TEDxMaastricht Intro Video by @zorg and his team (via @blogbrevity http://bit.ly/fz4QAw )
I’ve heard that ten other people in the world have the same idea that just occurred to you. But what do you do when you realize someone already had an idea you had in mind and did something about it?
- Do you continue with your original idea?
- Do you attempt to collaborate and provide friendly feedback on how the idea could be improved?
- Do you move to something else and avoid duplication of efforts?
I have been considering these alternatives after reviewing the names of the first Android contest winners (congratulations by the way). One of ‘my’ ideas has received funding to go to the next stage of development. Here are some snap shots of what Google has planned for the gPhone:
http://code.google.com/android/images/adc1r1_deck.pdf.
Like Dr. Parkinson (www.jayparkinsonmd.com) I also wish I had the ability to write applications that reflect some of my ideas. Some days I debate whether it is a skill I should learn now, later, or never. Programmers and developers abound nowadays but good ones are difficult to come by. Luckily I have a few good friends who develop great applications and together we’re constantly thinking and prototyping some disruptive ideas.
But the question is the same, what should I do with ‘my’ Android idea?
More than a century ago, Thomas Edison said “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration,” stressing that innovation involves more than just great ideas. Edison’s inventions, like the lightbulb and the phonograph, emerged through thousands of attempts as he refined the process step by step.
Like Edison, I choose systematic hard work of trial-and-error experimentation. And why not, I will learn more about programming!
Techdirt: When Ideas Are Easy And Execution Is Hard... It Makes Sense To Share Your Ideas
I have about a dozen ideas a day. Most come when I am reading or walking. Fortunately or unfortunately I forget half of them by the time I have a pen at hand or a computer to type. Until I get a gPhone or an iPhone I will keep a voice recorder with me wherever I go to remember those ideas. I am very well aware of the “Dopeler effect” (correct spelling) or “the tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly”. Only those that really make sense are recorded after a few minutes of consideration.
Most of the my ideas are solutions to problems encountered or improvements to already good ideas. I organize these ideas in a google document for future reference and sometimes I share them as I see fit with those involved, whenever possible. For instance a few months ago I shared some ideas with the ‘mystarbucksidea’ folks; last week I sent an email to patientslikeme with a few research ones; and last night I sent some more to Loopt regarding a potential integration of their location services with whoissick.com.
The article on techdirt provides great insight for those unwilling to share your ideas. It seems that at the end there is much more to be gained for those who share ideas than for those who only listen or read about them. With this in mind I have decided to publish my list of ideas in case somene is willing to execute them , if I don’t have time.
