Ahead of the Curve: When My Ideas Come to Life... By Someone Else

Innovation and Validation: My Journey in Ideation

There's a unique mix of emotions that comes from seeing your big ideas come to life - not in your own projects, but in the hands of major corporations. While it’s easy to feel a twinge of regret for what might have been, there’s an overwhelming sense of validation and pride that my concepts were not only viable but also profitable enough to be picked up by industry giants. Let me share a couple of examples that illustrate this bittersweet experience.

Kids View Sports: Bringing Animation to the Big Leagues

Several years ago, I envisioned a way to make sports more accessible and enjoyable for children. The idea was simple yet revolutionary: an augmented overlay during live sports broadcasts where cartoon characters represent players. Imagine watching a cricket test match where the fielders are animated characters, complete with live stats like distance covered or the chance of catching the next ball—perfect for maintaining the fleeting attention spans of young viewers.

Fast forward to recently, and you’ll see Disney Pixar and the NFL implementing a strikingly similar concept. During a live broadcast of the Jacksonville Jaguars vs Atlanta Falcons, they presented the game “from Andy's room” with Toy Story characters as commentators and cartoon versions of the players. Seeing such a giant in entertainment and sports adopt an idea so similar to mine was a real "I thought of it first!" moment.

Multiverse Stories: Personalised Tales for Young Readers

Another idea I have actually implemented here on my site was born from the desire to enhance reading engagement in children. Using a simple input form, parents can provide details about their children, which would then be used to generate personalised bedtime stories. These stories, powered by AI like ChatGPT, would feature the children as main characters and include illustrations appropriate for their age, effectively blending storytelling with the interactive allure of modern technology.

Imagine my surprise when Apple announced a nearly identical service at their WWDC keynote this week, touting it as a groundbreaking use of their ChatGPT-powered AI under "Apple Intelligence." The concept was exactly as I had imagined and implemented - using AI to create customisable, engaging stories for kids.

Reflections on Innovation and Moving Forward

While I haven’t [yet] capitalised on these ideas financially, the realisation that I had ideated something on par with what tech titans eventually brought to market is incredibly validating. It confirms that my creative instincts are aligned with current technological trends and consumer demands.

So, what's next for an innovator like me? Instead of dwelling on what could have been, I choose to focus on what could be. Armed with the confirmation that my ideas have merit, I'm more motivated than ever to keep innovating, secure in the knowledge that I'm on the right track.

As I continue to ideate and create, I look forward to the day when it’s my version of these ideas capturing the world's imagination, directly from my desk to the global stage.