Book Review: The Really Good Idea Test - Julia Shalet

My mate Julia has written a book! And, as per the title, it is really good.

This is a book about helping you discover if that idea you've had - for a product, feature, book, business, whatever - is likely to catch on. It does this through the lens of understanding users.

The Really Good Idea Test puts people at the heart of innovation, rather than the other way around.

Essentially, it's a series of worksheets - provided free - which help you get answers to the seven questions which make up the test. And all the questions are not ones you ask of yourself - but of your potential users. The whole attitude to the book can be summed up in one early paragraph:

I have seen innovators spend a lot of time diving into the feasibility, where the question is ‘Can we technically do it?’ and working on the viability, where the question is ‘Can it scale?’. The question they ought to be asking before getting too deeply into those is about desirability, which is the question of ‘Is there a user problem, need and/or desire?’. We must start here.

Yes! How many times have you (or your colleagues) started diving into building a solution before finding out if it actually solves a problem faced by your customers or users?

The book walks through several relatable examples. This is not a Silicon Valley book of daring and inspirational examples. Instead it is relentlessly practical. And, thus, avoids the survivorship bias most books choose by looking only at winners.

My only (mild) criticism is Julia's over-use of exclamation marks. But, having chatted with her several times, that is exactly how she talks! Absolutely 100% full of enthusiasm and joy. Frankly, more books need to be this accessible and friendly.