I had this idea while having dinner with Marc in Bali a few weeks ago. I am sure a lot of other people already thought of it but I think the timing for the idea is perfect right now.

The premise is that kids who grow up in the 90s on IM are now in the lates teens or early twenty entering the workforce. Email is dead as far as they are concern.

Do you think a phone like blackberry will appeal to them?

No, what they want is a cheap mass-market phone that specialized in Instant Messaging.
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Good business ideas are hard to come by. But more important then good ideas are timing and execution. Ideas without the right team of people with sufficient time and money will remains as-it, just an idea.

Over the years, I have developed many business ideas. I was flipping through my old notes and here are some:

1. A web-based Email system (pre-dating Hotmail)
2. A host-to-host finger & talk¹ (pre-dating ICQ)
3. A graphical multi-user dungeon (MUD) (1999)
4. A IP-based PBX (1999)
5. Online game operator/publisher (2002)
etc etc

At the time I noted them down, I either dont have the right people, the money or the time to work on it. Then sometime later, someone think of the same thing, with the right team of people and bingo.

This happens so often and the latest was just a month ago when I saw an idea I was working on appears on slashdot, executed by another team (funded by VC).

So really, ideas are cheap. If I can think of it, somewhere out there someone else probably would have thought of it too. The question is who can bring it into reality faster.

Therefore, I decided to create a new category called Business Ideas. Instead of filing in my private document, I will blog it. Instead of letting these ideas remains as yet-another-idea-never-fulfill, I would be happier someone take them and do something about it.

So if you see any business ideas you like and want to make it yours, please go ahead. No need for permission nor do I ask for anything in return². Just run and may you find success with it.

To kickstart, I shall have one business idea to share shortly.

¹ Unix folks will remember “finger” and “talk”, the former for presence and the later for instant chat.

² Of course, if you so kind to credit me or if you want to give me a share of your company, I wouldn’t reject them :-)

Recently, a friend told me that I sound “anti-business” when dealing with my volunteer/non-profit work. Perhaps writing entry like this (just an example) make me sound like I am against businessman who makes money.

In my last 10+ years, I work in all sort of environment, academic research, non-profit, volunteer public interest, non-government and also the other side, government and yes business. I went from one end to the other end. To say I am anti-business make it as if I dont like money, and believe me, I love free economy and I love money.

I am also involved in many collaborations on opposite ends, government with non-government and profit with non-profit. Projects often needs multilateral partners to succeed so such collaborations are not only unavoidable but important. I don’t see anything wrong either. I often find myself one side or the other.

Projects are successful only if partners in the collaborations feels they are in a win-win situation. A non-profit/government side achieving what it set out to do while on the other side a for-profit company, well, makes money. If the for-profit party don’t make money, then it is just charity/donation, not a partnership.

But when I represent non-profit/volunteer/public interest, I apply a different ideological approach as compared when I am representing my company or business.

In business, I do anything to close the deal (within legal limits of cos), so long it makes money for the company. But when I am on the other side, then the goal, the process and the outcome of the project takes precedence over money. What I would not do is compromising the interest I am representing over money.

The key is to have an open and transparent process to met the project goal with an outcome that serve the public interest AND at the same time allowing the company involved to make money.

Went to visit MyIX today with Bill Woodcock. MyIX is the Malaysia Neutral Internet Exchange that was recently setup. Thanks for having us :-)

I have a lot of concerns over the setup but since I already relay my comments to friends involved in the project, I will not repeat them here. Regardless, MyIX is definitely a positive move to the right direction. In fact, Malaysia have done better than Singapore in this aspect.

* See my old article on Internet Peering in Singapore. Although written nearly 3 years ago, nothing much has changed. (And yes, I am aware of SOX).