Derek Sivers podcast

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Ideas are just a multiplier of execution Aug 16, 2005

Show notes

It’s so funny when I hear people being so protective of ideas. People who want me to sign a non-disclosure agreement to tell me the simplest idea.

Ideas are worth nothing unless executed. They are just a multiplier. Execution is worth millions.

Explanation:

AWFUL IDEA	-1
WEAK IDEA	1
SO-SO IDEA	5
GOOD IDEA	10
GREAT IDEA	15
BRILLIANT IDEA	20

NO EXECUTION	$1
WEAK EXECUTION	$1000
SO-SO EXECUTION	$10,000
GOOD EXECUTION	$100,000
GREAT EXECUTION	$1,000,000
BRILLIANT EXECUTION	$10,000,000

To make a business, you need to multiply the two.

The most brilliant idea, with no execution, is worth $20.

The most brilliant idea takes great execution to be worth $20,000,000.

That’s why I don’t want to hear people’s ideas.

I’m not interested until I see their execution.

Compass in your gut Sep 10, 2000

Show notes

Your instincts have a compass that points two directions:

what excites you
what drains you

No matter what advice anyone gives you — no matter how smart they may be — you need to let this compass guide you.

Whatever excites you, go do it.

Whatever drains you, stop doing it.

For example: Many musicians get into music because they love playing their instrument. They love it so much they want to do it full-time. But then well-meaning people say, “If you’re going to be in the music business, you have to read this book on music business law, and you have to learn networking skills, and marketing, and tech skills, and accounting, and writing good newsletters, and blah blah blah.” Soon those musicians are spending all their time doing everything but playing their instrument, and decide it’s not worth it! They give up, get a dumb job, and lose interest in their instrument, because a career in music seems tedious and overwhelming.

But nothing is worth losing your enthusiasm. Nothing!

Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it. You have to pay close attention to that compass, even in little day-to-day decisions.

You get offered a gig. They’re on the phone waiting for an answer. Does it excite you or drain you?

You hear about some new technology. People say you need to check out this new app. Does it excite you or drain you?

If it doesn’t excite you, don’t do it. There’s almost nothing that you must do.

Whatever you hate doing, someone out there loves doing it. So if it’s necessary, find them and let them do it.

Work toward this ideal, and soon you’ll be doing only what excites you the most.

Then you’ll find that doors open for you, opportunities come your way, and life seems to go easier, because you’re doing what you’re meant to do.

Ignore advice that drains you Sep 07, 2000

Show notes

My music career was derailed when I took some advice from an expert.

When my own music was at its peak success, a famous lawyer said he wanted to work with me. He said I should start a label, sign a few other artists, make them successful too. Then instead of getting me a simple artist deal, he could help me get a deal for the entire label for over a million dollars.

I walked out of his office sad, but acknowledging that he was right. That was the smartest thing to do to be a big success. So that’s what I did. I stopped putting my full attention into my own music, and tried to sign and produce other artists.

I spent two long years on this. But the whole time, I hated it! I only loved my own music. I only wanted to be an artist, not a label.

So, as you can imagine, it didn’t go well. My label was a failure, and my own music career lost momentum because I lost focus.

I wish I had paid attention to my emotions, and not wasted years of my life following someone’s advice.

Point is: You’re going to hear a lot of advice. Listen to it all, but pay close attention to what it does to your energy and focus. If it makes you jump into action, it’s good advice. If it makes you feel drained, sad, or lost, then it’s not for you.

You don’t get extreme results without extreme actions Aug 30, 2000

Show notes

You can’t just normal your way through this.

Extreme talent requires extreme practice — training like an Olympic athlete.

Extreme success requires extreme focus — saying no to distractions and leisure.

Extreme fame requires extreme ambition — taking the spotlight and its pressure.

You can’t do what everyone else does. You can’t watch 63 hours of everyone’s favorite TV show. You can’t get two dogs that need you to be home. That’s for normal people who want a normal life. That’s not for you.

The music business is no place to be normal. The more intense, the better. Normal people will think you’re insane. But your fellow achievers will welcome you to the exclusive club.

When you are not practicing, someone somewhere is practicing. And when you meet him, he will win.

Throw yourself into this entirely. Find what you love and let it kill you.

Be a competent novice, not an expert Aug 27, 2000

Show notes

Don’t go too far down the rabbit hole of managing your little business.

It can become a brainless escape — a way to avoid the more open-hearted vulnerable work of making music. Updating your website instead of practicing. Answering emails instead of writing a new song.

Despite the fact that I talk so much about marketing, never forget that your music itself is always the most important thing. Unless your music is great, everything else is moot.

