I think many entrepreneurs spend most of their time pondering the ‘best’ idea only to find that the idea doesn’t work, after they’ve built it.
Having found myself in that situation many times over, I’ve come to realise that it’s not the idea that matters most, but the distribution.
Why is distribution so important? Because you can have the best idea in the world, but if you don’t have a way to get it in front of people, it’s not going to matter. On the other hand, even bad ideas works when you get the distribution right.
Any idea should therefore come with an equal amount of thought about how to distribute it.
When figuring out how to distribute your idea, it’s benefitial to take a step back and think about the type of problem you’re solving.
Put simply, there are two types of problems: known and unknown.
Known problems are clearly identified by the audience as problems, and they are painful enough that people are actively searching for a solution.
Unknown problems on the other hand are problems that people haven’t identified yet or have come to accept as part of life. Because of that, they are not actively searched for.
Grouping them like this makes it clear how you should approach the distribution for each type of idea very differently.
Known problems may be easier to address since you don’t need to educate the audience about the problem. On the other hand, you may find more competition in the market.
For unknown problems, you need to convince the audience that the problem exists. This is harder, but the upside is that you can often be the first to market with a solution.
Here are some of the most common distribution channels:
- Search ads
- Display ads
- Influencer marketing
- Direct sales
- Affiliate marketing
- Existing customer base
Each of these channels have their own pros and cons, and are tightly coupled with the type of idea you have and the problem you’re solving.
The bottom line is that by getting the distribution right, you get the idea right.