The Idea Bounty Blog in Interviews

Idea Bounty Exclusive Interview: F*MyFine

by Mari Basson on 2010/05/03

We had a few friends tweet about a rather way-out innovation recently, a project that without doubt grabbed our attention. It’s called F*MyFine – a brilliant, yet controversial idea that’s sure to stir up some kind of commotion.

Basically it’s your one stop traffic fine excuse shop – a quick and easy excuse generator to get you out of that tight situation and save you a few bucks. Since my student days my traffic excuse arsenal is dried up – “I’m a broke student, no way I can pay that” doesn’t cut it anymore, so I welcome F*MyFine with open arms – and I’m sure you do too!

FMyFine

Last week we snatched ourselves an exclusive interview (yay for connections!) with the brains behind this idea and got into the nitty gritty of the project, also enjoying a few laughs on the way. Apart from doing something epic, these guys are pretty damn cool – and we’re sure you’d agree.

To kick off, could you explain what FMyFine.co.za is all about and where the idea came from? Are you actually being serious or is this one of those tongue in cheek satirical kind of things?

We were tired of continually being fined for nonsensical traffic offenses. Driving 75 in a 60 construction zone on the N1 and having to pay a few hundred rand towards some government official’s new BMW just really isn’t our idea of a good time…So we did something about it…and yes, we’re serious.

Do you think excuses intended to squash or reduce fines is purely a South African need - can the idea be extended to deal with fines from other countries?

We are already expanding into other cultures. You won't believe how common road rage is among The Amish. "Speeding horse in heat?" should be popular. Will keep you posted.

FMyFine - Service

I assume that the service is legal, using your words "it’s like getting your PA to draft an excuse" But don’t you think there is an issue with encouraging people to make excuses for crimes (something which should be taken seriously especially in SA)?

We at F*MyFine do not endorse speeding. Whether speeding fines actually make our roads safer by deterring speeding has been discussed and researched per ad nauseam here, here and here. Drunk motorists already breaking the law are not about to do so thinking, "Haha! *hiccup* I can just F*MyFine it!" And if they are, then the problem is bigger than an online traffic fine excuse letter generator. Just like your choice to drink or not to drink, we acknowledge that a responsible public will drive safely and not fabricate circumstances surrounding their inability to pay for a fine.

What has the interest been like so far? It looks like a couple of people have used and are very happy with the service, any idea of how many excuses generated so far? And did the get away with it? :)

We have received tremendous support from the public for such a far-out concept, but expect to grow organically. Despite a young, but decent online following, 53% of all website traffic consists of direct visits (vs referrals), which means people are telling their friends to "Laaik, check out this mal saait, Bru!"

I find your payment model particularly interesting, for example the option to purchase unlimited excuses. What was the rational behind your pricing model? 50 bucks seems quite steep for one excuse that is not guaranteed to work.

How much is an hour of your life worth? If you have a fine of a R1000 and you have to pay R50 to get R500 off it still seems like a pretty good deal, don’t you think? We have specifically scaled the pricing structure to encourage people to go for larger packages and as a result have a bigger voice and chance of reduction of their fine. If you look at the model (1 = R50 ; 3 = R100 ; 10 = R200 ; inf = R500), you will clearly see the scale advantage of buying a larger package. Not only is your chance of reduction then a lot larger, but you can even F*ck your tjommies fine if you owe him a beer!

FMyFine - Payment Options

On the more technical side how does the whole thing work? You must be continuously updating the system with more excuses or does the system automatically generate and write the excuses itself?

The system has been designed to ensure that every single excuse letter looks and feels unique. There are so many variables involved that are randomised for each letter that even the same excuse could be used 50 times without even knowing the difference. However, we do have a professional freelance writer on our team that is continually churning out brilliant excuses and we are adding new excuses weekly.

Who would you say the service is being aimed at? I noticed that you give three different payment methods - is this to attract everyone from the student to the working professional?

