Here’s another really interesting TED Talk that will get budding entrepreneurs thinking: Ideas are great, but timing is everything.
Bill Gross is an American ideas man – he founded IdeaLab and helped to create GoTo.com and Snap! search engine tech platforms. His experience in entrepreneurship and developing startups is immense and he’s helped many ideas become global companies.
In this talk Bill discusses (using case studies) the idea that timing affects success more than anything else. Watch his TED Talk and then see if it applies to your start-up. Many sustainable/social enterprise start-ups find it difficult to reach a wide enough audience, but if you are able to time it right and piggyback on the success or technological developments of others, you are able to nurture stronger and longer lasting growth patterns.
For this to even be a possibility you need to be aware of a few things:
- Understand the wider [insert sector here] landscape
- Know what other compatible technologies are in development
- Network until the cows come home
If you become familiar with these factors you will be more likely to recognise the market’s ebbs/flows, and the entrants that are going to make a splash. If you make sure you are well connected and understand the bigger picture you can make your choices at the right time, and ensure your success. Of course, get it wrong and you could ride SMACK into a pole!
SustainingPeople 
As a concept to consumer inventor the key to success in my opinion is to KNOW WHAT THE CONSUMER WANTS THAT HE OR SHE IS NOT GETTING NOW AND CREATE IT AND MARKET IT. Most all consumers do not know what they want until they see it. Yes timing is important but knowing the wants and needs of the consumer is more important. If your idea is clever, creates a desire,need or want and scores of other good things you have won the market place before you start. I win a lot before I start.