Have you ever had an idea, someone else made successful?

[Alobar]

I've had a couple. Way back in 95 I had the idea for a website, where you could send in your picture and have people tell you if you were good looking or not. Obviously that one got done.

When I was 13 I decided it would be awesome to make a toilet bowl that was also a fish tank. Couple years ago I was thumbing through a magazine and saw the same idea for sale.

A few years ago while I was driving around delivering pizza I was struck with the brilliant idea to run a car lot, where people who wanted to sell their own cars would just park it in my lot instead of on random street corners, and then pay me a fee. Heh, I called my then girlfriend at the time to tell her my brilliant idea and she said "uhm...yeah, they already have those....dumbass". oh well, at least I was right and it was a good idea /images/graemlins/smile.gif The other two tho I know I came up with first, im just lazy and never tried them out.

Anyone else got any?

[Sponger15SB]

It was my idea to redo the restaurant at the top of the Chrysler building.

You see I come up with these things, I know they’re gold, but nothing happens. You know why?

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
It was my idea to redo the restaurant at the top of the Chrysler building.

You see I come up with these things, I know they’re gold, but nothing happens. You know why?

[/ QUOTE ]

no resources, no skill, no talent, no ability, no brains

[Sponger15SB]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It was my idea to redo the restaurant at the top of the Chrysler building.

You see I come up with these things, I know they’re gold, but nothing happens. You know why?

[/ QUOTE ]

no resources, no skill, no talent, no ability, no brains

[/ QUOTE ]

No, no time! It’s all this meaningless time. Laundry, grocery, shopping, coming in here talking to you. Do you have any idea how much time I waste in this apartment?

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I honestly thought of MP3 players a while before I ever heard of the iPod (or any other player). If only I had the resources at the time...

[offTopic]

[censored] Tony Little...

http://www.discount-renova.com/ph/Gazelle-Freestyle-Exercise-Machine-By-Tony-Little-And-Exercise-Program.jpg

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

[ QUOTE ]
[censored] Tony Little...

http://www.discount-renova.com/ph/Gazelle-Freestyle-Exercise-Machine-By-Tony-Little-And-Exercise-Program.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]
POTD.

[kerssens]

Before the low carb craze I thought I should open a store that specialized in low carb type foods. This was in '98 or '99. I saw one last year but I don't think its there anymore so I guess I dodged a bullet.

[luckyharr]

In 1998, I was a senior in college and my good friend and I talked seriously about starting a company that published digital photos for customers. The service would include an online service to allow customers to choose/crop photos they wanted and then send printouts to their address. We never really got past the talking stage and ditched the idea mostly due to a lack of funding or knowledge of how to raise that money.

I think Ofoto and Snapfish both came along in 1999.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It was my idea to redo the restaurant at the top of the Chrysler building.

You see I come up with these things, I know they’re gold, but nothing happens. You know why?

[/ QUOTE ]

no resources, no skill, no talent, no ability, no brains

[/ QUOTE ]

No, no time! It’s all this meaningless time. Laundry, grocery, shopping, coming in here talking to you. Do you have any idea how much time I waste in this apartment?

[/ QUOTE ]

I can ball park it

[Bulldog]

When I was 16, I thought of inventing a radio-controlled device that emergency personnel could use to change a traffic light they were approaching. My idea was that I'd sell it to municipalities with the catch that I got 12 of these devices for me and my friends to use legally. I don't know if this already existed before then and I didn't know about it, or if it was created later.

I have a couple others that I probably should patent, but I'm lazy.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
When I was 16, I thought of inventing a radio-controlled device that emergency personnel could use to change a traffic light they were approaching. My idea was that I'd sell it to municipalities with the catch that I got 12 of these devices for me and my friends to use legally. I don't know if this already existed before then and I didn't know about it, or if it was created later.


[/ QUOTE ]

lol, seriously? You should have just done what lots of other people did. Sell that "Device" on ebay, and rake in lots of money from people who actually thought it would work.

