Find your zag - Do it first

[Ewan McIntosh]

Part two of a series of posts on the elements that have made the best propositions to 4iP work well.

Marty Neumeier's Zag can be read in one day's commute between Belfast and Glasgow. In 76 minutes you can understand what it means to zag when everyone else is zigging.
The phenomenon ties in 100% with Channel 4's values: do it first, inspire change, make trouble. But doing it first means that you have to be mega aware of the sector you're getting into.

Social media is daily popping its shirt buttons as yet more me-toos attempt to grab people's ever-dwindling attention. There are ways to stay on top of this and make sure you're idea isn't old hat before it touches the blueprint. Read lists and, better still, stay subscribed to blogs in the know, such as TechCrunch or the Guardian's Tech blog (both on 38minutes), to see what is already out there before spending months building your own social media empire that does nothing more than loosely tie existing number one and two services into a new package. In all honesty, people don't mind having multiple log-ins, especially if you're trying to appeal to a studenty or teen/tween participant.

Paul Arden had it right when he suggests Whatever You Think Think The Opposite. Regularly take pleasure in asking what the opposite of something would be, and what that would mean for the guy or gal in the street. Here are some of his examples:

Which slogan would you choose for the V&A?:
The Museum of the Arts
The art of the museum
The new V&A
It's not for boring old arts
An ace caff with quite a nice museum attached

Sydney Opera house sits in a harbour. Jorn Utzon summed up his idea to the architecture competition committee in one word: Sail. Once the committee had that in their heads no-one else had a chance.

If you find that the big idea you've spent four years working on has already been done by one leader and a second-place competitor, take solace in the fact that it is majorly unlikely that your idea will manage to compete with either. If you're not first or second in a space, then leave that space alone, and spend your time coming up with something where you are first or second. First place? We love you and will jump. Second place? Remember, Scots are always the underdogs - we love that, too. Third place? Well, there are underdogs and underdogs...

Pic: First across the line

[Simon Montford]

I strongly disagree with you on this point Ewan! The world is full of good (and not necessarily unique) ideas - its all about implementation. There are so many first and second movers who have lost out to late entrants. Examples that spring to mind include Friendster v Facebook or Hertz v EasyCar. In general I agree that a 'Blue Ocean' market is better than a 'Red Ocean' but as an entrepreneur fund raising for products ideas within unproven markets can be very frustrating. Investors usually prefer to invest in fads rather than blue sky ideas.