A time machine that only goes one direction

Here are two pitches for a new television series.

The first show is a documentary program about the history of inventions and their inventors. It’s encyclopedic in scope, entertaining in the extreme, and educational in nature.

Our host explores the dates, details, and amazing stories of how some of our most interesting and useful inventions first came to the marketplace.

The second show is a gameshow program where three contestants actually become inventors themselves, creating new innovations in real time. It’s absurd in scope, hilarious in the extreme, and inspirational in nature.

Our host will challenge contestants to solve real problems, and then brainstorm ridiculous inventions to help make the world a better place.

Both of these programs would be interesting and highly watchable. They appeal to different audiences on different channels, but with the right production and promotion engines behind them, both shows could ostensibly receive solid ratings, generate a loyal viewership and garner advertisers.

Which show would you rather watch? Which program would you rather work for?

My vote is for the second one, and here’s why.

The first show, fascinating as it may be, is focused on the past. It’s a time machine that only goes one direction. And innovation is about future.

Show number two, on the other hand, considers the complete possibly of what might be, rather than a record of what once was. It’s completely original. It stretches people’s brains to imagine how we could ratchet up the human species.

Plus, it’s way more fun. And funny. And most audiences, nine times out of ten, would rather laugh than think. Thinking is work. People work all day. Laughing helps us escape from work.

Okay, confession time. This is the exact thought experiment that ran through my head when brainstorming my most recent project.

My original idea was going to be show number one. The documentary about innovation. It sounded interesting and engaging initially, but once we got the ball rolling, it lost momentum quickly and was abandoned within weeks. Because it wasn’t original. We didn’t create anything. And that’s a problem for me.

However, over the course of about seven years, the other idea for the gameshow actually did came together. It built momentum slowly in my mind, but once we pulled the trigger and recorded a pilot episode, there was no stopping that train. It not only galvanized me, but everyone around me.

And you can tune in right now. Steal Scott’s Ideas is the product development and innovation gameshow where we perform execution in public.

How do you decide which of your ideas to pursue?