People always ask me where my ideas come from. It feels as if my ideas originate in my mind, in a something-from-nothing way. But sometimes I think my brain is some sort of zeitgeist vacuum, sucking in scraps of ideas already floating around the universe until there’s enough of one kind of scrap that I notice.
For example, in a recent post I described what I thought was an original idea for using cell phones to arrange ride sharing, thus saving the world by reducing fuel use. Meanwhile, as several readers pointed out, something similar was already being created for Facebook users:
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid={492C5820-C43D-4B95-98ED-5466C7A92D26}
This happens with most of my ideas. No matter what I write, I get at least one e-mail with a link to someone who said it first, or invented it first. So I wonder if I am actually a creative person or simply jacked into the matrix.
Let’s test the theory. I’ll describe my new idea, and you find the link to someone who is already doing it.
I’ll call my idea weirdfeet.com because all the better URLs are taken. It’s a website where people simply keep a record of what athletic footwear fits their particular feet. For example, I have a somewhat flat foot, and I’ve found only two models of tennis shoes that work for me. I’d register on the system and enter my two types of tennis shoes.
Once enough people have registered, I can find people who are happy with the exact size and brand of footwear as me. Then, when my brands are discontinued, or I want to branch out, I check the website to find out what other tennis shoes are being worn by people who were happy with my same brands and sizes. Their feet are probably a lot like mine. Perhaps not 100% of the time, but it’s better than starting blind.
Weirdfeet.com could make money on ads, and perhaps make referral money for links to online sellers. In terms of ad revenue, the key to a successful site is having a user base that is in the market for something specific. Everyone on this site would be a buyer of athletic footwear. And if they registered a tennis shoe, they are also purchasers of tennis rackets. Advertisers love that.
Does this site exist? Or did I just give away the best idea I ever had?