No Idea is Invalid..

Earlier today, I came across this interesting article on Forbes written by Ame Rees Anderson and I thought I should share it with you all.

Just before you think all your ideas are invalid, think twice about it, it might just be that $1Billion idea that could make you dreams come true. never discard a positive thought, like I always say, there is always someone somewhere in need of your talent.

Enjoy the article!

I often come across people who have a deep desire to be an entrepreneur and start their own business, but who haven’t done so yet because they “can’t come up with a good idea.”  Too often I hear: “All of my ideas are dumb.” And in those moments, I cannot help but say: “Define a dumb idea.”

Let’s take a look at a few things that one might consider a “dumb idea”:

•       Can you imagine sitting at the dinner table with your family and throwing out the idea to write a book called “Everyone Poops?” What a dumb idea, right? Yet this book has spent years sitting high on the Amazon bestsellers list. It even inspired additional great novels to be written, like “The Gas We Pass.” This dumb idea has been read by parents to their young children around the world. And that is after those parents paid good money to buy it. Dumb idea now?
•       Here’s another one: How about a blanket with sleeves? How dumb does that sound? Between the Slanket and the Snuggie, that dumb idea has ended up on bodies of couch potatoes everywhere to the tune of millions and millions of dollars.
•       A mom has her two teenage boys take her pickup truck to do odd jobs of hauling away trash from people’s yards. The two boys leave to college, but the phone still rings. So the mom hires two more men to drive the pickup truck and voila, the next thing you know it’s a company called… wait for it… Two Men and a Truck. Dumb idea?  I don’t know…in 2011 they did $220 million in sales! Cha-ching!  (Source: cnbc.com)
•       Smash a stuffed animal until it’s flat enough to be a pillow. Sound dumb? In 2010 Pillow Pets had $300 million in sales. (Source: cnbc.com)
•       Marshmallows shot from PVC pipe…we’ve all done that as kids, but certainly it would make for a dumb business idea, right? Apparently not. In 2010 the company Marshallow Fun sold more than $7 million worth of shooters. Incoming… (Source: cnbc.com)
•       Take a baby pacifier and glue on a fake mustache. One might say “dumb idea” except that I saw one at the store the other day and I shelled out $15 cash to buy it for my friend who is expecting a baby.  That’s a dumb idea you can’t help but spend your hard earned money on. So how dumb is it?
•      And one of my personal favorite dumb ideas: How about we make goggles for our dogs? That is genius, right?! And we will call them Doggles! Get it? What idea could be dumber than that one?  With millions of dollars in revenues I have a feeling that dumb idea is being ridden all the way to the bank.

The point is that every idea has merit, because whether or not the idea sounds good, or is laid out perfectly, it can be worked and modified and morphed into absolute brilliance – even goggles for your dog.

In business, brilliant ideas are the ones that make money, not the ones that look the prettiest or sound the smartest, or are the most technologically advanced. The winners are the ideas that cause enough someones, somewhere, to pull out their wallet and lay down their money to pay for them.  So who are you to judge how dumb your ideas are until you put them out there to the world to see what the world is willing to pay for it. Every idea has elements of genius in embryo. Sure they might need some tweaking along the way, but they will never grow to perfection if you stop them before they grow up.

My advice is simply this: Stop being so dang critical of your inner genius. You are restricting your dumb ideas from reaching their million dollar potential! Try letting them flow for once. When an idea pops into your head, don’t tell yourself that it’s dumb. Rather, ask a bunch of people if they would pay money for that product you dreamed up this morning while eating your bowl of Wheaties. Don’t be embarrassed to ask them. At best, they will tell you they love it or give you feedback on how to turn the idea into a product they would gladly pay for. And at worst they will say, “No, that’s a dumb idea.” To which you can simply respond, “Perhaps you wouldn’t be so negative if you had a Snuggie and a Pillow Pet.”

Credit: Ame Rees Anderson | Forbes