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Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

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Re: Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

#41

Post by tansey »

samdk wrote: post #5

I use Gmail. I have an email thread going (sent to myself) that's I reply to every time I have a project idea. It's pretty rare that I'm thinking about project ideas and also not anywhere near a computer. And if I'm not, I just remember it for a few hours until I am or write it down on a sticky note in my wallet. I should note that I very rarely actually go back and implement these ideas--I just used to have a thing…

I do the same thing, but with one caveat. I have a subject prefix for different categories of ideas. Every idea email thread starts with "X idea:", where X is "Site", "Research", etc.

Re: Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

#42

Post by krisneuharth »

chaosprophet wrote: post #26

I have a bound notebook, which I call my ideas book. Whenever I get an idea, I write it on the notebook, one idea per page. The rest of the page goes for details like features, implementation ideas etc. Whenever I have some time to hack away on personal projects, I just flip through the notebook, choose an idea and go with it.

This has worked out well for me as well but mine has grid ruled pages for sketching out UI ideas and diagrams.

Re: Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

#43

Post by sendos »

I have an Excel spreadsheet with various columns: rank, title, description, has-been-done, scope, etc

The rank is a number that I enter manually based on my estimate of how good the idea is. When I change that value for a given idea, the spreadsheet is set up to auto-sort the ideas.

For example: an idea may have been ranked 4th, but I find out some info that makes me think the idea is not worth pursuing that much, so I change the rank value and the spreadsheet immediately puts it in its right place (e.g. 35th).

The benefit is that ideas still stick around, but the ones that I find the most likely to succeed/worth pursuing are always listed at the top for me to see.

Re: Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

#46

Post by aspiringsensei »

terryjsmith wrote: post #18

Shameless plug: http://scribld.in/ I have this problem as well, and built the site for my personal use then added a few features to open it up to others. Hope you find it useful! E-mail in profile if you have any feedback.

I would use the heck out of your site if I could text ideas into it somehow (via twitter?).

Also if it recorded metadata about my location, that'd be pretty neat. (how many seconds/word I was writing, what the weather was like, astrological stuff, etc.)

The only ways I can think of making my journal.txt file better are text integration and useless metadata...because I really do want to know if I write more while Aquarius is prominent.

Re: Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

#47

Post by dooshydoo »

I don't believe any idea is wholly worthless. Great ideas are on time, good ideas only feel late, and bad ideas are simply too early. For years I've kept two folders.

One I fill with concepts (if they can be called that) I plan to test, and the other is for those I think are too early. The good ideas have kept me afloat; the bad ideas however, have led to great things.

Always write it down. Circling ideas are an omen you're mastering the science but not the art.

Re: Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

#48

Post by Lewisham »

I'm surprised no-one put a shout out for Remember The Milk. It's not perfect, but once you go through the GTD in RTM tutorial at http://blog.rememberthemilk.com/2008/05/guest-post-advanced-... , you can get something that works pretty awesomely.

I tend to write down ideas in the "someday" list, or in the project list if it's a project. It just won't get a due date, nor tagged with "next". Every week I try to go through the list, and remove ideas that I don't think are worth following up.

I also keep a research wiki where I dump links and ideas, but I haven't gone back there for a while. I think it's largely something useful to track back the genesis of an idea, and remember why you thought of it in the first place. I often remember the solutions to problems I have forgot!

Re: Ask HN: How do you keep track of your ideas?

#49

Post by amohr »

I use notecards - I keep a stack of blanks in my bag. If they're not particularly actionable, they go up on my blog for such things(http://mohrslaws.com/Lifein3x5), otherwise, they go in the to-do pocket. If they don't fit in either, I fold them into an origami frog, draw a funny face on it and leave it by the wayside. (http://tweetphoto.com/12387364) - This is also the format I use for my business cards.

If I ever find myself wanting for something to do or ponder, I just go to the to-do pile and browse.

I like the physical aspect of this system. To me, the important thing here is getting the ideas the hell out of my head - it gets kinda crazy in there, it's no place for a delicate thing like an idea. Plus having a big, unsorted stack makes them more interesting to browse.

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