[jacquesm]

> But how do you vet the idea itself against other ideas?

Apologies for missing the essence of your question (4 am here...)

I don't have a foolproof algorithm for evaluating single ideas but when I look at a number of ideas side-by-side I go through a number of exercises to figure out which one I'll devote my time to. Some of these are formalized, SWOT analysis for instance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SWOT_analysis which can be useful if not taken religiously, trying to sell others on the idea, simply trying the idea in a limited setting to see if it gains momentum or if I have to push it forward all the time. The better ones tend to stand out.

A really good idea tends to have the 'I can't believe this doesn't exist yet' feel to it, coupled with a word-of-mouth element once it does get implemented, even in the most basic version.

[96701]

Just in case you haven't seen this show yet:

(1/2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfB0g_JDIds (2/2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXA4sab1eKE