Your Version of a Simple Idea: A New Way to Look at Business Potential

Lesson T1: Potential & Purpose

Learning Objectives

• Understand what “your version of a simple idea” means in the digital age.
• Identify personal indicators that can help surface a business idea.
• Explain what a niche is using the house-and-room analogy.
• Understand how growth in entrepreneurship differs from regular employment.

1.1 Potential

In this solo-entrepreneurship boom, just for a second, imagine yourself no longer confined to the role of consumer, who can only shop. Imagine yourself as a producer, a creator, a seller, a promoter, who creates value and earns, and does that without having to hire an agency, discuss with banks, or welcome customers personally. Could be quite dreamy, right? Easy? No, it’s not easy. But it is certainly more accessible than ever before to many.¹²

However, before we go any further down the line in this utopian thinking, where anyone can pursue online entrepreneurship, and even more so from behind the scenes and without putting themselves in the spotlight; you still do need an idea, among other things, with a potential. And perhaps that has always been the trickiest part of it all. The good news is that due to the amount of information out there and due to the millions of entrepreneurs who have now paved the way for others, approaching this idea with a potential can also now be more feasible for many.¹³

In the past, this ever-so-fantasized business idea that one needs to come up with was often along the lines of “What do I have to offer that doesn’t exist in my area?” or “How can I come up with something unique that no one else came up with before?” In the digital age, it is useful to immediately accept that “There is nothing new under the sun.” But also, to question: Is that even the key question to ask today?¹⁴

Key Concept: “Your Version of a Simple Idea”

In the digital age, you may see that whatever insight or idea you come up with, if you research it a little, there are already other people executing exactly that. So, we stop trying to think of an idea that we hope only we had. Instead, we take one very simple idea, a simple product or service we could imagine selling, and then we sew ourselves into that simple idea so much so that the combination of our thoughts and likes and preferences and style and struggles and strengths (and the list goes on as long as you feel what you put in reflects “you”) will make that idea suddenly feel inimitable. “Your version of a simple idea” is therefore a new way of looking at potential, today.

This is also why today your face no longer must be in the spotlight; your face is one of your components. Certainly, a strong component, we don’t advise against using it, but it is only one. And because you can put a large variety of components into the equation when coming up with your version of a simple idea, it makes it already almost impossible for any two resulting combinations out there on the net to be identical. Did you know that, in a broad sense, combinatorics also plays a role in how large language models like Claude and ChatGPT respond when asked a question? They reply by selecting words, phrases, and sentences from a vast “space” of possibilities based on highly sophisticated probability, creating something unique in response to your unique question.¹⁵ A fun parallel to draw there.

Yes, Potential is “only” the first step of the Via Ferrata but understanding it may allow you to start with putting your best foot forward. So, try to release some stress already in the beginning of the process. Think like this from now on when trying to answer the scary question of “What is my business idea?” And say: “It’s my version of this simple idea: …” You may be able to identify several of them, and you might even feel like you have too many choices and that’s ok too.

We recommend in any case to start with one idea, build your online endeavor on that based on the stages we’ll take you through in the rest of this book and try not to worry about “Have I made the right choice?” because what you’ll likely see is that you will be able to build into this endeavor parts of the other ideas you were contemplating. Let us give you just a few indicators that could help you identify your version of a simple idea.

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Frequently asked questions

What does “your version of a simple idea” actually mean?

It means taking a simple, familiar offering that already exists somewhere in the world and weaving into it enough of your preferences, style, history, and perspective that the resulting combination becomes recognisably yours.

What if my idea already exists on the market?

It almost certainly does. That is Lynnaider’s starting assumption. What differentiates your version is the particular combination of you that you bring to it, and no two such combinations are the same.

Do I need to show my face for the idea to work?

No. Your face is one component among many. Because so many pieces can be woven into your version of a simple idea, staying behind the scenes is no longer the obstacle it once was.

What if I identify several possible ideas?

That is common. Start with one and build. Elements of the other ideas you were considering usually find their way into the same activity later.

How do I know if my idea has potential?

Potential is not something you can validate perfectly in advance. The stronger signal is whether the idea reflects things you genuinely care about, because those are the ideas you can sustain the work for.

Can I change my idea later?

Yes, and most people do. Beginning teaches you more about the idea than more thinking about it ever will. The direction you start with rarely stays exactly the same.

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Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and should not be regarded as legal, tax, or business advice. Pursuing an online business does not guarantee income; results depend on many factors including the business environment, individual effort, skills, and consistency. Some links on this site may allow Lynnaider to earn a commission at no additional cost to the reader.