How to Make a Marketing Idea So Bold It Scares You (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

Here’s the rule I live by: If your idea doesn’t make someone nervous, it’s probably not good enough.

The best marketing ideas don’t live in the middle of the road, that’s where roadkill happens. They live on the edge. They make people feel something. They make people talk.

Playing It Safe Is the Riskiest Move of All

Every day I see brands spend millions trying to avoid being disliked. They sand down the edges, test every line, get fifty approvals, and by the time it launches, nobody feels anything.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: when you try to please everyone, you disappear.

Playing it safe doesn’t just make your marketing boring; it makes it invisible.

The Cloud That Shouldn’t Have Worked

When everyone in tech started using the term “cloud software,” it became meaningless. So instead of running another generic digital campaign, we did something insane: we put a real cloud in the sky with a skywriting message.

People thought we’d lost it. It was expensive, hard to explain, and the weather almost ruined everything. But when that cloud appeared, the world noticed.

It wasn’t a campaign, it was a statement. It told people that this wasn’t just another startup shouting “innovation!” It was the one bold enough to make the metaphor real.

Bold Doesn’t Mean Reckless

Now, don’t get me wrong, bold isn’t the same as dumb. You don’t need to risk lawsuits or careers to make noise. But you do need Business Courage, the ability to tell the difference between discomfort and danger.

When you pitch an idea and your stomach flips a little, that’s good. That’s your creative instinct recognizing risk worth taking. If your stomach flips because you might go to jail, that’s a different problem.

Bold ideas walk the line between fear and brilliance. The key is learning to live there comfortably.

You Don’t Need Approval, You Need Belief

The first time I pitched a “crazy” idea, I expected applause. Instead, I got silence, eye rolls, and the classic “That’ll never work.” It worked.

Bold ideas will always meet resistance because they threaten comfort zones. But the same people who reject boldness are the ones who’ll later take credit for it when it succeeds.

You can’t build a memorable brand without believing in your own taste first.

The Book That Shows You How to Stand on the Edge

My book goes deep into this, not the motivational nonsense, but the actual steps to build and sell big ideas that scare you (and everyone around you) just enough to matter.

Because in a world full of safe bets, bravery is the real differentiator. And if your marketing never scares you a little… you’re not being brave enough.

👉 Learn how to live in that “edge zone” in my book, “The Only Creative Process That Matters.”