The service is aimed at people that don’t enjoy wasting money on bullshit (I think that’s all of SA’s drivers), but also people that value their time more than the few rands it costs buy one of FmyFine’s excuse packages.

Now the name FMyFine - was this a conscious play on the popularity of FMyLife.com or did it just seem like the best name? Is there not a chance that using a swear word in the name of your business alienate some potential customers? Or even piss off the authorities?

No, FML.com had nothing to do with it. “Fuck My Fine” just works. Everyone says it, everyone thinks it and everyone feels it! We’ve just taken a national irritation and given everyone something to laugh at. I doubt it’s going to be the swear words that are going to be pissing off the authorities...

I am assuming that you have a minimal marketing budget (LOVE the Facebook ads btw) - most of your marketing seems to be viral on social media channels. Was this always the plan? And If so what did you do to get the ball rolling?

In the words of Seth Godin: “Marketing is dead”. Anyone paying for marketing doesn’t have a strong enough product. Social Media enables products with inherent value to spread without it begin forced down your throat. Some of the best local bloggers wrote about the concept and it spread from there.

What happens when someone from the traffic starts noticing fines with similar layout and wording - could this cause unintended consequences like the chance that excuses will be viewed with more suspicion and thus fewer fines are reduced or squashed?

This probably won't happen (see answer to question 6 and the F*MyFine FAQ). If we do ultimately cause a positive reform in SA's traffic fine policy, then all the better.

How far do you see the business going? Are there other types of fines that you could be making excuses for, what about integration or partnerships with other services like payfine.co.za?

We'll have to wait and see how far it goes. These services appear to be government-endorsed, which would most likely not permit an open affiliation with F*MyFine. But if any of those sites are interested in affiliating with a novel, time-saving, fine-reducing service instead of scraping a % of each government fine issued, then we are definitely open to ideas.

So there you have it, now go on, enter that fine and they'll "F* it in half"! Still not convinced? Check out some testimonials here, it's worth a shot.

Idea Bounty On CNBC Africa

by Daniel Neville on 2010/03/08

When we launched Idea Bounty in October 2008 crowdsourcing was a concept that was beginning to become not just a buzz word amongst marketers but something that they were actively tying into their brand strategies. From Doritos and the continued sucsess with their 'Crash the Superbowl' competition to Volkswagen in the UK and their "The Peoples Review" campaign its clear that crowdsourcing is very much here to stay.

Picking up on this trend 'The Entrepreneurial Edge' - one of the shows that airs on CNBC Africa - took a closer look at how crowdsourcing is being applied in business and kindly asked us to join them on the show. Enjoy.

Interviews

Personera: "Your Life In Print"

by Daniel Neville on 2010/03/05

In early January this year I was lucky enough to attend a gathering of some of the finest minds working in the online/ tech industry in South Africa - You can read a bit more about what I discovered there in this post. There was one particular project which I really thought stood out from the crowd - possibly becuase it works on one of the simplest (always the best) ideas around: Merging the online world with the offline.

Basically Personera allows you to order a physical printed calendar which uses information from your Facebook profile (photos, events, birthdays etc) to tailor the calendar so it represents you 100%. We managed to grab a couple of hours with Sheraan Amod and Jaco De Wet, Personera's two founders, and dug a bit deeper into what they do.

Im sure will agree its a simple service but thats what makes it so great - and I honestly think the best is yet to come. Having printed products with are based on what goes on in the online world is fast becoming a trend - You can buy books full of Tweets now! - and I personally cant wait to see what the guys at Personera come up with next. In the mean time be sure to go and check out Personera and remember to use your free code "IDEABOUNTY" to claim your free calendar!

Interviews

Shed Simove - The Ideas Man

by Daniel Neville on 2010/02/19

So a couple of months ago I wrote a blog post about two ideas - Crabvertising and Pooblicity. Granted both are really out there ideas (although im convinced there is a business model in the idea of Pooblicity) but at the same time they are brilliantly ingenious. The creator of these two ideas is none other than The Ideas Man, otherwise known as Shed Simove.

