Today I spoke to someone about marketing. Not marketing of their company or product but their idea. The notion of getting your idea out into the world, have people talk about, discuss and contribute to it. In a word: Becoming remarkable.
I am sure you follow quite a few people who are “remarkable” — people who spread an idea which stands out, appeals to you, enriches you and you made your own over time. Seth Godin gave us wild ideas on marketing. Eric Ries made us fall in love with Lean Startup. Ben Horowitz explained to us the hard thing about hard things.
To be remarkable you not just need something which compels others to remark about it to their friends and acquaintances but — and this is equally as important — also a venue which supports such remarks. As Seth Godin would say: You need to find your tribe.
All too often I see folks with good ideas go nowhere as they preach to the wrong quire. Once you have your message — in TED parlor “an idea worth spreading” — figure out who the people are who will resonate with your message.
Eric Ries started out with entrepreneurs. Lean Startup was, for a while, the Bible for founders. Funny enough — and for many reasons — lean (in it’s purest form) doesn’t work all that well for startups. It works remarkably well for corporate innovation though. Eric found a venue which indeed supports his remarks — Meanwhile, the startup world seems to have absorbed his message and moved on.
Remember: There are two parts to being remarkable — message and audience. You need both.