Where do ideas come from?

November 18, 2007 · Posted in Entrepreneurship, Inspiration, Motivation, Self-help 

I was recently discussing one of my web site ventures with a close friend when he commented that “he wouldn’t know where to start”. I don’t think that anyone knows where to start, but I did know that if I didn’t do something about my idea, it would “die on the vine”.

I consider this friend to be well above average in both aptitude and attitude, so I knew that intellect and motivation were not the reasons for his lack of ideas. The problem, I think is that most people don’t invest enough time in the planting, growing and harvesting of their ideas.

Where do ideas come from?

1. There is the “find a need and fill it” idea.

This is the concept that we most often envision when we think of “coming up” with an idea. How many times have you seen a new product or service and asked yourself, “that’s obvious, why didn’t I see it before?” Probably because you never took the time to seriously examine your needs. We just tend to blow them off and assume there’s nothing we can do about it or assume that somebody else could do it better or quicker than we can. All of these are false, defeatist attitudes that discount our value.

In reality, ideas are not pursued to fruition due to:

  • fear of failure

  • fear of success

  • fear of what friends and family will think

  • lack of dedication to the time or effort needed or both

  • poor self image

  • lack of education (where do I start?)

2. New ideas are provided by new technologies.

As new technologies emerge and reach the marketplace, they often arrive before a market has been created for their use. Think of the personal computer circa 1982. Everybody thought they were great, but didn’t have the faintest idea how to put them to productive use.

Thankfully, some visionaries did see the potential and they got busy creating products and services that could and would exploit the advantages of the computer.

Have an open mind and try to think in ways that are beyond or outside the norm. Read Seth Godin’s book, “Free Prize Inside” and create a “purple cow”.

3. Use an old technology in new way.

Items that have become obsolete and disposable to us, may have or may be able to be put to an alternative use for someone else. We don’t use phonographic turntables anymore, but DJ’s mix albums with them. This is putting an old technology to a new use.

The idea is to use our imaginations and give ourselves time, so we can create and develop new business ideas. What’s your big idea?

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