Course 2/Pick Your Thing

1.1

You Do Not Need a Big Idea

Find a real project in what you already know — not what sounds impressive.

Every project starts the same way. You think of something, then immediately think of a reason it isn't quite right.

Not original enough. Not big enough. Someone has probably done something like it already.

So you wait for a better idea to arrive. This is the trap. This lesson is about getting out of it.

The Idea

The best first projects are usually not novel ideas. They are familiar ideas made more specific. A guide for the exact person you were two years ago. A newsletter about the thing you keep explaining to people. A simple resource you wish had existed when you needed it.

Specificity is not a consolation prize for lacking originality. It is what makes a project worth making. The more precisely something is made for a real person, the more it feels like it was made exactly for them.

You do not need a new idea. You need a real one — something you actually care about, know something about, and could picture someone using.

Example
Prompt
I want to make something, but I'm not sure what. Here are some things I know well, care about, or keep explaining to people: [list 5–8 things, as specific as possible]. Based on this, suggest 3 project ideas that are small, specific, and practical. For each one, tell me who it would most help and what form it might take.
Input (example)

Things I know: how to make a freelance career work as an introvert, cooking without recipes, talking to my kids about money, remote work with young children at home, the first year after leaving a corporate job.

Result

1. A guide for introverted freelancers — how to build a client base without networking in ways that drain you.For:people who left a job and feel out of their depth socially.

2.A short newsletter on the first year after leaving corporate — the practical and emotional things nobody told you.For:people mid-transition who feel behind.

3. A simple resource on talking to kids about money — not theory, just what to actually say at different ages.For:parents who feel unqualified to start.

What this does

It gets your knowledge out of your head and onto the page. It asks AI to find the project in what you already have — not to invent something new. Three options also means you get to notice which one you feel pulled toward.

Try This Now

List five to eight things you know, care about, or keep explaining to people. They do not need to be impressive. Specificity matters more than significance. Then run the prompt.

I want to make something, but I'm not sure what. Here are some things I know well, care about, or keep explaining to people: [your list here]. Based on this, suggest 3 project ideas that are small, specific, and practical. For each one, tell me who it would most help and what form it might take.
  1. Write down five to eight things. Keep them specific — not "cooking" but "cooking fast meals for one person."
  2. Copy the prompt and fill in your list.
  3. Read the three suggestions. Notice which one pulls at you even slightly.
Workspace for This Lesson

Open your Bowie Course 2 Workspace and complete this field after you finish.

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    Module 1 / My project choice
    Write down any ideas worth keeping. You do not need to choose one yet.
Open your workspace

You probably already know what you want to make.