Chasing the Monster Idea: The Marketer's Almanac for Predicting Idea Epicness

"I have an idea."

That's what Alex said to me just before he laid out his master plan for community domination. Alex and I met just after college when he started looking for a local design firm to develop the logo for his one-man pest control company. He came from a long line of exterminators, which I always thought was a killer thing to say at parties. (Pun intended. Laugh, dammit!) Alex was completely consumed with a passion to make it on his own, he wanted nothing more than to succeed without his parent's help and out from under his parent's name. I applauded his initiative and was drawn to his passion. I've always been drawn to people who have a passion for whatever. You could have a deep-rooted passion for human taxidermy and I'd probably still be drawn to you. (That was an example, not an invitation. No, seriously.)

Alex's logo was one of the first I designed professionally, and I was quite proud of it. I entered it in every design contest imaginable thinking this was going to be the project that put me on the map. Looking back now, the mark is so decisively atrocious, I wouldn't dare show it to anyone I liked. Even if I didn't like you, I'd probably still shield you from the horror (and as evidenced by it's absence from this page, consider yourself mercifully saved). Alex, however, loved it and we developed a friendship around the work. We've grown apart over the years, and I'd like to think it had nothing to do with my impassioned encouragement to put his time, money, and ...