HOW DAD BUILDS A PORTFOLIO

Start with a lot.End with only the best.

A great portfolio isn't made by deciding your first six ideas are precious. It's made by creating so many possibilities that you can afford to become brutally selective.

01 / THE BRIEFS
FEELS LIKE: LET'S GO.
60
briefs.
THREE QUARTERS OF CONCEPTING.

Every brief asks for a big idea. Sometimes it becomes a campaign. Sometimes it becomes a stunt. Either way, you're solving another brand problem from scratch.

Q2 10 2 CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT CLASSES × 5 BRIEFS
Q3 20 2 CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT CLASSES × 10 BRIEFS
Q4 30 3 CAMPAIGN DEVELOPMENT CLASSES × 10 BRIEFS
↓
ABOUT 6 IDEAS FOR EVERY BRIEF
02 / MAXIMUM POSSIBILITY
FEELS LIKE: HOLY SHIT, THAT'S A LOT.
360
ideas.
60 BRIEFS × ABOUT 6 IDEAS EACH.

Not 360 masterpieces. That's impossible. Some ideas are smart. Some are weird. Some are obvious. Some suck. The volume is what teaches you the difference. You stop treating every thought like it's precious and start learning how to recognize what's actually good.

03 / CUTDOWN DAY

Then everything goes on the table.

Hundreds of ideas come back out. We spread them across the school and start judging. Some old favorites die. Some forgotten ideas suddenly look brilliant. Students defend the ones they believe in. Nothing survives because of nostalgia.

YES
MAYBE
NO
↓
MORE THAN 300 IDEAS DON'T MAKE THE CUT
04 / THE SURVIVORS
FEELS LIKE: WAIT, THEY CUT THAT ONE?
~50
still standing.
THE TOP IDEAS FROM HUNDREDS OF ATTEMPTS.

These aren't finished portfolio pieces yet. They're simply the ideas that have earned another look. Some get combined. Some evolve. Some still die. The bar keeps moving up.

05 / Q5 — THE FINAL 10 WEEKS
Ten more rounds of critique.
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
↓
DEVELOP. COMBINE. REWRITE. PRODUCE. CUT AGAIN.
06 / THE PORTFOLIO
6
The best six.
IDEALLY AT LEAST 3 BIG INTEGRATED CAMPAIGNS + 3 MORE THINGS YOU'D BE PROUD TO PUT YOUR NAME ON.
THIS IS THE WHOLE IDEA.

You don't need 360 great ideas. You need 360 chances to find six.

MAKE MORE. JUDGE HARDER. KEEP LESS.