Big Ideas Little Pictures

Sketchplanations in a book! I think you'll love Big Ideas Little Pictures

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Starting a company

Starting a Company - Reid Hoffman quote illustration: a brave soul leaps off a tall coastal cliff with only a backpack for survival. On their way down, they quickly assemble a plane from the components in the backpack and pilot it away from the beckoning sea - just in time! Written in the sky is the quote: "Starting a Company is like jumping off a cliff and assembling a plane on the way down."

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Starting a company isn't easy. Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn, says:

"Starting a company is like jumping off a cliff and assembling the plane on the way down."

But just because it's hard doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. I remember receiving some advice that you shouldn't wait around for the right time to have children as you'll never find it. I suspect starting a company is similar. It reminds me of this lovely quote I have taken to heart from Hugh Laurie:

"It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any."

As far as I could tell, unconsciously or separately, Reid's version relates to Ray Bradbury's earlier advice of jumping off a cliff and building your wings on the way down .

This quote, modified to a lovely two-page spread, features with a number of others in my book Big Ideas Little Pictures.

Published 27 Dec 2020

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Benefits to you from getting started chart — put it off and stress about it = no benefit, start now with something = some benefit

Benefits to you from getting started

Feedback fear illustration: A poor soul goes through all sorts of internal doubts about what they might have done wrong and how they might have failed when someone gives a friendly suggestion to ask what others think

Short Speeches illustration: A bar chart shows how the the length of time it takes to prepare a speech decreases as the length of the speech itself increases - to the point where the plucky character charged with delivering a speech of no pre-determined length is happy to wing it.

Leading from any chair, the fifth practice from The Art of Possibility by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander. From Eugene Lehner's story: What would I say should I suddenly be called upon to lead?

Leading from Any Chair

OODA Loop explained: military strategist John Boyd's framework for action in conflict is shown as a closed loop cycle of Orient, Decide, Act, Observe and back to the beginning. The cycle also applies to business when you reconsider the points on the cycle as Frame, Strategize, Test, Gather.

Joy and Vulnerability illustration: as a parent tucks their young child into bed at night, they simultaneously acknowledge their deep-felt love and anxiety for if anything should happen to the child; they simultaneously experience joy and vulnerability.

Joy and vulnerability

Alternatives researched, well qualified, books bought and read, desk clean, no disruptions, sitting comfortably, inbox cleared, coffee in hand, ready to get started? It’s easy to be paralyzed by choices, unsure of our expertise, gnawed by doubt and uncertain if we’re ready to give something a go. For many of us, the threshold is high to get started on the projects in our heads, the actions to improve our finances or the exercise we plan to do. It’s so easy to think we’re not ready. Here’s the actor Hugh Laurie with one of my favourite pieces of advice: “It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that, actually, no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” — Hugh Laurie Getting started allows us to start learning. Sure, our first steps might be the wrong ones, but in starting, we soon find the right ones. This sketch is in the style of the financial advisor Carl Richards who publishes at behaviorgap.com. His simple, minimalist drawings do a great job of hitting home a point, and he also shares the wise advice: “The only mistake you can make when it comes to financial planning is doing nothing.” When I worked as head of user experience and design at Nutmeg I saw, time and again, that the largest mistake people made with their finances was putting it off and, ultimately, doing nothing. Worried about making a hash of something? Don’t worry. The first draft is always perfect. Here are more of my sketches with my thoughts on getting started. This sketch was revised (see original) for the book Big Ideas Little Pictures.…Alternatives researched, well qualified, books bought and read, desk clean, no disruptions, sitting comfortably, inbox cleared, coffee in hand, ready to get started? It’s easy to be paralyzed by choices, unsure of our expertise, gnawed by doubt and uncertain if we’re ready to give something a go. For many of us, the threshold is high to get started on the projects in our heads, the actions to improve our finances or the exercise we plan to do. It’s so easy to think we’re not ready. Here’s the actor Hugh Laurie with one of my favourite pieces of advice: “It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling now that, actually, no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” — Hugh Laurie Getting started allows us to start learning. Sure, our first steps might be the wrong ones, but in starting, we soon find the right ones. This sketch is in the style of the financial advisor Carl Richards who publishes at behaviorgap.com. His simple, minimalist drawings do a great job of hitting home a point, and he also shares the wise advice: “The only mistake you can make when it comes to financial planning is doing nothing.” When I worked as head of user experience and design at Nutmeg I saw, time and again, that the largest mistake people made with their finances was putting it off and, ultimately, doing nothing. Worried about making a hash of something? Don’t worry. The first draft is always perfect. Here are more of my sketches with my thoughts on getting started. This sketch was revised (see original) for the book Big Ideas Little Pictures.

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