Believe me when I say this - I had one of the wildest skype conversations with him soon after I wrote the aforementioned post - Shed is one of the most idea filled people I have ever spoken to. Ok maybe thats not quite correct. We all have ideas, the difference is Shed makes them happen…. And thats what makes him a real champion of the humble idea. He carries his ideas through to the end when ever he can.

Shed sent me a copy of his book ‘Ideas Man’ - yes, I do recommend you read it - soon after our crazy skype conversation. Its filled with stories of ideas, the ones that succeeded and the ones that didn’t. You really do want to listen to the man behind these ideas, he has some wise words to impart. So on that note we managed to get Shed to stop thinking about ideas for a few minutes and he kindly agreed answer some of my questions. Enjoy.

Shed Simove - The Ideas Man

1. So before we jump straight into talking about ideas - tell us a bit more about yourself and what you do to put food on the table?

In a nutshell: ‘I get away with it’. And I believe anyone can do the same. I do a lot of things. if you’re creative, you can turn your mind to whatever fires you. I used to make TV shows (‘Big Brother’, ‘Space Cadets’, ‘The Big Breakfast’). Now, I create and launch novelty gifts (approaching a million units sold), I write books (a mixture of entertainment and secrets to success), I work with companies to help them come up with brilliant ideas for their businesses, plus I perform (comedy gigs, TV presenting, acting). I don’t sleep much…

2. Tell us a bit about your novelty products - essentially ideas that most people would dismiss as, well a silly idea.

Some say ‘silly’, some say ‘inspired’. There’s a fine line! ‘Madness’ and ‘genius’ are well known to be closely linked. And in the business world, one man’s silly idea is another man’s goldmine. And the second man is usual a novelty gift creator or manufacturer. The gift industry is worth over 10 billion pounds in the UK alone, so you can see there’s a rich vein to tap. People love to buy presents! Most of the ideas I think of, everyone can think of (and they probably do), but I make them happen. I become so gripped with making something, that I then spend ages creating products like the ‘Martin Loofah King’, birthday candles that spell ‘You’re Old’ or the ‘Designer Beaver’. It’s a thrill to think something you created might make someone smile. When it does, and a customer buys it, it’s hugely rewarding. We’re not curing cancer, but we’re entertaining in a focused and passionate way. Most people come up with great ideas whilst in the bath, lying in bed, or out with mates - but they don’t do anything about them. I do and that’s the key.

3. You probably get this question quite a bit but what’s is your favourite product? I’m a personal fan of the "flying fuck" and hide your "identity specs"

You have great taste! When I show people those the FLYING FUCK or the HIDE YOUR IDENTITY SPECS, they tend to get a big ‘LOL’ (as the kids say), which is great. I’m very proud of my novelty remote control range – like the CONTROL-A-WOMAN and the CONTROL-A-MAN. They’ve sold over a quarter of a million units combined! I’m also proud of the Sound Machines I created – they came from an idea I had to allow anyone to live their own sitcom – by adding a laughter track, applause or funny sounds to your life. We now have four versions – Original, Horror, Football & Cartoon… Also, it’s the new items that I’m about to launch that really excite me…I’ve got over three hundred concepts in my portfolio, all ready to go…and there’s something exquisitely thrilling about seeing a new novelty gift on the shop shelves….

4. Why novelty products? Any ideas that could become something other than a novelty (not knocking your ideas!)

Novelty is wonderful! It’s both innovative and fun. In a strict sense though, novelty means ‘new’. In a sense , all businesses need novelty products because unless every company keeps producing new ideas that stimulate their customers, they’ll be overtaken. I’m drawn to novelty gifts because they’re a neat little gag in one package. They’re uncomplicated, light hearted and sometimes mischievous. And there aren’t too many ‘barriers to entry’ in terms of getting them out there…

And yes, I can think of ideas for any area of life and business and then make them happen – you just need some good techniques (which I talk about in my books and presentations) and great people around you… Plus, the insatiable urge to make the goal come alive, of course… I currently have dozens of ideas that I’d like to partner with experts on – from Apps to Websites to Fashion lines to Food ranges and even Movie Scripts…

5. Coming up with an idea is one thing - making them happen is another. Is there any bit of wisdom or advice you can give on this?