Get to the point of being a competent novice at business, then let an expert take it further.

If you sense you are becoming an expert, figure out what you love more. Maybe you’re a better publicist than bassist. Maybe you’re a better bassist than publicist.

Maybe it’s time to admit your weakness as a booking agent, and hand it off to someone else. Maybe it’s time to admit your genius as a booking agent, and commit to it full-time.

You can do anything, but you can’t do everything. You have to decide.

Have someone work the inside of the industry Aug 23, 2000

Show notes

Moby, the famous techno artist, was interviewed by a journalist who said, “I’ve known you since your early days, and we both know that there were many amazing artists in your scene. So why did you get so much more successful than them?”

Moby said, “While they were pasting up flyers to promote their next gig, I just put that same amount of energy into finding a great team: a manager, agent, publicist, and label. Then, while other musicians just kept gigging, my career took off because of my team.”

This came up again when I read the biography of the band U2. After their first hit, they encountered this band in Boston that had been gigging relentlessly for ten years. The guitarist said sadly, “One song on the radio does more for your career than ten years of gigs.”

You can write a hundred songs. You can do a thousand gigs. You can have a million followers. But it won’t get you as far as having someone work the inside of the industry.

Finding your team is hard, but no harder than promoting gigs. And you’ll get a much better reward for your effort.

Get rejected, get filtered Aug 13, 2000

Show notes

Have you heard of rejection therapy? It’s a challenge — kind of a game — where you make it your mission to get rejected by someone every day. You have to do crazy things, like asking a stranger if you can try a bite of their sandwich. If they say no, you win for the day. The real point of the challenge is to overcome the fear of rejection by constantly exposing yourself to it.

Musicians usually send their music only to places that take everything. In other words: places that won’t reject it. It’s easier and feels better.

But think of the places that reject most music. Like media outlets, venues, and festivals. Like top professionals: successful agents, promoters, and producers. And ideally, places that usually don’t have music at all.

If you look hard for them, you can find them, and do whatever it takes to get your music accepted by them. It takes more work, and you’ll be rejected a lot. But you could approach it like rejection therapy.

Because once you get into any of these places, your credibility sets you apart from the rest, and opens more doors. You can even re-approach the places that rejected you before.

When you can show that you’ve made it through the filters — the places that weed out the bad music — it puts you in finer company: the best of the best.

Many more opportunities will open to you once you’ve earned your way through a few filters.

Put your fans to work Aug 04, 2000

Show notes

You know that guy who comes to all your shows?

You know that woman who tells you how much she loves your music?

You know that fan who said, “If you ever need anything, just ask!”?

Put them to work!

People who reach out like that are looking for a better mission — a connection to your world. You might be the coolest thing that ever happened to a teenager going through an unpopular phase. You might help someone start a new life after a break-up. You can provide some exciting variety to their boring routines.

Write out a list of what needs to be done. Invite them over for pizza to spend an evening helping. Hit the town together, posting concert flyers. Ask them to go through a list of media outlets and contact five people per week.

You might think, “How could anyone want to do this boring work for free?” But many people have too much time on their hands, and want to spend it on something besides TV.

To most people, the music business is pure magic. It’s rebellion and passion and fantastically romantic. They can live vicariously through someone following their passionate dreams against all odds.

Working with you might be the closest they get to that magical world. Give someone the chance to be on the inside circle. Put them to work.

Call the destination, and ask for directions Aug 01, 2000

Show notes

Most of us don’t know what to do next. We know where we want to be, but we don’t know how to get there.

The solution is incredibly simple and effective:

Work backwards. Just contact someone who’s there, and ask how to get there.

If you want to be in Rolling Stone magazine, call their main office in New York City. When the receptionist answers, say “Editorial, please.” Ask someone in the editorial department which publicists they recommend. Then call each publicist, and ask how to become their client.

If you want to play a concert at the biggest club in town, show up on a weekday afternoon. Bring a box of pastries to the person that does the booking, and ask for just five minutes of their advice. Ask them what criteria must be met in order for them to take a chance on a new act. Ask what booking agents they recommend, or if they recommend using one at all. Keep your meeting as short as possible. Get the crucial info, then leave them alone until you’re playing their club some day.

Call the destination, and ask for directions.

You’ll get there much faster than walking without a map, hoping you arrive someday.

Or you can not talk at all Jul 04, 2000

Show notes

Maybe all these words have got you down, and you have nothing new to say?

Spend some money on a great photographer, and make a great video.

Plenty of sexy famous artists have proven that you don’t have to talk and talk.

But if you don’t, it’s all up to the image, so your image better be really damn appealing.