A New Idea

[Anthony]

Hey guys,

It's 4:05AM and I'm writing some content here for an upcoming website. I was browsing and decided to post a thread out of curiosity, and to give Tyler something else to read (tee hee).

When you get a new idea, or something pops into your head and makes that little tiny lightbulb flicker....what's the first thing you do?

Do you register a corresponding domain, check for competition, jump into planning, start to design the site, gather quotes or share the ideas with friends?

Answers on a postcard to....(or just simply reply)

[jeremy]

i start coding and worry about the rest later. a domain name can't make or break a good website. same goes for design.

[Andrew]

I write it down, check for competition and then design/code it. I usually wait until I know that it will work before registering a domain (in most cases). If there is no competition, the chances of someone coming up with the same idea as you at the same time are pretty low.

[Sam]

I write the idea down and then i start with making a small marketing plan, inspired by Guy Kawasaki.

Basically i just start asking myself some questions and then i write down the answers.

The Product


What does the product have to do?
What articulated wants or unarticulated needs does it fill?
What is the window of opportunity?
How will the product fill these wants and needs?
What is my best guess at who is going to buy my product?


Presence


Where in the virtual world do I need to sell my product?
Why will the marketplaces and market spaces distribute my product?
How will my presence change during the lifecycle of my product?
How will I establish and maintain a presence in the important locations? Who are the decision makers at the marketplaces and market spaces?


Persuasion


What are the social factors in the buying process of my product?
Why will people recommend my product to others?
When can I credibly go after opinion leaders and early adopters?
How do I ensure that comments, rankings, reviews, and counts portray me in a positive way?
Who are the relevant opinion leaders and persuaders?
Which communities must I reach?


Preference


How do I enable customers to express their preferences and to personalize what I do?
Why would people take the time and energy to express their preferences?
How will customer preferences change over time?
How do I capture customer preferences? (Customer ratings, transaction history, search behavior, and configuration tools?)
Whose preferences do I care about?


Price


How much do I sell my product for?
Why is this the right price point?
What is my pricing strategy through the lifecycle?
How do I set and reset the price in a world of “perfect information” and dynamic pricing?
Who will demand different price points?
Which segments do I care about?


I hope this is of some help to you, Anthony.

[jon]

I don't like to write anything down initially, generally i just like to sit and think the idea through in my head. Going through every possible outcome and see if i can develop the idea more. It normally always works out OK, sometimes i realize that it just isn't worth doing and other times the idea develops into something much better than the original one. Having a nice hot bath is also something that seems to help the ideas flow.

Then my next plan of action is to see if i can find the perfect domain name for the project. This normally involves emailing / ringing domain owners and see how much they would be willing to sell their domains for.

After that everything else falls into place.

[Zane]

I check for good domains. Then once i have something decent i think more about the idea, and usually overcomplicate it. At the same time i work out who my target audience is e.t.c. Then i work backwards and make it less complicated and much more reasonable and effective. I write down the positive and negative aspects to the idea. I then write down how I can improve/enchance the benefits of the idea and how I can remove or lessen the negative aspects.

[Anthony]

Do any of you consult friends or family with the idea? Sometimes I think as website developers / innovators (whatever bracket we fall under) our ego's sometimes get the better of us and our ideas aren't as good as we originally think they are.

[aloksingh]

When I get an idea, I write it down in my diary for later remembrance. Then when I get some time, I check out the idea and then start coding first and rest of the things later.

[Submerge]

I don't write it done, just hopefully remember it for the later date.