Investments

The idea that there are investors, just waiting for great ideas to fund with the hope of getting a return is a strange, and yet delightful idea. Reading advice about everything from how to get in the door and then how to craft the perfect pitch are very interesting, but in many ways, it all seems to come down to common sense. The thing that I’m struck with is, what‘s the threshold that makes one idea worth it and another just a lot of time spent on a project. I would guess that is the million dollar question, but it seems like it should be quantifiable in some way.

To be specific, I think I might have an idea that could be valuable, but it would target a small, niche community – which doesn’t necessarily seem to be a bad thing, it just simply isn’t scalable in large terms. It is however, very sustainable and I believe it will be relevant and appealing for the next 3-5 years, easily - and depending on the shifts in technology, perhaps longer. So the question is, “Is it worth it?”

Arguments like the “long-tail” “world is flat” and “tipping point” are all very interesting, and yet somehow very trendy to me. Actually generating and sustaining profit, doesn’t seem that hard, and yet I know that many companies don’t last longer than 3-5 years. What does seem sustainable is a good idea, lots of work, and common sense these three components never change, but they are also very hard, even impossible to quantify.