How To: Crowdsource Ideas

Source: NPR

Tools for crowdsourcing ideas are all around us. From the comment box at the dry cleaner to the family dinner table brainstorm session, crowdsourcing isn’t a new idea. If you are looking for great ideas, you may be thinking of crowdsourcing but you aren’t sure how to start, how to identify great ideas or how to review them. 






Idea Bounty, GenCrowd or DiscoveryCast are great crowdsourcing tools for all of the above topics. They can help you with sparking ideas, getting feedback from professionals in the industry, or solving problems for areas where your idea might be lacking. You can tap into the creativity of the crowd to refine your current idea or to come up with a completely new one. These services offer a much farther reach than that comment box at the dry cleaner!

Many don't have issues with finding ideas, but rather with evaluating them. How do you, after crowdsourcing or brainstorming, identify whether the idea will really work? According to this 2011 research:

“Idea quality is a complex construct consisting of four distinct dimensions: novelty, feasibility, relevance and elaboration.”

These are four concepts to keep in mind when deciding if an idea is good or not. Is it novel: does it solve a problem in a new or interesting way? Is it feasible: can this idea be implemented practically? Is it relevant or useful: does it make money or create another benefit? Is the idea fully elaborated: is it complete and understandable?

A lot of ideas do not fulfill all four of these concepts. You will eventually realize - sooner or later- whether that is the case. By outlining your potential business operations, financial plan or drafting a first pitch, you can determine which of these concepts you have to work on. In that case, GenCrowd offers a way to crowdsource solutions to problems that might arise. Creative contributors will give you their feedback on the issue and might come up with an innovative approach to your topic.

Ideas are out there, and crowdsourcing services offer a great way to find, refine and prove them. If you've found an idea you would like to pursue, or would like to join a startup with a great idea, check out our first "Global Crowd Network" for Lean Startup funding! Connect with facebook on www.ufostart.com and calculate your Startup Value. Interested in how you can leverage the power of the crowd for your startup? Like us on facebook and follow us on twitter!

-bmt