The Multiplexer
Key points:
If you want to have good ideas you must have many ideas
This blog explores a different perspective to see ideas using recombinant innovation (will focus mainly on startup ideas). And will explore a tool to think of new ideas.
Recombinant innovation explores the possibility of inventing new applications from a combination of existing technologies. For example, the Waze app (an innovative navigation app) combines digital-maps, GPS, and social networking to provide real-time navigation, including the traffic data at any place.
Similarly, we can see the below ideas as a combination of existing technologies:
- Uber = Traffic management + location + yield management
- Instagram = social-networking + digital photography + photo-filters
- Whatsapp = messenging + social-networking
- Netflix (at its start) = DVD + Mail
- Research gate = social-networking + research
A tool to think new ideas
Inspired from the above perspective to see ideas. I made a tool that would help in thinking a new idea by combining existing technologies in the market.
Try it out here: https://shivamgly.me/multiplexer
I named it multiplexer because it combines multiple ideas into an application. Now, every combination can-not create value but still, it may help in thinking a new idea.