How does one know if an idea is any good?
(1) we tend to be bias by nature
(2) we tend to “protect” our idea in fear of someone stealing it
(3) we prefer not getting criticism, because, hey, it’s just not nice
However, eventually if you are building something for someone else than only for yourself, you have to take your idea “out there” and ask opinions from others. At the end of the day, it’s better to hear the harsh truth than live in a pink bubble, filled with cotton.
So that’s what we did.
Whose opinion do you ask?
It’s easy to go to your friends and family who have always believed in you and in some cases might never even hint to direction that your ideas and beliefs might be “off” (I mean, how many talent shows have you seen where the whole family is in shock when their precious daughter doesn’t win the big price with her waaayyy below average performance that mainly makes the judges and audience want to poke their eyes and ears out?).
Conclusion: Take the rough road and find the people who would be your actual customers and users. Ask their opinion even if you’re nervous about it.
For better or worse
We have done the first interviews with some potential users and it was tough! Why was it tough? The feedback was so positive!! It’s very challenging to stay focused and ask the right questions, when getting a lot of praise. As much as I loved getting validation about the concept, even more important is to get feedback on how to improve even further and what to keep in mind when developing the product.
But I will never forget the moment in one online meeting where I showed the prototype through screen-sharing and then at the end switched back to the face camera and I saw the user staring at the screen with big eyes and mouth open! “Oh, I wish this would have existed years ago when I started my PhD!!!”
Have 20 minutes?
If you are working currently with tools like Google Scholar, Scopus, etc. in the field of Renewable Energy, and can spare 20 minutes of your time, let’s schedule an online call and I can show you the demo. I will happily take notes on your feedback. 🙂