Why Most ‘Good’ Ideas Flop

I still remember one of my earliest “million-dollar” ideas.

At least, that’s what I called it in my head.

A few years ago, I built this clever product for a tiny niche, something only a handful of people even knew existed.

I was convinced it was genius. I spent weeks polishing, perfecting, and dreaming about how it’d blow up.

I hustled like hell, sure. Got a few early customers. Everyone said they “loved it,” but… the money? The impact? Barely made a ripple.

Turns out, it didn’t matter how smart my idea was if it couldn’t scale past a coffee-table conversation.

Here’s what most people get wrong (and I did, too): They confuse a good idea for a great one.

A good idea feels fun, looks shiny, and maybe even gets a few people hyped.

But a great idea? That sucker multiplies.

Scalability isn’t sexy. It’s not the “aha!” moment. It’s whether the thing you’re building, selling, or writing can go from serving five people in Chennai to five thousand people in cities you can’t pronounce.

If you’re pouring your sweat into a business, a product, or even a piece of copy — stop and ask: Would this work if ten times more people wanted it tomorrow? Or would it collapse under its own weight, or worse, get ignored?

Maybe your agency has a killer offer, but every new client means twice the headache for you.

That’s not scalable.

Or your landing page gets clicks, but only from people who’ve been on your list for years, not their friends, not strangers.

Again: not scalable.

What works? Systems that grow without eating you alive.

Offers so clear anyone can explain them.

Markets hungry enough that you don’t have to pull teeth for attention.

Tools and automations that let you step away without the whole machine stalling.

If you’re stuck figuring out how (or if) your offer can scale, hit reply and tell me what’s getting in your way. I read every reply, even the awkward rambling ones.

Let’s build something that multiplies, not just survives.

Stay scrappy,
— Shashank

P.S.

If you’ve got an idea sitting on your plate right now, take 10 minutes today and run the “100-customer test.” If it crumbles, you know where to start. If it holds, you’re sitting on something great.