Peanuts Reunited

Over the past 6 years, even though for a large part of it I wasn't allowed to do any internet businesses, my brain has been full of ideas. Sometimes you get into a groove and you can't stop thinking about them (like now - up at 2am with jetlag)

And of course others have ideas and in pubs and other socials, people love to tell people their latest killer app that is going to take the world by storm (unless of course they want you to sign an NDA - see previous post)

Now FriendsReunited - the core idea behind the site - was not actually my idea. It was Julie's. I've never pretending anything different. Before FR nearly all my ideas I told mates in pubs were just laughed at or told "that will never work". However, just by association I noticed after we sold out that something odd started to happen when I told people my latest internet sensation. 

Everyone seemed to think every idea I had was brilliant.

Now of course they could all just be being polite to me. However, I started to wonder whether just because of one success, people (particularly those who just met me) thought everything I did turned to gold. Lets face it - most of my ideas are actually pants and the vast majority are never going to see the light of day - like most peoples.

So, a few years ago I decided to create a placebo idea. 

Peanuts Reunited. 

Ridiculous even before you hear what the idea is. Here's what a press release would say if it was real (please read in a Moss from the IT crowd voice)

"I was sitting in a pub one evening waiting for for a friend with a pint and a packet of peanuts. Some nuts fell out onto the table and I randomly picked up two split nuts. I placed them together and got a perfect match. It was a great feeling and suddenly Peanuts Reunited was born - a site where you reunite 2 nuts together. Simply take a picture of one half of the nut and the site uses bespoke imaging software to create a 3D image of the nut. Then log the details of the peanut and wait. The software then matches the half peanut with someone else's nut and informs you of the reunion. At that point perhaps a meet up to reunite the halves together and blah blah blah blah....."

You get the idea. 

So now and again I used to announce Ive had another great idea, describe away the concept behind PeanutsReunited in a really excited way and wait. There used to be a tumbleweed moment for a few seconds and blank faces before I would then burst out laughing and exclaim it was only a joke (yes its a fun night to be had going out with me)

However, after a few times of doing this, someone in a group of people, before I could announce the joke, actually shouted out "That is just a brilliant idea". I am not going to say who it was as its just too embarrassing. 

Anyway, it was enough to prove my point and finally realise that all my ideas were actually probably shit.

[However if anyone goes and does it I'll sue you]

[Please sign the NDA below]