the same power and influence to shape the world we live in if only we are brave enough to share our ideas and embody the change we dream of
If you don’t have idea’s you need to find them, quickly
Innovations arise from ideas, ideas arise from risk but death comes from standing still. Too many companies accept what they have and become paralysed from searching for what else they could do or what new issues they could tackle.
Its why small agile companies disrupt the established order of things
The value of knowledge has diminished significantly over the last few years due to the rise of the internet and the inter-connectivity of all things. Software is eating the world but the value of knowledge and information has been reduced to almost nothing. It is so freely available and in such abundance that its worthless.
Data may be the new currency of big business but they lack the imagination to take advantage of these new insights
Ideas are different. If you have ideas you posses the rocket fuel that can create new money. We each possess the same potential to influence development around us. We simply must be brave enough to share.
