How to sell your ideas

[KPO89]

What do you do when you have an idea that would be a great moneymaker but you don't have the resources to make it happen? Do you sell it? Do you pitch it in hopes of getting a job managing it in a larger company?

 

[oman]

i would imagine people with the money (or other requisite wherewithal) just take it

ideas are so common as to be nearly worthless

sort of like john locke's bit about the apple - like apples in nature, ideas are unclaimed; whoever invests energy into them reaps the reward



edit - makes you wonder about that eve chick doesn't it

 

[KPO89]

Originally Posted by oman

ideas are so common as to be nearly worthless


This is too sobering to believe.

 

[oman]

come on im just a kid basically and even i know this

 

[oman]

i mean look at this **** who would buy the "idea" of pop art? it took a warhol to actually a) execute that disgusting tripe and then b) actually sell the product himself before anyone would take it seriously

 

[oman]

i will say this: ideas are nice window-dressing for a product, but in no way can they replace the product itself clearly there are no absolutes when salesmen are involved, but i think the above statement is generalizable enough to be called, largely speaking, true

 

[oman]

so anyway what's this idea you're trying to sell

come on, tell me, i might buy it

 

[michaeljkrell]

You have to have some working model in place (minimum viable product/MVP) before you can start thinking about selling it to anyone...

Originally Posted by oman

i will say this: ideas are nice window-dressing for a product, but in no way can they replace the product itself

clearly there are no absolutes when salesmen are involved, but i think the above statement is generalizable enough to be called, largely speaking, true

 

[oman]

how about this idea: infinite energy

a good guy to look at is gene roddenberry. his concept for the original star trek was rubbish; i'm sure he tried to sell it, but (and also he was a bike cop, which is like two levels below scum) ultimately ended up having to produce it himself

then it stagnated for decades until someone decided "hey let's throw a bald guy in there"

eventually, someone made voyager

so much for the inherent worth of an idea

 

[oman]

**** an idea, in my opinion.

 

[KPO89]

Aren't we suppose to keep the thread ******** to a minimum in this forum?

 

[Vashin]

http://www.kickstarter.com/

crowd funding, http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...-kits?ref=live these guys raised just under 1mil

 

[Blackhood]

It depends on your idea.

For physical inventions:

Test the invention for scalability and durability. Brainstorm all the possible applications you can. Patent the invention and any variations you can think of/afford. Do everything in your power to look at every point that can be altered because thats where your idea can be stolen out from under you.

Now approach companies who might make use of the product. Don't start with the Big Boys, their R&D teams will kill you off. Look at the small industries and licence out your product or component to them and aid them in growth. Quietly watch your component improve their products and reap the rewards.

For an IDEA:
This is much tougher as basically anything falls under this category.

Start your own business . If you need finance or expertise then consider Angel Investors, Venture Capitalists or banks. These guys come ready-made with an army of contacts and skills that they can point in your direction to help. Still wont be a substitute for the hardest work you're ever likely to do, but hey.

Franchise. Put packages together allowing someone else to run your business and give you a cut. This is tough if you don't already have a profitable business, but its not impossible. This is especially true within high-investment industries. If you talk to a guy with a KFC franchise about a Soup franchise, he's going to know whether to buy in or not.

Can you sell your expansion ideas to big business? I don't know. Never tried and never met anyone who has.

EDIT: oman stop being a dick, it helps no one.

 

[KPO89]

^ Interesting thoughts....thanks.

 

[globetrotter]

in my experience, successful start ups are about successful implimentation of ideas. I know a lot of people who have great ideas and no way to get them going. at least, you need somebody who can sell the idea to a big company that can impliment them, or somebody who can help you set up a successful company to impliment them. niether is easy