Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
DV Weekend Pickup #56
Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath
What exactly is a sticky idea? What does "sticky" even mean? The Heath brothers take you on a well researched journey answering those questions. Taking it even further by showing you WHY some ideas stick, WHAT it looks like WHEN ideas stick, and HOW you can make ideas stick as well. One of the most important lessons is perhaps...
"The Curse of Knowledge: when we are given knowledge, it is impossible to imagine what it's like to lack that knowledge."
...remembering the more research, time, and knowledge you obtain on any subject sometimes and often does make it harder to clearly explain. "Curiosity occurs when we feel a gap in our knowledge," say the Heath brothers. This is the gap we must fill for effective communicators. Made to Stick draws on case studies ranging from Subway's famous Jared campaign to "The Sinatra Test" to silly urban legends. All examples are intended to shed light on their 6 steps of a sticky idea...
- Simplicity
- Unexpectedness
- Concreteness
- Credibility
- Emotional
- Stories
...with #1 simplicity being the root concept for every sticky idea. Finding the core of an idea comes first, otherwise you risk everything else that flows from it being less sticky. This concept really hit home because it resembles a theory I've long been in support of regarding simplicity. Overall, Made to Stick is a fun read that provides an actionable template for you to communicate ideas effectively.
Crush the day!
DV