How to avoid the trap of distracting ideas

I used to think I wasn’t an “idea person.” I’d actually tell people that pretty regularly because I didn’t see a lot of what I did as coming up with ideas. 

In my mind, I was just applying the knowledge I had from previous experiences, education and careers to different businesses. 

The longer I’ve run a business on my own though—coming up on 10 years!—the more I’ve embraced the fact that I am indeed an idea person. 

Back in 2020, this was validated independently when I took Gallup’s CliftonStrenths 34 assessment and my top strength was ideation, with the following description of why I succeed using ideation:

You are fascinated by ideas. Because you enjoy looking at the world from different perspectives and are always searching for connections, you are a powerful and creative brainstorming partner.

How cool is that!?

I would argue that most if not all entrepreneurs and business owners are idea people – whether this creativity comes through in the form of finding innovative solutions to support your clients, experimenting with new ways to streamline your work, or continuing to shift and pivot your company in response to the economy, technology, demand, or any other variables that come your way. 

The more I embrace this part of myself, the more ideas I have. 

Now I’ll be honest, they aren’t all winners. Especially when it comes to ideas for revenue-generating activities. Some are worth the time and intention it takes to bring them to fruition, and others simply aren’t.

For any creative person, this is an important piece of self-awareness to have because the flood of ideas can be distracting when you have higher priorities that require your attention.

However, when you’re a business owner, you need to remain extra vigilant because the wrong idea can derail your day, your purpose, or your entire business.

Below, I’ve outlined the process I use to test the viability of my ideas. Consider adopting this methodology in your own business to determine whether or not to take action on your ideas.

Create an idea parking lot

The first step in auditing your ideas is actually acknowledging and recording them.

How many times have you had a spark of inspiration only for it to vanish into thin air the next day, never to be found again? 

Whenever you think of an idea, take a moment to write it down. The good, the bad, the ugly – capture everything so you can test their viability when the time is right.

Avoid judging your ideas too harshly in this first step. You can always build upon or tweak them later. The important thing here is ensuring the idea isn’t forgotten. 

Having a clear system and process in place for capturing these ideas is crucial. Relying on scattered sticky notes, an overflowing notebook and random entries in your notes app isn’t efficient or effective.

Instead, create an organized database for your ideas so you can file, tag, schedule, and filter them as needed. 

I love using Notion to do this within my own business but there are endless tools and tech that can support you based on your business needs and personal preferences. 

Establish boundaries for your business ideas

Once you’ve got an idea documented, let it percolate. 

Give yourself time to think about how the idea appeals to you and allow yourself the chance to build it out some more when inspiration strikes. 

Do you lose interest after a week? Discard it. Does it remain relevant and interesting to you after a month? After three months? “Sticky ideas” like this often deserve to be tested further.

Test the viability of your business ideas

Before you jump into implementation just because an idea appears to be sticking around, take some time to examine, question, and assess it further to determine whether the idea has staying power beyond your brain. 

Here’s my filtering system for testing services within my business. This same process can be applied to other business ideas or products as well, with some slight modifications.

1. Is there a market for the service or offering?

Anyone who has launched an offer of some kind can vouch for the fact that the saying, “if you build it they will come” is misleading (to say the least). Reaching any audience – especially the right audience – requires planning, intention, and effort.

I recently saw a Reddit post where someone shared that they’d built an app and now wanted help figuring out how to find an audience. The unfortunate reality is they’re too late to be asking this question. 

They built it before they knew whether anyone would actually want it. 

And I’m guessing they missed out on any opportunities to seed the market before release, too. 

Now they’re stuck with an app they spent time, energy and resources building that may not generate any interest.

How much work you do to figure out if there’s a market for your service will depend on the investment you will need to make to implement your idea. 

The more complex the idea, the more you’ll want to plan and test it out with market research, focus groups, and a business plan if it needs its own entity to grow and thrive.

If your idea requires little to no effort and investment to implement, you can sometimes get away with a simple audience poll or email feedback survey.

If the market is there, move on to the next step.

2. Is the service solving a problem people want solved?

Before you jump into implementation, talk to people who might need the service you’re considering.

