Unleashing the Ideavirus

Unleashing the Ideavirus
122
 www.ideavirus.com
The site should also be filled with tools that make it really easy for a visitor to become a
sneezer. Get out of the way. Give the sneezer something to share. Do like Tom Peters (at
www.tompeters.com) and include 
all
your Powerpoint slides. Don’t require registration or
permission at this stage. Let them in, sell them on the idea, then give them the (free) tools to
share.

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Unleashing the Ideavirus
123
 www.ideavirus.com
A Dozen ideaviruses Worth Thinking About
Company
Big idea
How you spread the virus (the
medium)
Polaroid
Instant photography
“HEY! Look at this,” you say at
the party.
Tupperware
The best food storage devices
Get your friends to sell their
friends—multi-level marketing
Fax machine
Documents delivered by phone
The more you sell to your
business associates, the better
your machine works.
Home Shopping Network
Shopping via cable TV
“Hey Madge! Look what’s on
Home Shopping,” you say to
your friends on the phone.
Fast Company
Journal of the new economy
Company of Friends—monthly
meetings of local fans of the
magazine.
Carmine’s Restaurant
Tons of food, tons of garlic
Six-person minimum for
reservations—you need to sell
your friends to get in.
Beany Babies
Collectible teddy bears
If other people start collecting,
your collection increases in
value.
Gamesville
Super sticky games on the web
Word of mouse—email your
friends and invite them over.
Hotmail
Free email
Totally viral...every mail you
send promotes it.