Just because it’s never been done before doesn’t mean you’ve got a good idea.
There’s a lot more to creativity in business than simply doing something new or ‘fresh’.
There are 3 things you’ve got to keep in mind when you’ve just come up a revolutionary, never been done before, million dollar idea;
- Does it actually solve a real problem? I’m talking about a specific and easily identifiable pain someone is trying to avoid or benefit he is trying to gain. If not, forget it, no matter how creative, intelligent or ground breaking your idea is.
- Does it solve a problem your market place is ALREADY paying someone else to solve? If yes, then that means it’s obvious enough that your market understands that there is a problem and it’s serious enough to spend money on.If no one is paying to solve it, then it’s unlikely they’ll start with you. If I’m not trying to get to South Africa, then even the most amazing car isn’t useful to me.
- Can you reach and persuade enough of the market to make your idea profitable? Do you have the resources (money, time, skills etc) to attract the right person, convince him to try your new solution and get him to adopt it and maybe even spread the word? It’s all about conversion. Results. The bottom-line.
True, none of your competitors in Zimbabwe has launched 100 air balloons to advertise their service, but that doesn’t mean you should. Sure it’s creative, but is it profitable?
Not always the same thing – it’s not that creativity or innovation in business are overrated…just misunderstood and badly applied.
Max Soutter 
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