The OMIT system. Part 1
Ideas are a dime a dozen
It always seemed to me like an obvious truth and yet many people still believe in miracles. Every once in a while I get an email or a message on LinkedIn along the lines of:
Dude, dude DUUUDE! I have a million dollar idea! I just need a dev and we are all set!
What is even more ridiculous is that these people never even tell me what their idea is. "Otherwise my idea will be stolen!".
My dear reader! Whenever you hear a statement like this, please do not be fooled because this is the worst goddamn motherfucking bullshit you can ever buy into if you are someone who values your time and money. The correct translation is:
My dear reader! Whenever you hear a statement like this, please do not be fooled because this is the worst goddamn motherfucking bullshit you can ever buy into if you are someone who values your time and money. The correct translation is:
I've got no money, no talent, no one else has bought into this bullshit and the only thing I believe I can do is to trick inexperienced rising talent into working for free for an idea that I came up with yesterday having invested 0 thought into.
BEWARE. Run away as quickly as you can as soon as you hear something like that because these people are going to waste a shit ton of your time for nothing.
If you are one who not only wants to build their first product but also intends to make it successful, then please read this carefully. It's time to open your mind and understand that we live in a world where your idea alone is not worth anything. An idea that has not been yet implemented is worthless. In fact, it is a negative sum game. Not only is it worthless but also it is a waste of resources that could have been used to produce some value. An idea that has no practical implementation is a bad idea. Moreover, implementation often serves as a test of an idea's viability. Think of ideas as sperm cells. There are millions of them out there but only one will reach its goal and grow into something of value. Maybe. But maybe not. And it all depends on you and how much effort you will put into making it successful. But for sure nothing will happen if you just sit and wait.
So do you think you have you invented the next big thing? Then make it real and let it conquer the world! Nobody wants to give you money? Nobody wants to work with you? Then the idea wasn't good enough. Simple as that.
There is no such thing as a GOOD IDEA when you create a product. But if you believe in an idea and invest your time and effort, it can change everything. Your ability to come up with an idea is much less important than your ability to organise people to bring the idea to life.
And don't be afraid to share your ideas. The bitter truth is that most of us are not geniuses and you are no exception. You need criticism. Criticism will help you discover potential imperfections and make necessary improvements. And if your idea is really great, then word of mouth will bring you to the right investor in no time.
If you are one who not only wants to build their first product but also intends to make it successful, then please read this carefully. It's time to open your mind and understand that we live in a world where your idea alone is not worth anything. An idea that has not been yet implemented is worthless. In fact, it is a negative sum game. Not only is it worthless but also it is a waste of resources that could have been used to produce some value. An idea that has no practical implementation is a bad idea. Moreover, implementation often serves as a test of an idea's viability. Think of ideas as sperm cells. There are millions of them out there but only one will reach its goal and grow into something of value. Maybe. But maybe not. And it all depends on you and how much effort you will put into making it successful. But for sure nothing will happen if you just sit and wait.
So do you think you have you invented the next big thing? Then make it real and let it conquer the world! Nobody wants to give you money? Nobody wants to work with you? Then the idea wasn't good enough. Simple as that.
There is no such thing as a GOOD IDEA when you create a product. But if you believe in an idea and invest your time and effort, it can change everything. Your ability to come up with an idea is much less important than your ability to organise people to bring the idea to life.
And don't be afraid to share your ideas. The bitter truth is that most of us are not geniuses and you are no exception. You need criticism. Criticism will help you discover potential imperfections and make necessary improvements. And if your idea is really great, then word of mouth will bring you to the right investor in no time.
So how can you start creating great products?
As you have learned from the original article, the OMIT approach consists of 4 different stages and looks at the process of product creation from two different angles: psychology and resources. The letter 'I' stands for IDEAS and this stage is all about sacrificing your ego and learning to make peace with your mind. At this stage you already have some idea for a product but you need to overcome your inner complexes in order to convert it into something that has potential. This part is purely psychological, it is very simple but it becomes the necessary foundation for your future mind-set.
1. Prepare to share
The bitter truth is that most of us are not geniuses and you are no exception. Yeah mate that hurts. But the sooner you realise and accept it, the sooner you will start making great stuff. In the end, talent is just 1% of success. I wouldn't even call it talent, it's is rather just luck that helps you cross that 0 point from where you will start digging. The rest is just a bunch of hard work, failures and pivoting. So why do you need to share? There are two main reasons for that.
First of all, today's world is too complex to be handled by one person. You cannot perform all tasks by yourself. Moreover, you need to have a multi-profile team in which everyone is an expert in their own field. If you want to be a good product manager, then be the manager. Be the one who sees the big picture but do not be the cork for every bottle.
The second reason is that you need criticism. The longer you sit with your idea tête-à-tête, the more biased you become and the more clouded your mind becomes. Criticism will help you look at your idea from a different angle and make necessary improvements. You are not a genius, you cannot know everything, you need a second opinion.
And if your idea is really great, you will enjoy a really nice side effect: word of mouth will bring you to the right investor in no time.
The second reason is that you need criticism. The longer you sit with your idea tête-à-tête, the more biased you become and the more clouded your mind becomes. Criticism will help you look at your idea from a different angle and make necessary improvements. You are not a genius, you cannot know everything, you need a second opinion.
And if your idea is really great, you will enjoy a really nice side effect: word of mouth will bring you to the right investor in no time.
2. Prepare to transform
Once you begin sharing and talking about your ideas, you will start receiving feedback that will help you see potential for improvement. This will lead to the inevitable transformation of your initial ideas into something new. This is the beauty of the creative process where two minds can produce something completely new when they join forces. Some changes will be minimal. Some changes will be dramatic. But if you intend to create a product that is going to appeal to the masses, then you are gonna listen to at least a fraction of them. Your own opinion is not enough. It is actually even harmful because your mind gets clouded after a while: the longer you work on something, the more emotionally attached you get. Showing your baby to someone will throw you into the deep end and clear your mind.
3. Be ready to throw away
Some of your ideas will not go any further. They will never become finished products. Because they are simply bad. You must accept the fact that some stuff your brain comes up with is just nonsense. The best way to deal with it is to think of it as white noise. But never think of rejected ideas as failures. Because they are not. Just pick the best ones and move forwards with them.
A random idea may cost nothing. An idea that has become a product may cost a fortune. What makes the difference? The effort.
© Wild Ma-Gässli
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