I got feedback that my Reasons No One Likes Your Ideas was missing one important reason: your ideas are bad.

I intentionally left that off the list, because it opens a whole new can of worms. I’m ready to open that can now.

You’ve heard the saying, “There’s no such thing as a bad idea.”

Not true. There are plenty of bad ideas out there. Some are short-sighted, others are just plain stupid. We know bad ideas exist. We’ve seen them, heard them and thought of them ourselves. This phrase is helpful in brainstorming sessions because you don’t want a brilliant idea to be kept a secret for fear of criticism. It’s not a claim that all ideas are worthwhile.

So, how can you tell if your idea is dead in the water?

1) It puts you in the wrong batter’s box.
In baseball, unless you’re a switch hitter, batting from the other side of the plate greatly reduces your effectiveness. If your idea doesn’t line up with strengths, consider whether there’s a better solution on the right side of the plate. You’ll hit more homeruns by focusing on your strengths.

2) It’s pie in the sky.
Is your idea disconnected from reality? Does it actually solve a problem, or is it just cool? Form follows function. This doesn’t mean your idea can’t be cool. Great design is a must today, but if isn’t purposeful then it’s useless. Be careful. This is very subjective. What you think is ‘pie in the sky’ may be a great idea that simply has to be reconnected to reality.

3) You’re trading flies for frogs.
Is an army of frogs your solution to a plague of flies? Congratulations! You just traded one problem for another (possibly bigger problem). Does your idea create a bigger issue than it solves? Then it’s probably not a solution. It’s just another problem.

4) Imitation is the greatest form of flattening.
I’m not talking about flat hierarchy or “The World Is Flat” thinking. I’m talking about flat as in no peaks or valleys. As in a flatline on an EKG. Flat without anything to grip or hold onto. Want a flat company? Copy your competitor’s ideas. You’ll lose anything that makes you different from the competition. Your products become flat. Your marketing will be flat. And so will your sales.

5) You never wake up from the dream.
I love to dream BIG. But if you never wake up from the dream and make it a reality, what good is the idea? There is a difference between creativity and imagination. Execution. CREATIVITY = IMAGINATION + EXECUTION (C = I + E). In order to be creative, you have to CREATE something. Dreaming big only gets you halfway there. Don’t be afraid to go the rest of the way. Your idea might be great, but no one will know if it’s never created.

This is not an exhaustive list, nor is it always applicable. These five signs help create a rule of thumb. Another reason I didn’t write about this before is I believe bad ideas can lead to good ideas. Give yourself, and others, the grace to throw a bad idea into the hopper. You never know what epiphanies may follow.