Did you know Southwest Airlines was dreamed up on a paper napkin? The company’s founder drew out the initial idea on a cocktail napkin. It was a triangle representing the three cities the airline would fly between. It was a massively simple idea meant to make business travel in Texas easier.
I love how some of our best ideas come to use in the simplest places. I get great ideas in the shower. And I believe the reason the ideas are so great is that we don’t have the capacity to overthink them. An idea drawn on a cocktail napkin can’t be too complex…there’s not enough room to sketch complexity.
But we can’t confuse the simplicity of the idea with the execution. That small idea from Herb Kelleher resulted in three years of legal battles from other airlines trying to keep Southwest Airlines on the ground. These airlines felt threatened and wanted to do everything in their power to shut down this simple spark of brilliance.
I believe the simplest and most amazing ideas are where brilliance lives. But the simplicity of the idea doesn’t mean there isn’t blood, sweat, and tears involved in the process.
You could say it this way. Brilliant ideas are born on cocktail napkins. But they’re achieved on the battlefield.
We can learn two things from Southwest Airlines. First, don’t overcomplicate your idea. Never lose the simplicity of a cocktail napkin. But secondly, you need to fight for your idea. You need to clutch onto that cocktail napkin and push through the resistance. Protect that cocktail napkin and make something amazing with it.
All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant’s revolving door. – Albert Camus