You Can Kill An Idea, But You Can't Kill An Opportunity: How to Discover New Sources of Growth for Your Organization

CHAPTER 1

BIG THINKING

Killing ideas that won't lead to growth.

Killing ideas as the starting point for growth.

Killing ideas in order to begin at the real starting place for growth—

opportunity.

Opportunity which, when truly understood, provides clues to building the right ideas—

big ideas.

Big ideas, killer ideas that produce

big growth.

A paradox? Not really.

Ideas have too often been relied upon as the catalyst for growth.

Why not? Ideas are enticing, ideas are entertaining, and ideas are energizing. Each good one holds hope—hope for a better world, for a fuller life, for things bigger, faster, cheaper, healthier, more beautiful—hope for some kind of tangible growth.

We hunger for ideas to help meet our challenges, solve our problems, and give us a brighter future. Without ideas there would be little progress. History is full of amazing ideas that have delivered both small and large advances in how we live. Many of these successes were so noteworthy and so beneficial we eventually began to assume ideas were the source of progress and the creators of growth.

“Ideas are any man's greatest asset.

Harvey Firestone, founder of Firestone Tires

Ideas are the beginning points of all fortunes.

Napoleon Hill, personal success guru

It's always possible to have a great company if you have great ideas.

Jerry Yang, co-founder of Yahoo!

Ideas … more than money, are the real currency for success. ...