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In this fast-paced world, progress is driven by the constant search for new ideas. However, by taking a deeper look at the market you can see that innovation does not only mean the emergence of completely new concepts or what is known as the “eureka”, a moment where you suddenly get inspired and discover an innovative idea that no one has ever heard of. New ideas can develop from combining and refining existing ideas. In this article, we will explore the power of connecting ideas to ignite the spark of innovation.
Innovation Through Fusion: Blending Ideas to Create Something New
Innovation refers to the development of new ideas or the improvement of existing ideas. Many people and experts believe that no idea is truly original, but all ideas are just a development of other ideas. Mark Twain, the American writer, has a famous quote where he says “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations.”
The Power of Adaptation: Developing Existing Solutions
Finding a successful business idea and then start developing it, adding more value with additional features and benefits, or removing the weak points or unnecessary options, to match a specific target audience can be a very clever step. Digitalizing products and services is also a way of developing in it and the use of technology can make the solution more innovative. When there is a market need, there is always an opportunity to step in and make better offerings. Looking at other business ideas is essential and is also a great source of inspiration for business owners and startups, where they can develop those ideas and create more innovations.
Case Study: A Look At the Transportation Mobility Sector
In Egypt, there are multiple ride-hailing apps offering rides in demand. Among the most popular ones are Uber, Careem, Indrive, and DiDi, but how is each idea considered a development of the other or of the traditional taxi service, and how was each business able to differentiate itself?
Successful Businesses Leveraging Technology and Blending Ideas
The original idea for such apps can be considered a development of the way how people used to access transportation services like taxis. People had to wait for a taxi to appear and sometimes they had to move far away from their homes to a place where they could find one. By developing this idea and leveraging mobile apps and other technology, those businesses were able to revolutionize how people access transportation, offering more convenient, and flexible transportation solutions, and adapting to the needs of people. There are so many transportation services currently and each is positioning itself differently to appeal to a specific target audience with different purchasing power, but in the end, you can see that they are all offering almost the same idea but each one has developed it differently to have his own solution.
London Cab: Enhancing User Experience
Among those businesses comes a service like London Cab which started its operations in Egypt in 2010 to develop the idea of conventional taxis and offer cars built to be a cab, an iconic London Taxi vehicle with high safety measures, which provides services of Airport transfers specifically and rides to other locations in general.
London Cab focused on developing the look of the normal taxi with a more luxurious and appealing-looking cab and also on developing the concept of safety and privacy in their cars, where there is a wall between the driver and the rider to make the passenger more comfortable. Their cars are also designed with excessive Space from the inside, and they offer personal driver packages making the ride perfect for families.
This service requires pre-order from 2 hours or more before your requested trip and also it has a fixed fare that may be considered a bit high in comparison to other current services.
Uber: From Inspiration to Innovation
If we look at Uber, one of the first ride-hailing apps that was launched worldwide in 2009 and in Egypt in 2014, it also revolutionized transportation with a twist on traditional taxis, you can simply order your car or even taxi whenever you need it and at more affordable prices. Again Uber had a gap that other apps like Indrive were able to close, where you had to accept the fixed price offered and you also had to accept the surge pricing. Uber also introduced Uber Bus, another development to the bus service but in a more comfortable way.
inDrive: Identifying Market Gaps
inDrive, the international ride-hailing service operating in more than 700 cities in over 46 countries entered the Egyptian Market in 2020, it is also another extra development on the concept of apps like Uber and Careem, taking ride requests to new heights by offering a service where the passenger can offer the fare he sees as reasonable. Adding affordability to the accessibility and comfort provided by other apps or in other words “Making affordable rides accessible to everyone”. One of the unique selling points of this app is that it enables customers to negotiate the price of their ride with the driver in advance. This also made Uber innovate and launch the UberX service which offers cheaper rides. The Regional Marketing Manager Mena Region for inDrive, Mina Emad, mentioned in Techne Summit 2024, that to overcome the competition you should always realize that any market gap is an opportunity and that customer’s loyalty comes from offering the best prices while giving more benefits.
Didi: Recognizing Opportunities for Idea Development
The Chinese app Didi, entered the Egyptian market in 2021, and its main focus was to offer affordable rides like inDrive with the same concept as Uber which was fixed rates, and to also add a credit card payment option like Uber. So it was trying to merge the benefits of both apps and add extra security to appeal more to the customers. Other than the regulations it enforces on all drivers, it has integrated into the app an SOS emergency button, where with the tap of a button, the passenger can quickly contact emergency services and his live location details will also be shown in-app for easy reference.
Careem: Enhancing Existing Concepts
Careem is an app that was created in Dubai in 2012 and was launched in Egypt in 2014 and was acquired by Uber in January 2020. Careem started with the concept of simplifying and improving the lives of people, it was designed to be not just a ride-hailing service, but an everything app, where you can book your ride, request a school ride package, or order your food and groceries. Not all the features are available in all the countries it operates in, but for the main rides booking service, some people see that Uber and Careem are the same, while others see that Careem is more affordable, especially after developing and adding the “Go 3ala Kefak” service which allows customers to choose their trips pricing, car model, captain’s rating and estimated time of arrival and also they can negotiate the proposed price once it appears and can modify it and the captain can approve or make another offer.
The Role of Feedback and Competition in Idea Growth
To create innovative business ideas, you need to focus on the gaps that competitors don’t cover in their existing ideas, things that may be added to improve the product or service, things that can be removed, or even things that you can mix together to develop a better version. You need to identify your target audience clearly, and know what is your customer looking for or what can you offer to make the service or product better, for example, if the gap is about lack of convenience or accessibility, you can integrate technology and ideas that can minimize or close the gap effectively. Constantly trying to improve your business idea is essential, when you close the gap yourself you are closing the door on other competitors to offer what you lack and this is why it is always important to keep an eye on your customer’s feedback and on your competitors offering to be able to identify areas where you can develop and innovate constantly.
