Don't do it Dan!-->

What follows is some online acting for readers. Please shout it aloud in your head and mix it with a good dollop of panic.

[You@work] “Quick a new digital and potentially disruptive platform has come out, the YouFridge, the programmable dinosaur API, the online coca-cola store.

Rush now and panic, we need some radical ideas to go and make shit loads of cash off it! ARAGAGRHAGRAHRGHHHHHH. Crap someone else has done it already…”

[YourHead@home] Woh woh woh woh woh woh woh! Stop.

Just because there’s a new platform/product, it doesn’t mean all your associated ideas have to be uber-radical. Sometimes it’s best to leave that to the students, crazy minded people and your eureka moment in the shower.

When a new platform appears and you want to FINANCIALLY capitalise on it, here’s my new and thoroughly untested/tested/hind-sight set of rules from the Happy Packages product.

Money Man

Dan’s get rich plan

1. Take a breath.

it’s only code after all
2. SWOT analysis.

Bullet point all the technology’… for example,

Strengths. It’s on everyone’s computers, Easy to use

Weaknesses. It costs loads

Opportunities. India doesn’t this product yet, there’s a relevant festival on next week to promote it

Threats. The company could collapse, another company has started building  it
3. Parallels game.

What is this mimicking/’replacing’/doing better/doing worse than in the following time frames (Feel free to dress up to help the brainstorm along)
- In 10 years from now (wrap selves in kitchen foil)
- Now (What you’re in currently is fine)
- Last week (Still, what you’re in currently is fine)
- 1 Year Ago (Kanye West Slitty Sun-Glasses)
- In the 80s (Shoulder Pads & Hairspray required)
- In pre-historic times (Get neked’ and don’t brush your teeth)
4. Brainstorm.

Get some biscuits and coffee, ask a few silly questions to get things moving. “how you would get an elephant to use one?”, “The pope is on the moon, and all he has is a biscuit, where do ?”
5. Cut back.

What’s just a bit too much, what difficulties with you have?
6. Next steps.

Pick 3 to explore further. Which looks the most promising, fun and exciting (eg, iPint). Which looks most safely possible (eg, a Tube map). And most importantly, what current service is it most like (eg, it’s like iTunes) and what supporting service could you offer as a symbiont (Spotify playlist community site).
7. Break & Sleep on it!

Good job.
8. Do it!

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8

[Picture from http://www.acspotlight.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/moneyman.jpg]

This post is tagged brainstorm, breathing, eureka, fun, get rich, neked, new platform, Parallels, radical, safe, SWOT, symbiont