Getting business ideas into perspective

With so many differences between the world of film making and the world of e-business, it would seem very few lessons can be learned from the former that would apply to the latter. To get the problem into perspective though, we are not concerned at the moment with the eventual running of a successful e-business: we are more concerned with its initial creation and a strategy that will enable it to survive. In this sense, the creation of an e-business solution has more in common with the pre production activities of the movie makers, than the more mechanical details of the production process itself.

Pre production of movies (and television programs) is an enigmatic area of activity that defies logical description. It concerns the finding and selection of the subject matter. It is about assembling together the right mix of key collaborators that will provide a reasonable degree of confidence that the project might become a reality. It is about constructing a rough framework for production and providing a convincing strategy that will attract funding in what is basically a high risk venture.

This is the way to look at the creation of an e-business solution. It isn't simply about having good ideas: ideas are only of any use if there is a suitable environment in place to nourish them. Ideas are like seeds; plants produce thousands of them based upon an evolved strategy that takes into account that only a few of them will ever find their way to just the right set of conditions that will allow them to grow.

Just as seeds are useless without a growing environment, so are ideas useless without an infrastructure in place to make them realisable. Thus, power and initiative lie not with the people who have the ideas but with the people who have the contacts and control the infrastructure that can put the ideas into practice.

It is always the mark of the inexperienced novice, when they place undue emphasis upon the value of initial ideas in the creation of a business. Referring back to chapter 3, business ideas are the seeds upon which businesses are grown and developed, but, until ideas are brought to fruition their value has to be heavily discounted to allow for any uncertainties and unrevealed problems.

This lumps good and bad ideas together, because which are good and which are bad is only truly discernible after they are put into practice. In the uncertain environment of e-business, this usually means that the process of selection between competing ideas is more a matter of chance than rational judgement.

Many people feel frustrated, when they consider they have what seems to be a great idea for a business but lack the necessary resources to be able to put the idea into practice. If they could have emotions, this is probably how millions of seeds would feel when scattered to the wind. Every seed has the potential to turn into a great living plant, but, unless they land in just the right place at just the right time, they will not be one of the lucky ones that succeed.

You might cast your mind back here to chapter 3. It may have struck you as being utterly bizarre to venture into the world of e-business without a sound business idea. But, if you have only a great idea, with no contacts or strategy to be able to put that idea into operation then you might as well considerate it in the same light as the genetic content of a newly released seed from a plant. Unless the idea can be introduced into a suitable environment, it is useless. For this reason, establishing contacts and creating the right environment in which to introduce an idea has to have a higher order of priority than the idea itself. Common sense tells you that it is a waste of time dreaming up brilliant ideas until you have this side sorted out first.

To be practical and realistic, ideas should only be conceived within the context of an infrastructure that is either in place already or easy to assemble using established contacts. To be in this position involves establishing sufficient credibility to be able to communicate effectively to obtain the confidence of suitable collaborators. It is an exercise that relies upon techniques and skills more usually associated with entrepreneurs - the ability to inspire trust and confidence. Ultimately, it is about communication strategies.