If you are about to venture into something or if you are passionate about something period, you will follow what’s going on; maybe buy magazines on the topic or you attend an event in your city. When you are really into something, you absorb every new information. To be the best at what you do, that’s what it takes, knowing everything, understanding everything.
You need to follow everything that goes on online, too. It’s still important to follow what’s going on locally, go through magazines, attend events, talk to people, but web is where you often get so much more information. Do one and the other, you still need to be a part of the “real world”. Web is a place where you can find anything and anyone, we are talking on an international basis now. Don’t underestimate blogs, they are not just personal meanderings, they are jam packed websites with great information and people behind them who are there every day, working on them, responding. Get an RSS feed reader, like google’s, and follow interesting sites and people.
Do regular searches on specific topics within your niche, about people who talk about something related, about news. Interact through your favourite social network with people who are in the same industry, with people who are passionate about that same topics just like you would if you went out with a friend for a cup of coffee. These are the same people, except you are in virtual surroundings. When you talk to people, ask for information, for input, give your opinion, dicsuss ideas, but most of all listen and learn. The ones that go the furthest know how to listen. You need to become a part of that world, to be out there all the time. If you want to be the best at something that’s what you have to do and a lot more.
From following all that online and off, you will be able to generate ideas almost on a daily basis, but don’t forget to participate. It’s more about the hands on stuff, then the inspiration. You can’t be the best if you don’t have the best answer, if you have no idea what the hell is going on out there, if you are not faster then everybody else.
How do you do that? You listen, you interact, you follow, and you take time to think about it, absorb all that information to be able to create the best solution, product, service there is. And you start doing that before you start a business.
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