Small Idea vs. Big Idea
Appropriately engaging with your grand ideas
I am a software engineer, so, every now and then, more often than not, people pitch GRAND software app ideas to me with the hopes that I handle the technical side of things. I’m talking really big ones, Uber-level ideas. If you are a software developer, you probably have had someone come to you to pitch an idea like Uber. Uber, but for sandals (laughter erupts).
In reciprocity, every now and then, I pour cold water on those ideas brought to me. You probably already know what I mean by pouring cold water on an idea. If you don’t, it means extinguishing the fire excitement in the mind of the idea owner with the reality about its execution. Sometimes it discourages the owners of the ideas, but trust me, I mean no harm. I have had my fair share of drumming up big software ideas, and I have learnt my lesson. Sometimes, I go ahead to implement them, because it is easy for me to do, and it ends up in the hands of no-one. I learnt the hard way, which made me a very big proponent of lean design, design thinking, and Agile methodologies.
Right now, I love small ideas, because all great projects today once started as a small simple idea. What I mean by small idea, is an iterative idea which can end up in the hands of users sooner than later for feedback and improvements. It’s not bad to have a big idea, but it all boils down to the fundamental or underlying problem you are trying to solve. You don’t even need a big vision, just a clear understanding of what problem you want to solve. This will then guide the kind of iterative prototype to be made which can proffer solution to the problem.
For example, in the case of when Uber got started:
Small Idea: A taxi service to easily transport people from point A to B.
But today, what people see is the Big Idea, which is: A platform where drivers who have spare time and empty seats in their car can offer to serve as a taxi for riders looking to move from one place to another. In other words, a peer-to-peer ride-sharing platform.
When people come to me with Uber-like ideas, I tell them, Uber did not start the way you think it did. They did not build a platform, or mobile app. The problem is, we are always hearing of big ideas which are very successful in the market today and not how they actually began, so it is not surprising when new entrepreneurs think they need a big idea to get started.
As a product founder it is important to be pathologically optimistic and a big dreamer, however, it is better to have a sustainable method for your idea development. One that can respond to the unpredictability of human behaviour and user needs. From a small idea, you are open to more opportunities and can allow more room for a broad range of solutions.
With a Big Idea, you are already diving into solutions, which can be a trap. This is called the solution bias, which is a major cause of product failure. Like we are told in design thinking, to focus on defining the problem properly and not fall in the trap of jumping into solutions quickly. You have to keep your ideas malleable.
In Kungfu, we’re taught different types of fight stances. The two things common across all fight stances is, 1) Balance (proper centre of gravity) and, 2) Staying light on your feet. This translates to positioning your legs in such a way that you have proper balance so you don’t fall easily, while staying light on your feet to enable you execute your moves quickly and swiftly. I liken this unto idea development and problem solving. Basically, you want to have a good stance, which is the foundational vision, goal or problem you are trying to solve. Then you need to keep your problem solving approach and execution light to flow along with the waves of user needs.
Every business problem is a business problem, and just that. It is not a software problem. In recent times, we are quick to think building an app is the solution to a business problem. Most times it is, but have we fully understood problem?
Trim it down…
The best strategy I give to the idea people, is to think about what prototype can you build in the next two(2) weeks that will be useful to your potential users, and would solve part, if not all of the business problem. Trim it down to something that can be achievable in the next 2 weeks. The earlier you get some form of user feedback, the better. This will help you understand the problem better. User research can also be a form of trying to understand the problem, user, and market-fit. However, it can be time consuming. Rapid prototyping is a cheap and quick way to get effective user feedback.
Write it down…
Another tip to kickstart your ideas is to write it down. Get it out of your head. Some people come to meet me with ideas to implement but haven’t written a single thing about it, no sketch, nothing. Writing it down gives you a bit of clarity on what you’ve conceived in your mind. It’s the first way your idea interfaces with the outside world. So, jumpstart your idea by writing a line or two about what you intend to accomplish, problem statement, and or a simple user journey.
To conclude, idea execution should be continuous experimentations. The best ideas are simple ideas, not obvious, just simple. Stay light on your feet, and remember to have a good stance.
