From Rock To Gem

Steve Jobs' Method for polishing ideas from "good" to TED-Worthy

By Devin D. Marks | Published Nov. 12, 2024

Steve Jobs’ childhood memory about rocks and good ideas resonates with me, in the context of top-tier TED Talks.

In an interview, he once shared a story involving a rock tumbler.

He saw it as an analogy for the iterative improvement of ideas. Jobs explained how a truly great idea doesn’t simply appear fully formed:

“We got some rocks — some regular old ugly rocks — and we put them in the can with a little bit of liquid and a little bit of grit powder. [My elderly neighbor] turned this motor on and he said, ‘Come back tomorrow.’ And this can was making a racket as the stones went around.

I came back the next day and we opened the can and we took out these amazingly beautiful polished rocks — the same common stones that had gone in.

Through rubbing against each other — creating a little bit of friction, creating a little bit of noise, — out had come these beautiful polished rocks!”

His point? Beyond the initial spark of inspiration is a lot of WORK. Friction is necessary to turn the idea into something deeply polished and impactful.

He also asserted that a collaborative focus is essential to an idea next-leveling. Jobs continued:

“My metaphor for a team working really hard on something they're passionate about is that it's through that group of incredibly talented people bumping up against each other — having arguments; having fights sometimes; making some noise; and working together — they polish each other. They polish the ideas. And what comes out are these really beautiful stones.”

Jobs' philosophy highlights how, in the refinement process, ideas are inevitably reshaped as new complexities arise, forcing compromises and adaptations.

Similarly, developing a BIG IDEA requires continuous adjustments to fit it within a format that’s concise and sticky. Each friction point — whether through peer critique, self-reflection, or coaching — helps refine and clarify the message.

So if you’re a hopeful TEDx speaker looking to identify, refine, and spread a BIG IDEA, here are some actionable next steps:

1. FIND THE CORE.

Start by distilling your idea into one concise paragraph. TED’s format centers around a BIG IDEA — a singular, compelling insight that’s powerful and essential.

  • ASK: What’s the central point I want people to remember?
  • ASK: How does this idea challenge conventional thinking?
  • ASK: Why is this idea important right now?

2. SEEK THE THRU-LINE.

Write down your talk’s BIG IDEA as one sentence — shoot for fewer than ten words. A thru-line helps maintain coherence and focus, enabling a listener to follow your idea from talk start to talk finish.

  • ASK: Does my thru-line capture the BIG IDEA’s essence?
  • ASK: Is it understandable and memorable to 1st-X listeners?
  • ASK: How many new ways can I restate my idea?

3. CONSIDER THE AUDIENCE.

Think about what’s in it for your viewers. TED talks are often geared towards spread-worthy ideas that are low-friction and have resonance with a universal audience.

  • ASK: How will this idea inspire or challenge listeners?
  • ASK: What’s surprising about the idea that others don’t see?
  • ASK: How can this idea be applied in everyday life?

4. APPLY A CULTURAL LENS.

Examine how your idea resonates across various cultural and societal contexts. Explore the relevance of it to those outside your silo of exposure and experience.

  • ASK: Does this idea have universal appeal?
  • ASK: How might it be perceived by varying backgrounds?
  • ASK: Can any part of it be reframed to be more relatable?

5. FEEDBACK LOOP IT.

Share your distilled idea with friends, colleagues, and a coach to get objective feedback. This process, akin to Jobs’ rotating rock tumbler, can reveal blind spots and strengthen your message.

  • ASK: Does my idea make sense?
  • ASK: Is it intriguing enough to want to learn more?
  • ASK: How can I make the idea clearer?

6. ITERATIVELY REFINE IT.

As Jobs described, great ideas take time to evolve and polish. Use repeated, varying rehearsal audiences to continually test and refine your idea. Shoot for 50+ practice deliveries of your talk.

  • ASK: Which elements still feel awkward or unnatural?
  • ASK: What blind spots are exposed with each rehearsal?
  • ASK: What one thing do you remember?”

7. USE A PROVEN PROCESS.

A system like The BIG IDEA Mill™ can guide you through stress-testing and next-leveling your insight. Exercises, guidelines, and workshopping will reveal your TED-worthy message.

  • ASK: What are the success statistics of a given methodology?
  • ASK: What process or tool has resulted in million-view talks?
  • ASK: How does the process rate on the TED Top 25 list?

Remember the rock tumbler metaphor with each of the above steps. Every round of friction, feedback, and refinement will help mature a “good” idea into a powerful, TED-worthy “idea worth spreading!”


DEVIN D. MARKS is known as The TED Talk Whisperer. His firm, CONNECT to COMPEL, has served 100s of TED, TEDx, and short-talk speakers — including Harvard’s Dr. Robert Waldinger for his all-time Top 10 TEDx Talk. The result: 100s of millions of views for clients. He helps niche experts, authors, and leaders spread world-changing ideas. 

You can reach Devin at 617.804.6020, or DM him here. His newsletters are here.

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