I’ve been working on three big startup ideas over the past 2+ years. I’ve come to appreciate the Duh Factor for B2C projects.
The duh-factor is how long it takes to get from describing your idea to the listener to them getting it and wanting it (how long does it take for you to get their eyes to light up). It usually involves a feeling of duh…why hasn’t anyone done this already?
A truly underappreciated aspect of startups is the effort it takes to get people to change their behavior (overcoming the inertia problem — getting people to change their habits). This is where a high Duh Factor plays a critical part. If people get your idea immediately it will be much easier to sell. I pretty much give up on an idea if I have to explain it for more than 30 seconds and if people don’t get it right away…and more importantly, want it right away.