The True Test

Ideas can be born anywhere — in your closet where you do critical thinking, on the streets, at school, at work, just name it. Ideas come from the need for a problem to be solved. A lot of people just deliberate lock themselves in a room just come up with solutions to problems around them and a lot of great ideas sprung up from those kind of drastic measures.

As good as coming up with an idea that solves a particular problem (or series of problems) is, the idea needs to be tested to be sure that it can even get off the ground. The idea should be able to answer some critical questions such as; Who needs the solution? How desperate are they in need of this solution? Do they have alternatives that they currently use to solve their problem? What will make your idea a better solution? How many people really need this solution? Are they just your friends or the entire community or nation? Many more questions need to be answered.

These questions cannot be answered by gathering people in a room and getting them to think for probably a thousand or even a million people and come up with solutions to their problems. The questions can only be answered on the streets. The street is where people with the problem reside, that’s where they have the problem and are looking for solution. You cannot give them a solution when you don’t have a clear idea to their actual problem. You might just be bringing a solution to a problem that does not exist. That way nobody will ever accept your solution. A few might just try it because they like to try new things.

Going out on the streets yesterday gave me a clear idea that a solution can only work when people acknowledge that they have the problem, and they will use your solution if it addresses their problem.

The True Test of an idea is getting the exact problem people want to solve by speaking with them.