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I'm thinking that fake dildo scam they thought of in Lock, Stock, & 2 Smoking Barrels is looking pretty good.

[TStoneMBD]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a couple others that I probably should patent, but I'm lazy.

[/ QUOTE ]

im feeling bored. give them to me and ill patent them for you.

[Eurotrash]

I spent 5 years of my life trying to invent an anal bum cover - failing to do so was one of my greatest regrets...

[kerssens]

I also thought of Coinstar when I was little....but I don't know how long Coinstar has been around. If I had invented that I'd be happy.

[vulturesrow]

The Internet. Al Gore beat me to it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Patrick del Poker Grande]

I'm thinking of inventing a new pumctuation mark. I'm just working out a way to collect on it - royalties or something.

[ptmusic]

I'm a songwriter who has made some royalties on songs, but nothing to retire on. I had the title "Saved The Best For Last" in my lyric book years before the huge hit. Granted, I'm probably not the only other one who has that title in his lyric book.

But the Dave Matthew's song "The Space Between" is SO close to a full song that I wrote and had recorded two years earlier. My song is called "Between You and Me" - the theme is very similar, the music is very similar, even the image of rain is in my song. I was angry for a few months, and started thinking he had stolen it (not impossible...).

But ultimately, I decided that the Great Muse dropped that song idea into both of our heads, and he happened to make a few million from it.

I've got no sour grapes over Dave Matthews - he's a talented mofo.

-ptmusic

[2+2 wannabe]

pet dish that dispenses a certain amount (read: weight) of food at specified intervals of the day so that the pet eats exactly what they're supposed to (not too much, not too little) when no one is home to feed them

i don't think anyone's invented this yet....

[VBM]

muffin tops. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
pet dish that dispenses a certain amount (read: weight) of food at specified intervals of the day so that the pet eats exactly what they're supposed to (not too much, not too little) when no one is home to feed them

i don't think anyone's invented this yet....

[/ QUOTE ]

It has been done.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyone else got any?

[/ QUOTE ]

Too many to list.
-High throughput nucleotide sequencing using big dye terminators
-thumbdrives
-verax fans
-external hard drive enclosures
-optical mice (when all we had was the ball)
-RF remotes (which are for some reason still neglected)
I could go on for a long time.....

I also have a few I'm sitting on that could be huge. Only problem is I don't have the capital to start the R&D process as they are a bit more technical.

[2+2 wannabe]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
pet dish that dispenses a certain amount (read: weight) of food at specified intervals of the day so that the pet eats exactly what they're supposed to (not too much, not too little) when no one is home to feed them

i don't think anyone's invented this yet....

[/ QUOTE ]

It has been done.

[/ QUOTE ]

with a dvd player attached?

[2+2 wannabe]

non-clogging toilets

[mmbt0ne]

</font><blockquote><font class="small">En réponse à:</font><hr />
-High throughput nucleotide sequencing using big dye terminators

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored] man, I know what you mean.


Wireless video game controllers. Granted, I was like 8 and was in no position to make any progress on the idea.

[JMP300z]

When Playstation first came out, I said "what if, they came out with another playstation only better in every way and with like all new games"....and then....what happens?? a few years later....BAM! Playstation 2!

-JP

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
non-clogging toilets

[/ QUOTE ]

It has been done.

[stabn]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
-High throughput nucleotide sequencing using big dye terminators

[/ QUOTE ]

[censored] man, I know what you mean.


Wireless video game controllers. Granted, I was like 8 and was in no position to make any progress on the idea.

[/ QUOTE ]

How old are you?

http://darkwatcher.psxfanatics.com/console/controllers/contneswireless.jpg

Linkage (http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://darkwatcher.psxfanatics.com/console/controllers/contneswireless.jpg&amp;imgrefurl=http://darkwatcher.psxfanatics.com/console/control4.htm&amp;h=147&amp;w=150&amp;sz=5&amp;tbnid=bwNxK2JfSmwJ:&amp; tbnh=88&amp;tbnw=90&amp;hl=en&amp;start=85&amp;prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnintendo%2Bwireless%26start%3D80%26hl %3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN)

http://darkwatcher.psxfanatics.com/console/controllers/cont2600wireless.jpg

[Alobar]

RF remotes are neglected cuz it sucks pretty hard when the retard neighbor can change the channels on your TV from his remote in his living room /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[David Steele]

The google image search is exactly the same idea as a company
I started had in the early days of the internet. We did make
a few million off of it though.