Does it solve a pain point they’re currently struggling with? Does it address the issue in an effective and efficient way? Ideally, in the manner your ideal client hoped to resolve it?

I once worked for a company that made an add-on to productivity software. It was a data security tool and whenever my colleagues and I would tell people where we worked and what we did, inevitably anyone who knew the tool would fill us in on how much they hated it. 

Given that I felt the same way about it, I wasn’t offended. But if I’d had more stake in the game, or had thought I was creating and selling something people would love, I might have taken this criticism to heart. 

The thing is, the software add-on did actually solve a problem. It just didn’t do it in a way that delighted anyone. Instead, it mostly just frustrated users.

The worst solution is one that solves a problem no one asked to be solved (full self-driving cars come to mind here - trains and buses solved this one eons ago). 

Innovation and challenging the status quo are only effective (and well-received) if they’re done in relevant, appropriate ways that align with your customers and their expectations. 

3. Is the service something people will pay to use?

If you’re looking to create a service that already exists, you’ll need to focus on differentiation. 

What distinguishes you from your competition? How do these changes impact your buyers? Would the difference(s) in your service potentially win over people from your competitors?

If the service is somewhat new, you’ll need to test it in a slightly different way. 

What data is available to you that you can analyze? What data could you collect to further inform your decision? 

In the software world, there’s a process of beta testing products that are still in development that you want to get user feedback on. In a similar vein, you could create a beta version of your service on a smaller scale to test out the viability.

Is your new offer something people would actually pay for and follow through on? How much would they value the service at? 

Does their response track with your vision? Is the potential return worth the investment of time and energy that bringing the idea to fruition would require from you?

Are you getting your desired response from your desired audience? Are they happy with the service as is? Do they have tweaks or suggestions that you could implement before your official launch? 

I’ve done this several times over the years when I’ve made changes to how I work with clients. Generally, I’ll tease the launch of my new strategy or program and then will roll out the offering to a select few interested clients. I’ll provide a discounted rate for this beta group, in exchange for feedback on the process.

Positive feedback gives you testimonials you can use for the promotion of your offer if and when it is fully released, and constructive criticism allows you to improve (or ditch) the service before launch. It’s a win-win for both you and your audience. 

4. Is now the right time?

Even if you check all of the above boxes and the idea is viable from a client or customer perspective, it doesn’t mean you should or need to implement the idea – not right away at least. 

For an idea to come to fruition successfully, it needs to be given proper time and attention. So, you need to be cognizant of the resources you currently have available and if they’re enough to launch this idea.

Remember that this is bigger than just creating the service. You also need to consider the financial and physical efforts required to launch, promote, carry out, and sustain the offer throughout its lifespan. Take a comprehensive view of the project so you can recognize the commitment required from concept to completion.

Will allocating time, money, and effort into this idea negatively impact your other services or offers? 

How does this idea fit into your business plan and strategy? Is it distracting you from another, more important initiative? Or will it support you in reaching your goals? 

Is now the right time for you? Is it the right time for your audience? 

It’s easy to get swept away in the excitement of a new idea, but when you’re deciding on the best move for your company, clients, and self, you need to take into account the entire scope of the project (beyond the ideation stage). 

And hey, even if you have the resources to bring the idea to life and even if the idea makes sense logically in terms of your bottom line or potential impact, it doesn't mean you need to pursue it. 

If you’re totally content as you are, with how things stand, sometimes the best thing to do is to carry on as is. Why fix what’s not broken unless you’re totally inspired and energized by the thought of this new direction? 

Narrow down to the best ideas

It’s fun to think of new ideas, even if most of them never come to fruition. 

But you’ll have the most fun when you can be confident that the ideas you DO choose to act on are going to make a difference for you and the people you serve.

Going through this testing process might seem like a lot of work, but it’s much better to spend this time upfront – gauging interest, assessing market appeal, and being honest with yourself – rather than wasting your time on an idea that no one wants or needs.

If you’re looking for more support in this process, I’d encourage you to book a consultation call with me. 

I’d love to support you in clarifying your ideas and recognizing how they fit into your overall business goals and strategy.