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How To Take Your Business Idea To That Eureka Moment Stage

All of a sudden, you’ve come up with this brilliant business idea that will sort out an unsolved market problem at so many levels that you are confident it could be the ‘Next Big Thing’. But before you can write down your idea, you call a friend or two—tell them about it, and what happens? The idea is sabotaged, sniggered at, or at best, ignored.

Idea killers have one thing in common: they work! People don’t have to do much to kill your idea; anything from an indifferent shrug to phrases like ‘That won’t work’ and ‘No one will understand that!’ are all designed to stop you in your tracks.

Idea killers have one thing in common: they work! People don’t have to do much to kill your idea; anything from an indifferent shrug to phrases like ‘That won’t work’ and ‘No one will understand that!’ are all designed to stop you in your tracks.

Picture this…

MJ: For my next performance, I’m gonna create an illusion that makes me appear as if I am gliding backwards. Initially, my front foot is going to be held flat on the ground while the back foot is in a tiptoe position. The flat front foot will remain on the ground but will slide lightly and smoothly backwards past the tiptoe back foot. Get it? Moonwalk! I Love you…Heee Heee!

Naysayer 1: It won’t work. People won’t like it. Why don’t you just do the robot dance like you did in ‘Dancing Machine’? That always roused the crowd.

Naysayer 2: No. This moonwalk idea is too complicated. It won’t catch on. Think of your base. They are simple folk…Michael, we’ve gone over this before. Keep it simple!

MJ: I said you wanna be startin’ somethin’… You got to be startin’ somethin’…Heee Heee! Shamone…Oww! (I could go on and on with MJ catchphrases, but feel free to add your favourites here)

Yes, MJ knew that sometimes, you’ve just got to start something for it to work. Just go for it!

Remember, no idea is ever born perfect. Give it a chance to grow. And, if you have this incredible urge to tell someone about it while it is still at the incubation stage—this trick will help; announce your idea with the following words—‘I’ve got this crazy idea…’ or ‘I know it sounds silly, but it is worth thinking about’. That way, you take the wind out of the critics’ words before they set sail.

If you can, demonstrate how the idea works rather than explaining it. Creative ideas are nothing if they don’t work. What really matters is for an entrepreneur to put the ideas to action by focusing all energy on developing it until it bears fruit. MJ famously practised his dance steps until he literally collapsed on the floor because his legs couldn’t move anymore.

Note to my future self.

The path to mediocrity begins by treating tenders shoots as if they were full-grown trees. Only hard work can turn good ideas into great ones.

Promote the flow of ideas in your team by looking for the positive aspects of other people’s opinions. Look for what is in the idea that you can use. There will always be an aspect that you can build on, scrutinize, rebuild, adjust, and improve.

Signed…

O.K.