Inside My Idea Intake, Development, and Content Creation System

What is a content creator’s product? A course? A book? A podcast? A newsletter?

I think it’s your IDEA that’s the true product — and all the various ways others “use” your product are its features (the course, the book, the podcast, the newsletter).

As a creator, I consider myself an explorer, not an expert. (In fact, the most popular episode of Unthinkable in 2022 was about this exact re-framing of our work. It was called Leaving Expertville, and it includes a framework called the Quest Matrix from a person I consider to be among the best living thinkers in all of this work-stuff we do. Find the episode Leaving Expertville wherever you listen to podcasts.)

So, beginning with that framing of my work, taking you through every step of the way until an idea becomes something “real,” something you can experience (or even buy), I wanted to walk step by step through my process. In this video (and the below flowchart), I will visualize and dissect my entire operating system, from vague notions to usable ideas to free content I create to paid projects supporting my business.

Watch the video to see me break it all down piece by piece, and find the full image below that — including an editable template if you want to create your own.

Here is the end-to-end look at what I call my IP development OS.

My IP Development OS:

👉 Want to create your own? Click to download an editable copy.