There are days when it seems like every new business idea is nothing more than a half-baked sales pitch from someone with too much caffeine and too little real-world experience in the thing they are trying to push. Most of the time, that instinct is correct. Most sales seminars can be skipped. Most executive retreats should be avoided. The only thing your team will learn at that conference in Vegas is that the house always wins.
That said, not everything you passed on was a bad idea. Some of it might have simply been a little early. As the saying goes, “One step ahead and you’re a leader. Two steps ahead and you’re an innovator. Three steps and you’re a martyr.” Some of the great ideas were three steps ahead of the pack. And that was one step too many. If you are not leading your particular pack, you should take a second look at some of the ideas you once rejected from those who are. Some ideas came too late rather than being too early. The company went under leaving a few unexplored ideas behind. Many of those ideas were diamonds in the rough. Here are 3 ideas from leaders and innovators that are worth a second look:
Exoskeletons
For years, we have been hearing about exoskeletons. Unfortunately, the only real connection most people have with the idea comes from Hollywood. Those visions of the technology are unrealistic and not terribly useful. But don’t walk away from the idea just yet. A real powered exoskeleton suit is in the works right now and definitely worth a second look.
The use case is in industrial settings where humans have to do a lot of heavy lifting and tend to deal with a lot of lifting-related injuries. Here is what the manufacturer is saying about the technology:
“The Guardian XO full-body exoskeleton is the world’s first battery-powered industrial robot to combine human intelligence, instinct, and judgment with the power, endurance, and precision of machines.
Set to transform the way work gets done, the Guardian XO industrial exoskeleton augments operator strength without restricting freedom of movement to boost productivity while dramatically reducing injuries.”
Exoskeletons are on the verge of breaking out into mainstream, industrial settings. If that fits the description of your business, you are going to want to take the next step into the future.
Bitcoin
Bitcoin has been in the news for many years. And the news is mostly bad. It has been associated with everything from run of the mill scams to major black market activity. Bitcoin lockers have been faulty and entire bitcoin exchanges have risen and fallen. It has been more of an investment than a currency, and a shaky investment at that.
Despite yesterday’s news, today’s wealth managers plan to increase their exposure to bitcoin. It is not going away anytime soon. And while it is still in the state of becoming, many in the know are willing to bet that the long arc of history will tell a different tale. It is still too early to bet big. But now is definitely the time to start learning everything you can about it.
Non-Invasive Ad Tech
Apple is leading the charge against invasive advertising that violates user privacy. Companies like Facebook are running to the courts in fear and desperation. Hear this: If you are on the wrong side of the ad tech battle, you will lose, sooner rather than later. You will either be legislated out by the government, ruled out by the courts, or opted out by the users. There is no scenario where what currently passes for ad tech does not soon go the way of the dinosaur. If you depend on advertising, the only bandwagon is one that offers a more consumer-friendly, non-invasive approach. Get on it or get left behind.
Some great ideas were too early for their time while others were too late and mired in poor implementation. Be sure you give exoskeletons, bitcoin, and non-invasive advertising a second look. The time is right.
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