Have you ever been in your car driving down the road or you’re at a friend’s house or in your house or at work, then all of a sudden, you get this great idea? The question is, what are you going to do next?
A Philips North America Study
The technology company, Philips, reveals that two-thirds of people in North America consider themselves innovators. Specifically, 72% of North Americans believe they’re sitting on the next big thing. Furthermore, almost half of the respondents (47%) feel that the best innovations come from individual inventors and only 11% think they come from big corporations.
Unfortunately, when people get an idea, they don’t know what to do about it. And the biggest barrier is the lack of money, which accounts for 70% as the Philips study suggests.
The same study says that 62% think that when we invent something, it really is about making life better. Humans are naturally inclined to invent, whether it helps us individually or on a societal level.
Particularly, health care is the biggest area of inventions, at 57%, where people think it’s going to improve people’s lives. Education methods come in second place at 33%, and home solutions come third at 30%.
What to Do With Your Big Idea
- Ask yourself if it really is a good idea.
The best ideas tend to get adopted and the mediocre ideas don’t. So you have to put a better effort towards coming up with a quality idea.
- Learn how to use structured creativity to generate ideas over and over again.
For example, the Systematic Inventive Thinking or SIT method, which is based on five structured patterns will guide your thinking and channel your ideation for you.
- Get feedback.
Talk to people that are going to resist the idea and give you critical feedback. This will allow you to mold and shape your idea into something that is not only the next big thing, but something commercial, sizable, and something you can take to market.
- Find a partner to help you capitalize on your idea.
Have a useful discussion with a business partner or a legal partner that can help you capitalize on this idea and get it into the marketplace.
To hear more on taking your next big thing to the next level, listen to the full podcast episode here: Episode 029: Are You Sitting on The Next Big Thing?
