Stupid ideas are the worst.
They are a waste of time.
Stupid ideas get in the way of the ideas that deserve our attention.
And they bring out the stupid in people. Stupid ideas make people stupid.
So if you have a stupid idea, and you decide to tell anybody about it, you are going to look so stupid. Guaranteed.
You should not tell anyone about your stupid ideas.
Except us.
WE WELCOME YOUR STUPID IDEAS.
Because we know that sometimes the smartest ideas hide out among stupid ideas. The more stupid ideas there are, the more smart ideas will be discovered and realized.
For instance, Potato Salad – a crowd-funding campaign for a guy to make potato salad. The goal was $10. It’s currently at over $45,000 with 3 weeks left in its campaign. (Update: The campaign has ended with $55,492)
While I am a huge fan of potato salad – and, in fact, most of the dishes in Picnic Cuisine – I am not a fan of this campaign. I scoff in its general direction. I would rather see these thousands of dollars go to something more worth contributing to.
But I also suspect that there may be something necessary about this kind of campaign, ridicule though it may be. Like a cracker between wine tastings. Or the fallowing of a field.
What does it mean that someone could raise thousands and thousands of dollars based solely on the premise that he’s going to make some potato salad? It’s absurd that I’m even asking this question.
It shows that collectively we have the ability to generate a large amount of money in a short amount of time in order to cause action. This has been shown time and again in countless other crowd-sourcing campaigns. But what I think Potato Salad isolates is really the key to successful crowd-sourcing: inspiration.
There are 2 things that are true about every contributor to Potato Salad:
1. They get the joke.
2. They are in on the joke. They’re part of it now.
The latter is where inspiration exists. Contributors, activators, sponsors, innovators, participants – all need to feel like they are part of the challenge, like they’re all in on the metaphorical joke.
And if an idea as stupid as making potato salad can be so inspiring, I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen when a really, really smart idea pops up from among all the stupid ideas out there.
To expedite that process, here are 5 more Stupid Ideas:
Motorized Tricycles. For that 4-year-old on the go. Goal of $20,000 towards a prototype. Perks include tricycle-shaped key fobs and a 9V battery pendant.
Camera-tar. An HD digital camera in the shape of a full-size electric guitar. Goal of $100,000 towards manufacturing, marketing and distribution. From the description: “Serious inquiries only.”
My Movie Me Mine. A short film project about the making of a documentary about a movie about crowd-funding short films. Goal of $25,000 towards pre-production.
Duck Duck Goosiest. Attempting to breaking the record for the most number of people playing a single game of Duck Duck Goose. Goal of $2,000,000. Most of the budget to be spent on school buses and lemonade.
I’m Building a Bonfire! Terry in Redondo Beach will be building a bonfire this Sunday. Need cash for the collection of driftwood – or B.Y.O.D. – but also to pay off the local po-po. Goal of $150, or just $100 if you’ve got a line on some wood. Either way, swing by.
