Your idea is not any good unless it’s on the verge of being bad

The thing about creativity is, there’s a very fine line between ingenious and idiotic.

Here’s a fun exercise you can do with your friends.

Think back to any of the advertisements, product names and marketing messages you encountered in the last day. Now ask yourself this question:

Was that an organically built, compelling, value driven idea that was brilliantly executed; or was it just another hackneyed, over engineered piece of crap affectation created by committee?

The funny thing is, it seems like it’s becoming harder and harder to tell the difference.

This became clear to me while inventing three hundred ideas for my product development and innovation card game. Many of the items were clearly jokes. There’s simply no way any company in its right mind would manufacture such a product.

Let me give you an example.

When you live in a city, there is no way to stop homeless people from peeing in your doorway. But there is a way to make sure they only do it once. Scorch is my innovative product idea for an odor activated wall sprinkler that detects the scent of urine and emits a powerful blast of pepper spray to repel its owner. Now those public urinators think twice about dropping trou at your front door. Scorch proves that there’s no pees for the wicked.

That idea is idiotic and insensitive. You could really hurt someone.

Then again, it would most definitely solve your problem. Not to mention, taste great on steak.

Here’s another one.

Back scratchers are helpful, but you can never find one when you need it most. And if young children get ahold of them, they might become dangerous. Frictional is my idea for a line of textured wall finishes that guarantees people will always scratch that pesky itch on their backs that they can’t normally reach. They’re safer and more satisfying than your run of the mill plastic tool. And you’ll never lose them. Deck the walls of all your halls, at home or at work. Frictional is a scratch made in heaven.

Tell me that’s not ingenious. My product would fly off the shelves at every domestic merchandise store in the nation. Think how many lonely, single people don’t have a loved one to scratch their backs.

Then again, this product would train millions of people around the world to treat themselves like barnyard animals.

To quote the great comedian, these are the ideas that kept me out of the really good schools.

Anyway, this proves my point that ingenious and idiotic aren’t that far apart.

Your idea is not any good unless it’s on the verge of being bad.

Is your idea complete bullshit, or the next best thing?