Start/Experience

Planning and control of infoproducts

An experience of using a mind map to control the elaboration of many products

The problem

When I developed the website of ready-to-use and study mind maps ((in Portuguese, later sold), I had a work process that involved dozens of products in various stages of elaboration, from those ready for publication to just ideas or sources to be explored.

A very unpleasant risk when we work at the same time on multiple information products, the infoproducts, is to lose control, that is, not knowing precisely what we have and how what we have is. And I realized that this was about to happen, and I then looked for what to do about it.

The solution

I started using a mind map in an app. In this one it is possible to insert hyperlinks, so that I could open a file with just one click. And all the topics were in the same space, organized; With one look I revived all the information quickly.

The following mind map illustrates this control (the original was much larger). I can enrich a mind map like this, for example, with subtopics with the tasks for the mind map of the parent topic.

A mind map in this role is sometimes called a master mind map: it organizes, centralizes, and streamlines access. It is a planning and control tool.

I also used a master mind map at the time of more intense dedication to the Possibilities (www.possibilidades.com.br) website, which was even much larger and therefore had much more to organize and control than the Mind Maps website.

In general, for each project or non-trivial activity I open a master mind map. I have yet to find another tool that allows for the same level of control and productivity.