Could Your I.D.E.A. Be The Next Uber?

I'll always remember, years ago, standing in the pouring rain on a crowded NYC street?trying to flag down a taxi to get to the airport.?No luck.

I called my son Andrew (who lived in Brooklyn at the time,) told him what was happening, and pleaded,?"Andrew, I'm worried I'll miss my flight. Any suggestions?"

He said, "Mom, let me?call an Uber?for you."

Uber was new at the time, and I'd never heard of them.

Ten minutes later, I was in a dry, clean car, safely on my way to LaGuardia. What a relief!

Some people say there’s nothing new under the sun.

Of course there are new things under the sun!

Up until then, the norm was, if you didn't have a car, didn't want to walk, take a bus or subway, the only option was to stand in a long line, ride in smelly taxis that took the long way to drive up the fare, (especially if you're a tourist) and pressured you to pay cash once you got there.

Uber and Lyft changed all that.

Together, they disrupted a decades old industry and created an entirely new category.

How about you?

Do you have a big idea?that could be the next Uber or Lyft?

Are people calling you a "dreamer," telling you it won't work?

Well, remember what Paul Brandt said, "Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon."

The good news is, there ARE ways to test the commercial viability of your idea BEFORE sinking a lot of time, money and effort in it.

Run it through my four I.D.E.A. criteria.

I = Innovative: Does your I.D.E.A. advance or add to what currently exists?

Michael Stafford removed the barriers to entry to scuba diving - costly/lengthy certification training, expensive gear, heavy oxygen tanks, fear/risk of going too deep and not being able to breathe - and created a new water activity which gave people an accessible, affordable opportunity to "swim with the fishes" without any of those obstacles. Bonus points for giving it a great name - SNUBA - that helped it POP out and become a multi-million dollar ocean sport.

D = Does your I.D.E.A. deliver a unique solution to an urgent problem?

EX. Uber and Lfyt created a new category by giving people an instant opportunity to get a clean, safe, reasonably priced car ride anytime, anywhere - yes, even in the rain. What problem do you solve in a first-of-its-kind way? What fresh option are your providing that saves people time, money, grief, hassle? How?

E = Is your I.D.E.A. easy to understand and remember?

If your product/service name is confusing, people won't want it. People didn't "get" Segway, but SEGS in the City went viral, drove profits, free publicity. There's an easy litmus test for this. Describe your idea in one sentence. If people can't repeat it after hearing it once - they didn't get it - which means YOU won't get their trust, their money, their business, their referral.

A = Is your I.D.E.A. Actionable?

Your concept must be concrete. What is its real-world value - in one sentence - so people are perfectly clear where and how to find and buy it? Every communication regarding your idea - whether that's an email, website, marketing brochure, pitch/presentation, social media post, blog or You Tube video - needs a specific CALL TO ACTION. Do people know exactly what to do NEXT? Are they sufficiently intrigued and impressed to click here, make the call, go to your store, check out your site, sign up for your course, request a meeting, purchase your item?

Linus Pauling said, "The best way to have a good idea is to have a lot of ideas."

Humbly submitted, the best way to have a god idea is to make sure it passes this I.D.E.A. Test.

If it does, kudos... and proceed. It means your I.D.E.A. has the potential to make a positive difference for others and a profitable living for you.

If it doesn't ... yet ... it's back to the drawing board.

Good luck!

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Want more ways to make sure you have a good I.D.E.A.? Check out my book IDEApreneur. D iscover for yourself why reviewers call it "genius, witty, wise, practical, and full of AHA's."