Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1352IR // #c1352Synthesis

"It was a skeleton structure that we would add only a few minor bells and whistles to as the tour picked up steam."

— In our words · Source: Cancel Me If You Can (Dave Portnoy)

[Use when]

You're launching an experiment and want to spend on production before you know anyone will come.

[Why it matters]

The Blackout Tour started as a sponsor's free frat parties with blacklights from Spencer's Gifts and a house DJ. Portnoy rented equipment at first and only bought lasers and cannons once ticket sales kept rolling in.

Filed under situations:When it’s day one and nothing exists yetWhen you’re building the thing, not just planning it

More from Cancel Me If You Can

#c1344"At this point the business model was pretty simple: if I could sell $3,400 worth of ads in the newspaper, I would break even."You're running a new venture on thin cash and the finances feel vague. #c1345"How do you sell ads for a newspaper that doesn’t exist? On promises."You need paying customers before you have a finished product. #c1346"I’d sift through all my competitors’ publications in Boston and call every single one of their advertisers every single week to poach them…You're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are.

Same situation, different book

#c1385Inclusive means the whole lineYou're extending a product to a new group of customers with a stripped-down version.From Matriarch #c1379The outfits you worry about are the ones that hitYou're about to tone down a piece of work because it feels like too much.From Matriarch #c1366Find the need: time and respectYou're looking for a business idea and keep thinking about products instead of what annoys your customers.From Matriarch #c1212Pick the topic from what has already piled upYou need to choose your next project, essay or product idea and are staring at a blank page.From How to Take Smart Notes