Chapter 1
Tracks, Calls And Other Signs
Do not begin by asking whether an idea is good. Begin by asking whether something has caught your attention. Attention is the first footprint.
A good idea often starts as an irritation, an image, a contradiction, a phrase, a wish or a question that returns. It may not yet have a purpose. Early ideas are fragments of evidence, not completed arguments. The fieldworker records before explaining.
The habit to practise is simple: when something makes you pause, write down what caused the pause. Do not improve it. Do not add a business plan. Preserve the original shape.
Common Tracks
A recurring complaint can be the track of a practical idea. If people repeatedly struggle with the same step, the struggle points towards a tool, explanation or service.
A strong image can be the track of a story, artwork or design. It may appear without characters or meaning. Record the colours, weather, posture and mood before interpretation changes them.
A sentence you wish existed can be the track of an essay, speech or book. A question nobody answers clearly can mark the entrance to research.
Envy can also leave a useful track. When another person's project produces a sharp feeling, ask what feature caused it. The answer may be freedom, finish, scale, playfulness or courage. The goal is not to copy the work. It is to identify the need the work revealed.
The Return Test
Some ideas make one brief appearance. Others return. A returning idea deserves attention because the mind is continuing to work on it without instruction.
