A great idea will always be a great idea and it doesn’t matter who has the idea first. What matters is who does something with that great idea first. After all, it’s not a great idea until others know about it and start solving problems by using the idea. To get there takes a few steps. Let’s look at some of those steps:
What is the idea?
Write it down. If you don’t, I can guarantee you’ll forget it as you get busy at work. Or when you’re absorbed in the latest episode of NCIS or War & Peace or the kids get back from school.
Expand upon the idea
When you get some time, look at:
- What is your idea – how and why does it exist?
- What problem does it solve?
- Who does it help – who’s your target audience?
- What does a successful resolution look like?
What’s needed?
Are you “just” an ideas person or do you have the necessary skills to deliver your idea? If not, do you know someone you can trust who can deliver the idea (and you can trust not to steal it, another reason to write this all down)?
Have you thought about the process of getting this to market? What are the various stages you will need to go through?
- Does a solution already exist?
- Is your idea better?
- Do other people agree with you?
- What’s it going to cost to bring this to life?
- Who’s going to pay for it?
- What timescales are involved?
- Who has the skills needed?
- If not you (or in your network), how do you go about finding them?
- How are you going to tell your target audience about it?
- Who is your target audience, come to that?
- How do they get your thing?
- How much do you want them to pay for your thing?
- Will they pay that much?
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not trying to put you off. In fact, completely the opposite. At initforthe, we work with many startups who have great ideas, but not the software development skills, to help them move forward. All we’re doing here is ensuring you start in the right way and you start thinking through what needs to be done.
If you’ve got an idea (no matter how crazy it might sound, and you think that bespoke software development might be the route you need to take,
we’d love to have a chat. Let's see how we can help you move your idea forward.
