Here you are excited with thoughts on your new startup idea. You want to tell someone, anyone, about it. So you find a friend, a relative, or your significant other and you lay it on them. You give the full pitch.
Halfway through their eye’s glaze over and they have no idea what you’re even talking about. You might as well have said it all in Elvish. Then you get the gut punch line:
“I couldn’t make heads or tails of that rambling.”
Ouch— excitement gone. Discouragement sets in. The merit of the idea is now in question. As a young entrepreneur I had these conversations all the time. Too often I took them too personally.
The main thing lesson I learned was how these conversations went wasn’t a direct indication my idea was bad. But more so a result of many factors. Factors we can find direct parallels in music.
Did any notes strike a chord?
At any point in your conversation did the other party understand anything? Perhaps some parts piqued their interest? Isolate those and then iterate the message.
A Harmony is Made of Good Notes
In the same way musicians experiment with notes and their sequence, we as entrepreneurs must do the same with our message. Take the good notes from above and experiment with their sequence. With some practice you get a harmonized message.
Remember Your Audience
As a rock guy, I’m not big in the boy band scene. The point is that one style isn’t better than the other, but some people just aren’t fans. The audience definitely plays a factor in reception. Niche products won’t find fans in everybody and that’s ok.
Overall, as innovators we have to be prepared for the crazy looks of confusion. Innovative ideas are inherently new and not always immediately understood. Be yourself and give it a try until you can deliver a melodious message.
But until then I guess you better just ramble on.
