It’s easy to look at a finished book and forget the chaos it came from.
Recently when rummaging through an old box of papers, I found this (top left, circular diagram thing). That was from one evening in early 2018 where I was working on the design thinking structure and flow for Design the Future, while also trying to find a simpler process. This was still a few unglamorous diagrams away from the clear, usable blueprint for you in the book.
And amusingly, in hindsight, I see a connection between that diagram and my second book, Main Batata Hoon, for which I probably started collecting amusing stories and instances from around that time until the book was shaping up in 2024. Craziest bit, that book started out as a regular non-fiction, to me briefly considering making it a comic book for easier consumption, to realizing the complexities of comics and gaining newfound respect for their creators. And to finally settling for a format entirely new to me: short stories in conversational format.
The shreds of paper (lower left) are from working on Think Like an Innovator. The chaotic mess where books often begin. Piles of torn-up ideas, tasks and flows that weren’t good enough for you to read. Far from the pretty outcomes they eventually shape.
The journey isn’t about being smart; it’s about filtering that mess until only the most useful blueprints (Design the Future), the most entertaining insights (Main Batata Hoon), and most practical innovation approach (Think Like an Innovator) remain for the reader.
Does this messy reality resonate with your own creative process? Or do you prefer to forget the grind and focus only on the polished final result? Let me know below.