Reward yourself. Perhaps with a meal at a posh restaurant, a new outfit or a hot date with a blonde – whatever will spur you onwards. Pursue what you love, pour your energy into some area you think about all the time, steer clear of NEGNETS (my term for people who are ‘negative magnets’, pouring negativity on your idea and sapping your energy,) and never, ever, give up. Focus hard on choosing to pursue something that what would make you really happy if it happened. We could all put our minds TO anything – and achieve it – if we have the will. And that’s what’s important. Just start something new and you’ll naturally go on an adventure, learn loads and eventually succeed...

7. You have mentioned that presentation is key when it comes to selling your products - can you elaborate on this?

Packaging is vital. Details are vital. If a hundred of us all made the same product ideas come to life, we’d all deliver it differently. That’s interesting - and pivotal. Once you have an idea, how you deliver it is everything. You have a very short amount of time to engage people, so your idea (in any field) needs to be attention-grabbing, instantly understandable and new in some way,

8. How many ideas fail? More importantly how do you escape the depression that can come with having an idea fail?

Many fail. in order to success, we must ‘Fail upwards’. By that I mean, we should aim to fail at something, because at least then you’re trying to do it. Your awesome human brain will automatically start learning and you’ll be sure to have an exciting adventure – and quite possibly make loads of money too…

9. I really enjoy the very true statement you often make that "opportunities are everywhere" Your story about "The Amazing Dry Cleaning Adventure" illustrates this perfectly - any tips for spotting these opportunities? I can imagine they become more obvious over time.

Absolutely. You can train your mind to focus. Whenever you’re dissatisfied about ANYTHING, there’s an opportunity. Make it better, test it slightly, add another function onto it…then you’ll have a new idea. That’s all innovation is – taking an idea and doing it slightly differently – and better!

10. I must say one of the things I admire about you is your ability to peruse an idea to its conclusion. Would you say this is a quality you have always had?

It’s a learned skill, and something everyone can do. It comes from a deep desire to see something happen and send it out into the world.

11. With so many good ideas how do you choose the one that you chase?

Anything where it makes me think “if that happened, it’d make people LAUGH or THINK – or both… Therefore, the ideas that tickle me tend to be what some people (the majority) deem ‘subversive’ or ‘naughty’. But attitudes change – so what’s subversive or naughty today is normal tomorrow – which means that by shocking people sometimes you get them to think differently and then accept a new - and better way of living…

12. I think one of your more fascinating ideas is your personal currency 'The Ego' - tell us more about this? And how has the recession treated it?

It came from me seeing Linden dollars (a virtual currency in the online game ‘Second Life’) being sold online. That’s mind-blowing – an ‘unreal’ currency begin sold for ‘real’ money, which again is only a confidence trick (the money we use is after all, just a promise). So, I released my own currency in both note and coin form – and It’s risen steadily in value since day one, even through the ‘Credit Crunch’. It currently has a better exchange rate than the dollar, Euro or Yen.

13. You have done quite a bit when it comes to building you own personal brand. Tell us a bit more about when you managed to change your name to 'God'

It started when I read ‘The God Delusion’ by Richard Dawkins. It made me think about the word ‘GOD’ and how it has so many meanings – and how the concept means something different to every person. If you put another word in front of the word ‘God’, like ‘Greek’, ‘Love’ or ‘Sex’…then it takes on a different meaning, but if you just say ‘God’ to someone, then it has a unique emotional connection to that person. That’s fascinating. I began to wonder if it could be possible to change my name to ‘God’ as no one had ever done it before. After a long search, I found a solicitor who agreed to formalise me and change my name by deed. When I went to my bank and tried to get my credit card in the name of my new name ‘God’, the bank were furious and threatened to close my accounts. The press picked up on the stories and some articles appeared in the media – one was titled “BANK SNUBS GOD”.

