[Disclaimer: This article is the 1st draft. There might be a few mistakes.]
- Elon musk was not the fist electric car maker
- Steve Jobs did not invent the computer
- Android was not the first smartphone
Most of these are taken away from original founder and rebuild, marketer and scaled with a new vision. This doesn’t mean that it was injustice to the original founder. If it was done following the law, there is no injustice.
- Steve Jobs saw a vision of people using computer as mobile in form of iPhone
- Google Saw even a bigger vision than Apple to make the Android OS open source and build a monopoly of search, Apps and Products on the top of that. As in 2022, Google gained so much control that they can push a big manufacturer like to Samsung to Push Android Apps in devices that that are rarely used. Consider Google Play Music, Google Play Movies and etc.
This clearly defines that, often it’s the first invention that scales. It’s the man who looks a better future with the product and have a proper reason for it’s exist and.
This article list some of the common and uncommon ways to find an idea to work on. I have take “Steve Wozniak” as a character to explain the story better.
Most of these are common techniques.
1. Be an icon and Hold The Power
- Dress Well
- Speak Well
- Communicate & Build Real Connection
- Connect valuable post Event (After going home, ask to join for coffee, lunch). Know their Take on problem, See if they are ready for it.
What if my Wozniak says no!
If you believe so much in the product then go ahead, Take Risk and build! The best way to solve the problem is to solve the problem. Start with rough draft, talk with managers, business consultants or maybe the Wozniak who rejected the offer to help you part time and start the work.
2. Find like a Lost Dollar
Attend, meet and identify core meetup connections, invention robotics club, trade show. Go with finds or colleagues who seem interested. (Not recommended to be more than 2)
There are thousands of inventors and technical geeks who have idea but no idea on the way to build. Many a time people just solve the problem for themselves but they don’t brag about it. While you visit inventors, look around see their solutions to some of the problems. XEROX had the computer build but the Steve Jobs was the one who realised the value and brought to the masses.
3. Go where they often connect
Be part of inventor group, open source group, geeks and fund their event if that’s needed (Of course not with million dollar but may be a lunch for everybody or a pizza with coke)
There are the people who build stuff.
4. Go where people build to solve a problem that buying a machine
Of course machine makes the work faster and efficient but we are discussing about the problems that are new not the ones that is solved already with scalability.
If “Necessity is the Mother of Invention”, Guess where the necessity will originate. On a place where solutions isn’t already available on scale.
5. Exit the Look and Building, Marketing and scaling
This is important because if you don’t then you will probably end up getting to busy and executing none.
Business is a street fight. The top level companies fight here and win. Cheaper and Reliable Products are chosen over inferior or expensive systems. (Watch the movie The Current War)
