The Creativity Playbook

Idea Launch Game

Choose one of your ideas quickly, then spend 30 minutes giving it a name, a mission and a crew. At the end you have a launch plan.

Updated

Idea Launch Game

A worked example from the book

  1. 1. Choose one idea, quickly. Pick from ideas you have already generated, on gut instinct or even at random. The decision has to be made fast, because the countdown has begun. The book says the Kill the Idea game is a good way to home in on one.

  2. 2. Who am I? Give it a name and a look. To take an idea from words on a scrap of paper, give it an identity: a name, however gimmicky, and a sketch, however scrappy. The name can communicate what the idea is, as Super Glue does, or hint at its purpose. The book’s other example is Nike, the Greek goddess of strength, speed and victory. Think about who it is aimed at, what it will make them feel, and how it is better or different from the competition. The sketch can be a crude line drawing.

  3. 3. What is the mission? Every idea needs a practical application with real goals, a clear plan and criteria for success. Write it up as a short news story with a punchy headline and the key details: what the idea is, what the point of it is, and who it is aimed at.

  4. 4. Who is on the crew? It is almost impossible to do it alone. Make a list of the people, inside your organization and outside it, who you could work with to launch the idea. The book adds "(or monkeys)".

  5. 5. Do it all within 30 minutes. To win, create a full launch plan in 30 minutes. The book’s next words are "Now let’s go and launch an idea for real!"

Choose your idea below. The 30 minutes start when you do.

Add at least one idea.

How to play

  1. Choose one idea. From ideas you already have, pick one quickly, on gut instinct or at random. The countdown starts the moment you choose.
  2. Who am I? Give the idea a name, however gimmicky, and a look. Sketch it on paper, however scrappy, and describe it.
  3. What is my mission? Write the idea up as a short news story with a punchy headline: what it is, what the point of it is and who it is aimed at.
  4. Who is on the crew? List the people, inside and outside your organization, who could help you launch it.
  5. Blast off. You have 30 minutes. At the end you have a launch plan you can copy or print.

Why it works

The Blast Off chapter says that launching an idea is as important as coming up with it. An idea on a scrap of paper is easy to leave there. A name, a sketch, a news story and a list of people turns it into something tangible that you can imagine actually happening. The 30 minutes keep you from polishing, and the quick choice keeps you from comparing ideas for ever.

Naming and the news story

The book offers two ways to name an idea. A name can communicate its main characteristics, like Super Glue, or it can convey a sense of purpose, like Nike, the Greek goddess of strength, speed and victory. Think about who the idea is for, what it will make them feel and how it is better or different from the competition.

The news story is a test as well as a plan. If you cannot write a punchy headline for your idea, or say who it is for, the idea is probably not ready.

Where this comes from

This is the Blast Off! board game from the last chapter, played on screen. The rules and the examples are the book’s. Nothing you type leaves your browser and nothing is stored. The timer keeps running if you leave the tab open, but closing the page loses your plan, so copy it before you go.

Prefer paper? The product launch plan template is a printable one-page version of the same plan.

Questions

Can I use an idea from another game? Yes. The book says the Kill the Idea game is a good way to home in on one. The Kill the Idea game is here too.

What if I run out of time? The game shows what you have written so far as your launch plan.

Is the crew really necessary? The book says it is almost impossible to do it alone.