How innovative are you?

[Aqua Letifer]

This has happened so many times that I feel that I can accurately measure my own degree of innovation.

I'm not so slow that I look every new invention and think, "golly, how did they think of that?"

I have a lot of my own inventive ideas. Things no one has made yet. You can't find them anywhere in any marketplace.

But they aren't truly unique. I'm always behind. I get the idea precisely at the time that the prototype is either being developed or in alpha testing. It'll come out in 6 to 18 months' time, and they'll beat me, every time.

This freaking pen is the most recent example. I had this idea a few years ago, months before they released the first version.

Basically it takes the chuck part of a drill bit and applies it to a pen, so you can use any refill you want. Also, no wobbly bits in the pen because the refill is held fast inside.

Never first. I just think of it when some group of folks somewhere have already created a prototype.

[Horace]

Ideas have their time. Like how often I have insights into American culture, only to have those insights appear in top level discourse several months or years later.

[89th]

You are in tune with the universe. Unfortunately your are connected the ideas of others.... sorry man, and yes I know personally of the various things you thought up over the years only to see them come to fruition later.

[Aqua Letifer]

@89th said in How innovative are you?:

You are in tune with the universe. Unfortunately your are connected the ideas of others.... sorry man, and yes I know personally of the various things you thought up over the years only to see them come to fruition later.

Well, let's be really clear here: I'm not butthurt about missed opportunities because for most of these, I don't think I have any intention of putting forth the Herculean efforts required to get a new product venture off the ground. They can go ahead and make the pen and I'll buy it.

But then again, maybe I'd feel differently if I got way ahead of something for a change. I'd still doubt it, but since I'm not that fast I don't think I'll ever find out.

[jon-nyc]

I’m reminded of the dot com era where every other conversation I had with my work mates was what online business to start.

[Aqua Letifer]

@jon-nyc said in How innovative are you?:

I’m reminded of the dot com era where every other conversation I had with my work mates was what online business to start.

Any of them show up later, created by themselves or other people?

[jon-nyc]

Created by others except the funny ones.

For example one buddy suggested an online secretary exchange, on the theory that he couldn’t date his own secretary, but he could date mine, etc.

[taiwan_girl]

Always seems like it is the "second to market" that is successful. The first one usually has some problems or is not big enough to scale up their product.

The second one can see where the first went wrong.

(Unfortunately, I am not very innovative)