Ideas are Only Multipliers

I read this today from Derek Silvers and thought I would share:

It's so funny when I hear people being so protective of ideas. (People who want me to sign an NDA to tell me the simplest idea.) To me, ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.

He goes on to explain that you have to multiply an idea and its execution to understand how much a business is worth. An idea on it's own is only worth a few dollars; even the most brilliant ideas out there are only worth twenty or so dollars. The execution is really where the money is at. A brilliant idea multiplied by brilliant execution is worth billions but a brilliant idea and no execution is worth nothing. Twitter is going public and their company is likely worth a BILLION dollars. I mean, TWITTER. My, and everyone else's, initially reaction to Twitter was, "Why would anybody use that?" and yet everyone you know and the White House uses it. A perfect example of a so-so idea with genius execution.

Does that sound like common sense? I guess it is, but the kind of common sense that everyone needs to know and be reminded of. I needed the reminder in regards to my life and food blog. In case you are wondering why that blog has sat stagnant for a couple of weeks (not that anyone except my most devoted stalkers would wonder that) it's because I'm thinking about what kind of blog I want it to be and who my target audience is and yada yada yada--all that stuff you learn in Freshman English and think is kinda irrelevant. Also, I'm in the middle of a DIY blog redesign which is talking waaaay longer than planned. Also I might be pregnant (not really) because I recklessly haven't renewed my birth control prescription and thus haven't taken it for a week so who knows? Ha ha. . . ha.

ANYWAYS, I've been somewhat pessimistic about the whole thing because a food blog is no new idea and there are thousands of them on these inter webs. How is anyone ever going to read MY blog and cook MY food? What do I even know about cooking? I'm only twenty-two! I didn't go to culinary school! I don't even know how to make pasta from scratch (I watched an 11 yr old on Junior Master Chef make a perfect gnocchi the day after my attempt at gnocchi miserably failed)! I only cook with foreign foods sometimes! SEE HOW THIS QUICKLY SPINS OUT OF CONTROL?

So what I'm trying to say is that I needed to remind myself that while my idea is not-so-new all I really need is some good execution. I think I can do this?

Summer Reads: Matterhorn

Graduating and just working part-time while I try to get my act together has left me with mountains of extra time. At first I wasted away my free time with the same reckless abandon I used in college. I mean, what if I never had another free moment to waste again? What if this was my last chance to mindlessly troll pinterest and facebook and dream about future renovations to hypothetical houses?

Several months later, I realize there is only so much time a week I can waste and still maintain my self-esteem. All of this is just to say that I am reading more and I started a food blog. Only Carter (and now the rest of the internet) knows that cooking and food occupy 30% of my daily thoughts. You should know, as an accurate estimation, 30% is A LOT of time and thoughts. It only barely falls under how often I think of Carter and rises far above the thoughts I devote to finding a full-time job. Being real here. My new food blog is called A Dash or Two and I focus on easy, fast recipes with uncompromised taste. Part of me wants to bury this blog in the depths of the Internet until I can perfect every recipe and word but in an effort for personal growth, I putting myself out there mistakes and all. It's a work in progress but take a look anyway and if you don’t now, don’t worry I’ll probably be spamming your facebooks and blogger in the future.

In other, aforementioned news, I am reading more. I should probably just get one of those Goodreads accounts but there are only so many social media sites a real human can join, hence:

Matterhorn: A Review

In the spirit of full disclosure, you probably will feel depressed at the end of Matterhorn. It is a fictional book set in the Vietnam War, though written by an actual Vietnam combat veteran based on his experiences. Aaaaand the language is way past borderline. BUT in its defense it entirely changed the way I view war. I want to share my favorite part of the book in which two soldiers are talking on the eve of a major and deadly battle:

“You think we go to heaven when we die?” Jermain asked.

“I don’t think nothin’. I believe Jesus take care of us when we die.” Cortell looked at Jermain. “Believin’s not thinkin’.”

Jermain took that in for a while. “What if you’re wrong?”

Cortell laughed. “What if you wrong? You been worse off than me all you life. I got the safe bet, not you.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t believe.”

“No, you just playing it safe and not choosin’. Jesus don’t want you to play safe. You don’t get anyplace if you don’t choose.”

“I don’t want to go nowhere but back to the world.”

“Yeah, I be right there with you,” Cortell said. He was silent for a moment. Then he said, “Ever’one here think it easy for me. I be this good little church boy from Mississippi with my good little church-goin’ Mammy, and since I be this stupid country nigger with the big faith, I don’t have no troubles. Well, it just don’t work that way.” He paused. Jermain said nothing. “I see my friend Williams get ate by a tiger,” Cortell continued, “I see my friend Broyer get his face ripped off by a mine. What you think I do all night, sit around thankin’ Sweet Jesus? Raise my palms to sweet heaven and cry hallelujah? You know what I do? You know what do? I lose my heart.” Cortell’s throat suddenly tightened, strangling his words. “I lose my heart.” He took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure. He exhaled and went on quietly, back in control. “I sit there and I don’t see any hope. Hope gone.” Cortell was seeing his dead friends. “Then the sky turn gray again in the east, and you know what I do? I choose all over again to keep believin’…It ain’t no easy thing.”

I LOVE that passage. I love that he describes faith as a choice. Unreligious people so often look at the religious and think that we are all brainwashed, somehow fooled by a mass delusion. What they don’t realize is that faith and hope is a choice, and it’s a choice everyday. Some days it’s easy to choose faith but other times it can be very, very hard. Isn’t that a beautiful passage?