what you should know about your magic idea

Since I’ve made the move from “full-time” employment to something else I’ve had a few people come to me with their great web idea.

I’m actually pretty flattered every time someone does this - out of all the people you could’ve chosen to make your little gem happen, you’ve chosen me. It’s not easy to tell someone about your idea, to open the thing you’ve been dreaming about for years up to public scrutiny and criticism.

But, there are a few things you should know before you tell me about what you want to do. Think of it more like a checklist than a “please don’t” list. And keep the ideas coming!

1. 1 your idea is too complicated

   It doesn’t matter what it is. Unless you are the one who is going to knuckle down and write the thing (hopefully you aren’t, we’ll need you for other important things - like making money) you are invariably going to make things too complicated. Take your [web/mobile phone/mac] [app/platform/api]. Now list all the things it does, and who it does them for. You’ve got a list of ~30 things right? (Don’t list “Small Businesses” or “Lets them sell things on the internet” - be specific).

   Kill half of them. Cross them out.

   Done that? Cool. Now cross out half of the rest.

   Awesome. Now you have a list of stuff that might be achievable in a realistic timeframe. You can get something out there, and let it grow (or not) in the market, while you’re making money. There will be stuff that people won’t use, and you can’t predict that unless you’ve got real people using it. Build the simplest, smallest, easiest possible. Then launch it.

2. 2 i’m going to tell people

   Don’t bother with an NDA. Don’t bother to tell me to keep this secret. I won’t.

   Why not? Simple. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with a ton of incredibly smart people. I have Javascript Gurus and Rails Core Team members on my IM list. I can twitter to a fairly respectable list of followers, see what amusing thing Nat has to say.

   The point is not to brag (”look at all these smart people I know”). These guys are collectively a hundred times smarter than I’ll ever be, and they are a resource I value above everything else I’ve gained working in this industry (I probably owe them all a million beers). You’d do well to take advantage of that (and I’m assuming you have your own list of illumanti that you’ve already consulted).

3. 3 it better be cool

   I’m interested in (no particular order, by no means exhaustive): music, the music industry, the web, communication, artficial intelligence, api’s and integration, responsible business (i.e social capital or environmental businesses, but they have to have an intelligent business angle), user experience, human interaction.

   But you might be able to find something else.

   Please don’t be waffly or use the word “viral” or say “the product will sell itself”. The only products that sell themselves are nicotine and hard drugs. If you’ve found a way to make a web application as addictive as crack you hardly need me.

4. 4 idea.value = nil

5. I’m going to ask you what your contribution is. Don’t say “I came up with the idea”. I know it’s hard to believe, but I have my own ideas too. That I can execute on myself. Ideas that I don’t have to give away half of to someone who hasn’t contributed anything.

   What can you contribute? Well, tons! Things I don’t have, or am not good at (in no particular order, by no means exhaustive): sales, knowledge of your specific industry, “big business”, hard-core application development, enterprise scaling, raising money, venture capital.

5 i have no time

I’m running a business. I’m attending University (4/5 of the way through a BSc). I’m not as busy as some; but I’m not likely to have 20 hours a week to spend (unpaid) on your idea. Sorry.

Unless it’s really awesome, and you’ve ticked all the previous boxes. Then we should definitely talk.