Another Crazy Idea

Problems create opportunity

Speaking of “find a need and fill it,” (see The Turbo Charger October 5, 2021, #866 issue) take a look at this impressive ball point pen with hand sanitizer built into the barrel. Who thought of that? I don’t know. When the idea was first presented, it may have been seen as “another crazy idea.”

Hundreds of thousands of these pens were sold in the initial stages of the COVID-19 crisis. Remember when breweries shifted from making alcohol spirits to producing hand sanitizers? Myron, Inc., a custom promotional products company responded to this shortage of, and perceived need for, a way to sanitize our hands and every surface we touched as we tried to live with Covid-19.

I love this little invention because it went from an idea to market as fast as you can snap the cap of your ball-point pen. Fast to market, first to market, fast to respond to new problems, and challenges, is one of the secrets to success in the 21st century. Over 30 years ago, Turbo Leadership Systems began defining quality as “the highest possible quality, at the lowest effective cost, with fastest customer response time.”

The saddest people are those that say, “I thought of that a long time ago.” I wouldn’t brag about it if I were you. I’m not sure I’d even admit it. It’s not what you’ve thought of, it’s what you’ve done. It’s what you’ve made happen. It’s what you’ve made a reality that gives you value. This is how you solve the problems of your neighbors, clients, and prospective clients. This is how you beat your competition. Fast to market – Get ‘er done.

What’s one of your ideas for reducing costs, improving quality or functionality, process improvement? Sometimes, you can implement it on your own. More often, in our complex, interconnected world, where each of us is a link in a larger process, you need the support, approval, endorsement of others. You’ve got to get the boss to sign on. Everyone has a boss.

What’s an idea you’ve been thinking about but haven’t had the courage to suggest? Put together a scale model, a great drawing, a well-thought-out presentation, and go to work. Don’t be too disappointed if the first time you try to “sell it,” no one buys. Remember Edison experimented over 10,000 times before he made the incandescent light work. Sylvester Stallone was rejected 1,500 times before Rocky I was produced, and the Rocky Balboa franchise became a part of popular culture.

If you really believe in your idea, don’t let rejection defeat you. Don’t quit, try one more time, and still one more.