How Kilian Jornet plotted his route

People and Brands on Board Before You’ve Even Created Your Running Project?
Six weeks ago, mountain athlete and activist Kilian Jornet shared this on Instagram:

“Ever since I crossed the finish line at Western States, the North American wilderness hasn’t left my mind. Each mountain range here tells its own story and holds its own challenges. Which iconic routes should be on my radar? The best projects start with community wisdom, so share your local knowledge in the comments!”

Thousands of runners and outdoor lovers jumped in with ideas. Kilian didn’t announce a fully formed project — he invited his community to shape it with him.

Just three weeks later, he revealed his new challenge:
“Time to announce a new project, starting in September: States of Elevation. I’ll be aiming to connect 14,000ft peaks across the United States by foot and bike.”

The project wasn’t dreamed up alone in a cave. It grew directly out of community input, which not only gave him inspiration, but also gave people a sense of ownership before he even started.

But What If You’re Not Kilian with 1.8 Million Followers?
Good news: you don’t need a massive audience. There’s a proven roadmap that works for anyone with a spark of an idea — whether you’re just dreaming up your first adventure or already mid-journey.

It’s called the Seed Launch®, and here’s how it works:

• You share your idea early — even if it’s rough.
• You invite people to shape it with you — asking fans, friends, NGOs, or brands what they’d love to see.
• You sell the concept first — creating excitement, taking pre-orders, gathering commitments, or getting sponsorship pledges.
• Then you create the adventure or product together — building a beta version with your supporters.

So instead of trying to perfect everything behind the scenes, you get real-world buy-in, feedback, and momentum before you’ve even started.

Why This Works
I see so many people who think about creating an adventure or project, but never actually launch. They over-plan, overthink, and get stuck in their own heads.

But how much more motivated would you be if you had a team of supporters and brands already excited to be part of your story?

That’s the power of a Seed Launch.
It turns the scary first step into a shared journey. 

Don’t wait until it’s “perfect.”
Start with your people.
Sell the idea first.
Build it together.

Let’s hit the trail
Speaking of starting together — next week, I’ll share how Katharine and David Lowrie did exactly that when they set out to run the length of South America for wildlife. And you can virtually run along in her footsteps, being part of the journey.

We’ll explore the trails, how to prepare, choose your own route, what to pack, how to deal with setbacks… and survive!
Very insightful, practical and applicable to your here, now and future plans.

Let’s do this:-)
Mel

PS: Today’s the very last chance to join PLF (cart closes tonight at 10pm ET). If you’ve been sitting on an idea — an adventure, a cause, a service, a book, or anything else — this could be the nudge you need to bring it to life.

Disclosure: If you join a service through my link, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.