Rick Turoczy discusses ideas and entrepreneurship. He argues that great entrepreneurs are successful because they can think small by focusing on attainable details rather than dreaming too big. Entrepreneurs must balance focusing on small improvements while also appreciating larger potential. Turoczy encourages cultivating curiosity through asking "what if" questions, embracing risks and failures, and fixing problems poorly rather than worrying about perfection. The most impactful ideas are often just small incremental changes that lead to common sense solutions over time.

1. Ideas about ideas
Rick Turoczy, PIE

2. Nearly 20 years in the Portland startup scene.

5. In four years, PIE has influenced
600+ companies around the world and
accelerated 40+ startups – which have
raised $100MM+ in venture capital and
generated 400+ high-paying jobs.

6. Let’s talk about ideas, inspiration, and
entrepreneurs.

7. Great entrepreneurs are not successful because of
their ability to dream big.

8. Great entrepreneurs are successful because they
can think small.

9. If you want to boil the ocean, you’ve got to figure
out how to make a kettle whistle, first.

10. Appreciate the earth-shattering potential…

11. Focus on the attainable minutiae.

12. The challenge of the entrepreneurially minded is
balancing this schizophrenia.

13. Sherlock Holmes, Encyclopedia Brown, and
Scooby Doo would have been great entrepreneurs.

14. So how do you cultivate that way of thinking?

15. Reward curiosity.

16. Encourage people to ask “What if…?”

17. Facilitate invention but seek innovation.

18. Embrace risk. Fail harderer.

19. Let fear drive you.

20. You don’t have to fix everything.
Just fix one thing.

21. And fix it poorly.

22. Don’t worry. Be crappy.

23. And while you’re doing this, bear in mind…

24. Common sense is not common.

25. The most successful intuitive leaps
are usually just small hops.

26. Wisdom is a series of failed ideas that result in
“common sense.”

27. You don’t always have to have an
earth-shattering, boil-the-ocean vision.

28. So let me leave you with this…

29. What is your Pez dispenser?

30. Thank you
rick@piepdx.com
@turoczy