15. Has building up you own personal brand like you have made selling your novelty products easier?

People are only starting to find out about my brand. You’re only as good as your last idea… this keep you on your toes and always wanting to deliver…

Wonderfully, my brand is growing exponentially and I hope it’ll grow more as more people discover - and hopefully engage with – what I do.

16. Tell us a bit more about your comedy routine and the 'Shed Heckling Device"

I invented a ‘Heckling Device’ in case of heckling emergencies – it’s an audio box that shouts “Fuck off You C**T”. I’ve only had to use it once and it worked surprisingly well.

17. As I understand it your book "Ideas Man" is basically your show in book form... am I correct?

The show is the book in presentation form! It’s a manual for success and gives you the skills to make anything happen in your life. What makes it unique is that all the techniques for success are embedded in stories from my life – including the big wins and massive failures too...

18. You are not the typical idea of who a successful entrepreneur would be - Do you think that you have changed the idea about who can start a successful business? Is it working?

Goodness, any person can do anything these days. We’re LUCKY to live an age where there’s a democracy about being able to be successful that isn’t tied to family history or wealth or status. The internet is such a freer. There are no barriers to entry and no one who can tell you NOT to do something. You can find experts or manufacturers within two clicks…this means any human endeavour is within your grasp because you can easily find people to help you.

19. One of the examples - and its a small one - of you doing things differently is the fact that you post some of your Ideas In Development on your site. Why do you do this and don’t you worry that someone will steal them?

I have over four hundred (really good) ideas in my portfolio for everything for novelty gifts, toys, web businesses, iPhone apps, and new book concepts… And those are filtered from the less good ideas I come up with. I put a smattering of these on my site so that they might get some interest from brilliant experts. I stopped being too cautious about my ideas years ago when I realised three things: 1) People are generally decent 2) Most people are much less interested in your idea than you are, so they’d rather do their own ideas 3) An idea is only is good as it’s implementation. If all of us made the same idea come to life, some of the results would be much better than others. So, you need to both think up good ideas and make sure they are carried out very well too. This is vital. Finally – 4) It’s not in anyone’s interest to rip off my ideas because once they’ve done that, they’ll cut off a rich source of more ideas – they ‘kill the golden goose.’ And I’m the sort of goose that will keep on laying great eggs for a long time… All of that said, it’s always better to hold your very best ideas back until you trust someone…and meeting face to face is the only real way to get a feeling for someone.

I’m currently thinking about setting up a website called I’ve started so I’ll finish .com - it’ll allow you to upload any goal you’re aiming to reach and then have everyone visiting the site to encourage you in your goal or actually help you make it come to life…

18. Another thing I love that you do is the section on your site titled "Your Ideas" which made us smile since you are in essence crowdsourcing. How has this worked out?

Your brain is amazing! And it allows you to come up with all sorts of incredible concepts, meaning most people have fantastic ideas. It’s about doing them though…and it’s not that hard these day because the internet let’s you find an expert to help you or a factory to make your idea, very quickly. People often come to me with ideas they want to develop, but I don’t take many on, as my schedule is chocka block. If something fits into my range though, and I think it’s really great, then I’ll spend time launching it. For example, this happened with the ‘Parent Child Contract Pad’…and I’m delighted with the results.

19. And lastly tell us about your bid to become world famous. Tell us a bit more about this - and how can we help!?

Fame is a tough mistress. She demands a lot of attention and is not easily pleased. I’d love your readers’ help! Please take a look at BetYouillBeFamous.com, follow me on Twitter, read IDEAS MAN and give it a review on Amazon (if you enjoyed it!), invite me to your company to speak, get me on a chat show or radio show, give me a part in a Bollywood movie, hook me up with a Page 3 girl…or simply invite me to dinner - meeting new people is always thrilling…