D.

[wacki]

[ QUOTE ]
RF remotes are neglected cuz it sucks pretty hard when the retard neighbor can change the channels on your TV from his remote in his living room /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

damn I hit the wrong button /images/graemlins/crazy.gif

There are many many ways of solving this problem. If done right, this won't be an issue.

[kipin]

http://img150.echo.cx/img150/1630/icecreamglove3je.jpg

[Sponger15SB]

awsome.

[kipin]

[ QUOTE ]
When Playstation first came out, I said "what if, they came out with another playstation only better in every way and with like all new games"....and then....what happens?? a few years later....BAM! Playstation 2!

-JP

[/ QUOTE ]

NH

[shadow29]

A cell phone combined with a computer.

My idea was to have a cell phone, but it opened up on the side like a laptop.

Too bad I was about 12.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
The Internet. Al Gore beat me to it. /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

The first time I saw the internet, I thought to myself..."Wow, this would be the perfect porn-delivery system". A few people had the same idea as me.

[mostsmooth]

ive had plenty
one of the more recent was to somehow have the radio signals that the stations send out also include a signal that would identify the song so that the name and info could be displayed on your car/home stereo. you could also then program your radio to alert you whenever any number of your favorite songs were being transmitted, allowing you to tune or have it tune automatically to the station it is being played on.
i encountered sattelite radio for the first time the other day in a coworkers car. fvck

[2+2 wannabe]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
non-clogging toilets

[/ QUOTE ]

It has been done.

[/ QUOTE ]

um, isn't this the point of this thread? "...someone else made successful?"

[-Skeme-]

The clapper. That was me.

[2+2 wannabe]

[ QUOTE ]
The clapper. That was me.

[/ QUOTE ]

i thought it was the clap /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[-Skeme-]

Yeah, your toilet-breaking girlfriend invented that one.

[trevorwc]

When I was 16 I was a cart boy at Target. Pain in the ass. You'd have to have two people, one pushing (which was a bitch on a snowy Minnesota wintry day) and another steering. I knew there HAD to be a way to make a remote-control cart that would push those f'ers while you just walked at the front and steered them. A few years after I quit, I'm at Target, and some lazy-ass 16 year old is steering a cart with a remote-control in his hand and a motorized cart pushing those things.

[Ulysses]

[ QUOTE ]
When I was 13 I decided it would be awesome to make a toilet bowl that was also a fish tank. Couple years ago I was thumbing through a magazine and saw the same idea for sale.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can probably stop sweating this one. I'm pretty sure these guys aren't really rolling in the toilet bowl fish tank dough....

[chesspain]

In or around 1988 I shared with my wife and some friends my idea for what is now referred to as an e-book--a paperback-sized LCD display tablet onto which one could load books. Since this was pre-internet, I assumed that the books would be on chips about the size of a gameboy chip.

Of course, I did not have the means nor the wherewithall to know how to turn this into a reality. However, even then, as is true today, I knew it might be a tough sell, since many people would not want to either read a book on a screen and/or deal with the hassle of carrying around a LCD tablet that could get lost or stolen.

[BWebb]

I had a really great idea once. I called it the "Jump to Conclusions" Mat. You see, it's this mat you put on the floor and it has different conclusions that you would jump to. Still don't know if this has been done.

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
When I was 13 I decided it would be awesome to make a toilet bowl that was also a fish tank. Couple years ago I was thumbing through a magazine and saw the same idea for sale.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can probably stop sweating this one. I'm pretty sure these guys aren't really rolling in the toilet bowl fish tank dough....

