Why does this happen?

This kind of “habit” seems normal to us for one simple reason: we have no idea what to do with that thought next. It’s the same with everything that ends up in our hands but turns out to be completely useless — we throw it away.

So, are your new ideas just trash to be tossed out? I doubt that comparison makes you happy. But I assure you, it remains true until you start treating the fruits of your mind with attention and respect.

I’m talking about trying to develop your idea into something more — instead of letting it fade away as a fleeting, weak voice in your head.

The Problem

No matter what we say, turning ideas into reality really isn’t easy.

Let’s say we have the idea to create a real jetpack — not a water-powered one, but a rocket-style pack. Awesome idea! So what’s keeping us from making it real? Here’s the answer: a chasm — a chasm filled with vague, unclear steps from scientific research to marketing strategies. That’s exactly how our brain processes a new idea, without us even noticing. Being naturally lazy, our wrinkled companion realizes that turning this idea into reality would require enormous energy, while doing nothing helps conserve it. And so, we take the second path.

Don’t blame your brainy friend. That’s just how we’re wired.

But there’s a real way out of this pattern that can help us value our ideas and take the first steps toward bringing them to life.

The Solution

Websites. For many, creating a website sounds just as crazy as building a jetpack. And that’s totally fine — the average internet user has no reason to know the ins and outs of web development.

So why am I talking about websites? Today’s innovation space — and most startups emerging daily around the world — develop their ideas through websites. It’s the fastest way to test your hypothesis on real people, even without a finished product.

This is a completely normal practice supported by most investors and product development experts. The famous book "The Startup Owner’s Manual" confirms it. Eric Ries’ “Lean Startup” model supports it. In fact, nearly every Western incubator and accelerator works this way.

How does it work? Let’s go back to the jetpack example. We have an idea — and that’s it. Great! Now we just need to build a simple website (even a one-pager), using the latest web design trends , and send traffic to it via contextual or social media ads. By spending just $5 a day to promote a page that highlights the jetpack’s benefits and asks for feedback or preorders, we can gather tons of useful data about our target audience, market size, and the level of interest in solving a specific problem.

This way, with minimal cost, we can assess the profitability of bringing any idea — service or product — to life.

Knowing the basics of web development and understanding how to build a good website can help you scale your idea to incredible heights — especially if it’s an internet-based service, not a physical product.

Time to change your mindset

Now you have — maybe not the only right — but a real, working method for bringing most of your ideas to life. Basic HTML/CSS skills and a couple of dollars in your pocket can bring you more than you imagine. Of course, it’s not very rational to hire a studio to build a test site just to check a hypothesis. That could get expensive — and if you only have a few rough thoughts for your next project, that’s an unwise move.

A simple website built with your own hands can answer so many of these early questions. And who knows — maybe your idea will become the next The Facebook?