Starting A New Project

Lately, I've been thinking quite a bit about a new side project.  You know, one that actually makes money and makes my "net" time more productive and lucrative in general.

 

Then, I read this highly intelligent point.

I heard a useful rule about predicting success during my (failed) attempt at creating a hit Dilbert animated TV show. While watching the Dilbert pilot being tested on a focus group, an experienced executive explained to me the most non-intuitive way to predict success. Since then I've observed it to be true a number of times. It goes like this:

If everyone exposed to a product likes it, the product will not succeed.

Think about that for a minute before I explain why everyone liking something predicts failure. If you get this answer right, I'm guessing that you are already successful yourself. Tell me in the comments if I'm right about that.

The reason that a product "everyone likes" will fail is because no one "loves" it. The only thing that predicts success is passion, even if only 10% of the consumers have it. For example, I'm willing to bet that when the TV show Baywatch was tested, 90% of the people rolled their eyes and gave it a thumbs down. But I'll bet 10% of the test audience had tents in their pants. Bingo.

You know who that was?  Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, from his blog.  Hopefully I don't get any issues by linking to him.  He's kinda rich, you know.

 

That got me thinking.

 

It's not the idea for everyone that you want to have.

 

It's the PERFECT idea for SOMEONE that you want to have.

 

Kind of like crack.  Not for everyone, but perfect for some.  They have to have it.

 

Think about that.

 

While you're at it, go visit the Dilbert Blog.  I have a feeling I'll be visiting often.  It may get a permalink.