Lately, I’ve been hooked on a unique Cooking Channel show called Big Bad BBQ Brawl. It features two brothers, Shannon and “Big” Rich Ambrosio, owners of a successful BBQ food truck in Brooklyn, New York, traveling the country to challenge local chefs in fun, head-to-head competitions.
In a recent episode, the Ambrosio brothers entered a full BBQ competition in Florida. This meant going up against real pitmasters in three categories: brisket, ribs, and chicken. Wanting to wow judges accustomed to sweet Southern flavors, they served Italian-style brisket, Vietnamese-flavored ribs, and non-traditional chicken.
They didn’t place in any category—and they were crushed.
Here’s the lesson: while their food was good, the Florida judges weren’t ready for it. A great idea, wrong place, wrong time.
We’ve all been there, haven’t we? We pitch a brilliant new process and the boss shuts it down. We launch a product or service we know customers will love, and they ignore it. We pick the “perfect” restaurant or gift for a partner, and it falls flat.
In all these cases, we approached the idea from our perspective—not from the audience’s.
I know, it’s that Golden Rule thing: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” But here’s the truth—most people don’t care what you want. They care about what they want.
So maybe, before we launch something new, we should do a little market research—or at least some careful observation. Innovation is exciting, but it’s also risky. The world might not be ready for your idea… yet.
It takes patience and thoughtful preparation.
This week, before you unleash your next big idea—whether on the market or in your relationship—ask yourself:
- Is there a need for this right now?
- Is there a need for thisever?
- Am I convinced it’s great without testing it?
- What’s my plan if it’s rejected?
I’m not here to discourage you—just to help you stack the odds in your favor.