[/ QUOTE ]

while this is true, they are still rolling in more toilet bowl fish tank dough than I am.

FWIW, they were selling for $2K. So even if they only sold like 100 they turned some nice coin.

[-Skeme-]

Toilet seat warmer is an idea I want someone to create.

[raisethatmofo]

[Vavavoom]

When I was 13, I was massively into music which I still am...This is 1994/1995

A friend and I, thought we should start a business that involved all the major record labels....(Remember this is before the Internet was around as much as it is now...), and specialise in making Compilation Albums on request. In the sense that whenever you buy a double cd compilation album..the 1st CD has great tunes and the 2nd is dogsh*t !

We thought that this would have been a money spinner and I'm in no doubt it would have been...

However, since Napster, this idea has become worthless due to the fact that :

* Music is downloaded now for free...
* To get all the big labels...Sony, EMI, Warner etc would have been very difficult and how royalties etc would have been calculated etc...Never the less, I still think that it had potential...

Maybe I'm delusional.... /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[Arnfinn Madsen]

I invented a few concepts in how to use communications technology. One of the concepts was revolutionary and have become popular internationally and is now marketed by large multinational companies. Was very difficult to find any way to protect it, but I managed to gain some goodwill by helping them which indirectly resulted in some cash, and they provided me a lot of free resources to put it into live use. No real pay off, but got me a name so that headhunters call me with job offers.

When I worked with it I knew that I would be unable to protect it but I take pleasure in watching that it is developing into the "de facto" international standard.

Hope I can make a business of something similar sometime.

[spamuell]

[ QUOTE ]

What in god's name is that, Alobar on your Avatar ?

[/ QUOTE ]

lol. It even has labels.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
When I was 13 I decided it would be awesome to make a toilet bowl that was also a fish tank. Couple years ago I was thumbing through a magazine and saw the same idea for sale.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can probably stop sweating this one. I'm pretty sure these guys aren't really rolling in the toilet bowl fish tank dough....

[/ QUOTE ]

http://elseware.to/images/Aquariass.jpg

[Zoltri]

My real name is Forrest Gump.

http://www.everyonelovesbuttons.com/samples/images/happy_face.jpg

[jakethebake]

Here is my brilliant idea. I’ll never use it. Feel free. Also feel free to flame me for how stupid it is or that it’s already been done. It’s a stand-alone burglar alarm system. However, instead of having a monitoring service, the whole thing is just one little box. It’s connected to your telephone like an answering machine. Whenever it’s tripped, it dials 911 and a recording plays telling the operator your address and to send police.

I figure it could come as a kit with enough wiring and contacts for a few windows and a couple of doors. Pretty easy to install. You could probably sell the whole thing for &lt;$30. And no monthly service fees like other alarms.

[daveymck]

[ QUOTE ]
Toilet seat warmer is an idea I want someone to create.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think their are toilets in Japan with this facility. Personally I hate sitting down on a warm seat.

[Yeti]

Jake, the problem would be balancing the machine so it didn't trigger too easily, which would lead to chaos.

Plus people getting in drunk and setting it off etc. I'm sure the cops would soon get pissed off.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Personally I hate sitting down on a warm seat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Me too.

[DMBFan23]

mine was the radio that adjusted its volume as you drove at faster speeds (so it would stay constant with the windows down). you could have settings for drivers window down, front windows down, and all windows down and it would adjust the volume differently. this was like 8 or 9 years ago

then I heard they have something similar in SUVs now

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Jake, the problem would be balancing the machine so it didn't trigger too easily, which would lead to chaos.

Plus people getting in drunk and setting it off etc. I'm sure the cops would soon get pissed off.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yea. I know there are issues. You'd have to have some kind of delay to turn it off or whatever. Still I figure i could sell a million of them by infomercial.

[-Skeme-]

[ QUOTE ]
Personally I hate sitting down on a warm seat.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't mind as long as it was warm from the device, not someone's ass. I hate cold seats.