Coming Up with a Unique Idea is Hard
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Has this ever happened to you? You come up what you think is a unique idea for a website or product. You check to see if the domain is open and it is. You get excited about new possibilities. You start thinking about all the things you could do only to dig a bit deeper and discover it has already been done?
That just happened to me tonight. While on an hour long drive with my family tonight I started some brainstorming and came up with what I thought was a pretty cool idea until suddenly I realize that I wasn’t the only one who thought of it.
Certainly I could make the argument that I could do it better. But do I want to run with an idea that isn’t original? So non-original in fact that while the domain name was open, another blog with the exact same name does exist, just with a .wordpress.com at the end? Do I want to try to succeed off from a concept that has been done before, albeit not all that successfully?
It is hard to feel good about an concept when you can imagine someone down the road claiming you ripped off their idea.
And so, here I am, deflated a bit and reminding myself I don’t really need another obligation. Telling myself it really isn’t worth pursing if I can’t pursue wholeheartedly.
I’m back to the daily grind so to speak, until the mood to do something fresh and different strikes me again and I search for that perfect idea, the idea that hasn’t been done and is truly my own. Perhaps it is my entrepreneurial spirit that frequently puts me in this position because it only feel natural to search for something new.
Am I the only one who does this?
Oh yes! I know how you feel. Someone once told me, that many new ideas stream from original ones. People copy each others work all the time. Unless it’s patent, then you S-O-L there. Even if someone else sells the exact same thing as you, yours is better because you believe in it more!
Good luck to you, what ever you decide to do!
Oh heavens yes!!
I couldn’t understand more… coming from a fellow mom with 2 and 4 year old boys, but still in corporate world and hoping to break free! I’ve got about 5 ideas brewing, and am trying to find time for more obligations without taking an ounce away from the boys…
Haha, I could have written this post myself. I agree with Hanan: “many new ideas stream from original ones”. I’ve become obsessed with making those darn yarn wreaths. I have several just sitting around the house. I’m thinking of opening an etsy shop to sell them, but it’s not like it’s a new, original idea. So many people sell yarn wreaths on Etsy. But I’m going to run with it anyway, because I do believe mine are better. Why? Because I’m my biggest cheerleader and I believe in myself! 🙂
Oh man, this happens to me all the time! I think I’m so clever until I tell my husband about it and he bursts my bubble. 🙂
Ugh, that sucks girl!
I feel terrible for you. How do you put this fabulous idea into play when it’s kinda, sorta out there? I don’t know. None of us online and blogging are truly unique. How many mom bloggers, travel bloggers, tech bloggers, etc are out there? No one really has a corner on a topic or subject. I bet you’d do an amazing job!
You are so sweet!
Actually in this case the idea was very specific so to take a specific idea and also taking the same name seems like stealing. At least I would feel that way if someone decided to create a mom/review & giveaway blog and name it http://www.babylovingmama.wordpress.com. and call it Baby Loving Mama. KWIM? And I can’t really think of anything else to call it that isn’t already taken anyway.
So I’ll just have to wait until another good idea comes along! 🙂 Thanks for the vote of confidence though!
My hubby is totally like this. Idea after idea after idea. Totally an entrepreneur mind. He’s got something in the works that he’s been researching for a bit, and it’s a bit of a spinoff on stuff that already exists, so we’ll see. I’m sorry about your idea though. Makes you wish you would have come up with it a few months back, right?
I completely understand what you mean. As a mother of 3 myself I a consistently trying to find new and easier way to do things to make life easier. And right when I think I have hit the jackpot and start doing a little research, bam…it’s already there. It is very frustrating. But I am glad that the idea or product is out there already so then I just end up buying it…lol
yes i’ve had a hard time figuring out what to blog about lately! sometimes we just get a mind block!
I can relate to always wanting to find new things to do, that’s for sure! Keeps life interesting…
I know this is an old post but a good one to ponder. When you think of the LARGE portion of the population online now, the ideas are generated so very quickly. Then ponder how people really CAN have those lightbulb moments at the same time. My husband has thought of products to manufacture and found “it’s been done…just marketed lowly and puttered out”. I have thought of blog ideas but never came to fruition…yet. And then see someone beats me to the punch before I can get my move on. The same with book ideas. The one thing I really want to do someday and am not confident yet to do…and the ideas keep getting used. Kind of like movies, it’s all been done already. Hard to be a unique individual when technology moves ideas through so quickly. Sorry your hopes were dashed but you WILL turn that new leaf someday and will be on the highest branch still that no one has ever seen…YET. You do a great job from what I see…very much admire what some blogs are doing out here.
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