| I know where you're coming from, 100%. But I want to share something that's stayed with me to this day. When I was in graduate school for architecture fifteen years ago I saw a lecture by an architect I already respected greatly named Niall McLaughlin. He taught at the school (still does I think) so on four consecutive Wednesdays he gave these astounding two hour lectures. And he would take questions after until every question was answered. These events sometimes lasted 3 - 4 hours. The themes were "Architecture and ..." The two I remember without going back into my notes were "Architecture and Tools" and "Architecture and Memory." This whole shaggy dog story is because "Architecture and Memory" started at the philosophical level but by the end tied in to his own work on memory care facilities. He's a famous architect. Has since won the Sterling Prize, the biggest prize awarded by RIBA. A. Big. Deal. And I don't even know if he publishes his memory care facilities. But he got into that market - he shared with us - because he had a close family member who needed that care. Flash forward ten years and I'm spending time in a memory care facility with a very close family member. Thinking back to his experience, knowing how it felt. Realizing his personal empathy drove him to pursue a whole area of practice that most would never consider. I doubt he lost money doing these facilities but I can assure you he wasn't doing it for the high profit margins. I'm absolutely not knocking your statement. The exact opposite sentiment is coming through I hope. If it's an area you're interested in exploring how to delve into and develop ideas within - find a reason to care. What I mean is - if you're interested in developing solutions in the area find a way to identify a real world problem worth solving in it. Volunteer a little at a nursing home or community center with senior programs, meet people facing the issues that come with aging. Not to say you'd be doing it to be opportunist, but if you're looking for a "product market fit," start by observing the real and present every day challenges of the market. Use it to build the product story. I don't want to sound ghoulish in my biz-speak, but it's real - I think we all have personal experiences where knowing someone going through something gave us a reason to care about that issue in a broader sense. Good luck - it's an area that is flush with problems worth solving, and I think could be rewarding to explore. |