Treat ideas as visitors and move fast before they move on

History is full of simultaneous discoveries—calculus, the telephone, oxygen—emerging in different places at nearly the same time. Sociologist Robert K. Merton called it multiple discovery, and it makes sense when you consider the “adjacent possible,” the set of ideas made reachable by current knowledge and tools. When conditions are ripe, many minds arrive at similar thresholds. That means ideas aren’t scarce so much as time‑sensitive.

Practically, it helps to treat ideas like visitors rather than property. When one knocks, capture it quickly: give it a title and a sentence. Then, within 72 hours, do one concrete thing while the spark is warm. A designer might sketch three frames. A scientist might scan PubMed for half an hour. A musician might record a 30‑second motif on their phone labeled with the date and a name.

A micro‑anecdote: a developer had an idea for a minimalist timer. He titled it “QuietTimer,” built a scrappy web version in an evening, and tweeted it. Two weeks later, he saw a similar app on Product Hunt. Instead of spiraling, he compared notes, improved his niche use case, and kept going. The crucial part was that he’d moved early enough to learn from reality, not fantasy.

Cognitively, quick steps leverage the novelty effect and reduce the planning fallacy. Setting a decision date prevents the Zeigarnik effect from clogging your attention with half‑promises. Releasing ideas with intention keeps your mental workspace clear, which lets you greet the next visitor with energy. You don’t need to hoard ideas; you need a respectful, fast process for collaborating with them while they’re in your care.

When a new idea arrives, write one crisp sentence and a working title in your Idea Inbox. Within 72 hours, take a single visible step—an outline, a three‑frame sketch, a 30‑second demo, or a test email—to confirm momentum. Put a decision date on your calendar within two weeks to choose whether to commit, park, or release. If you release it, archive the note and say thanks so you’re not haunted by maybes. This way, you stay a generous host to ideas without being buried by them. Start with the next idea that taps you.