I get asked all the time why we named the company Idea Compiler. Particularly since it is our second name change since 2003. Lockheed Martin chased us off the Skunkworks most recently. Our original name was Real Mobile Solutions, which no longer described us very well.
Idea Compiler is obviously a nod to our geekiness. Who knows what a compiler is after all. But we are also poking a bit of fun at our clients. Idea Compiler gives the impression that you can simply put your idea in one side and out the other comes a running business, like compilers take code and produce running programs.
Of course that is absurd. But I meet entrepreneurs all the time with what seems like that basic view on what we do.
And who can blame them? If you listen to the hype, everyone can code, apps cost just a few thousand dollars, and all you need is a few college kids, a ping pong table, and a decent supply of coffee to get ridiculously rich.
Living on both sides of the equation, both as an owner of an app driven start-up and an agency that builds them gives me an good perspective on this. I've beat myself to a pulp to find these miracles, with no success so far.
The truth is most ideas, even funded ones, aren't well formulated. They couldn't be compiled even if an idea compiler actually existed! A big part of what we do is make things clear and tangible and then prioritize. Then find ways to test and learn around the core business model drivers. And sometimes change the whole thing as a result.And then we repeat that process weekly as we work through designing, building and releasing your product.
So take the name with a grain of salt when you give us a call. We have a tried and true process that takes you from idea to launch, not a magic machine!