Does my Odd Idea have Any Potential?

[Colton]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a way to monetize this strange idea. I had written it off as a passion, and not a business because it brings me joy but I could not think of a way to actually earn money from doing it.

It's probably something that is just a hobby, but at the same time it has the potential to really affect people and I think it would be a big mistake to not ask your opinion on it.

What I do is create nature scenes. If I want something that doesn't exist in real life, then I'll create it just how I imagine. I am particularly fascinated with bioluminescence, like in the movie "Avatar".

I don't have many pictures of the things I've made, but just to give you an idea, here is an example of a project that I did earlier this year that was inspired by bioluminescence.

My most recent project involved hunting for a rare moss species with only 200 estimated occurrences worldwide. It's special because it glows a brilliant green color and is the only one of it's kind. After 2 months of searching through rainforested areas I located it and it's now growing in my garden.
2017-09-01.png

I started doing this specifically because I wanted to make jaws drop. One time a childhood friend came to visit and I had set up a lot of "bioluminescent" plants in the forest around my home... we didn't tell him that it wasn't real. He started tearing up and called his dad to describe what he was looking at.

So my question to you is... can you see any way of turning this project into a fastlane business?

My only restriction is this: I would refuse to ruin the magic for people, so that rules out doing anything that shatters an illusion. For example, I had some people approach me and ask to buy the mushrooms in the above video, but I declined because it would be like a magician showing the crowd how the trick works- not so much fun any more.

I thought of buying up forest land and creating an attraction for the public which would be kind of like visiting a far away world... but that is something that would require way more capital than I have.

I think that I would simply become the starving artist if I attempted to earn a living from this, but I just thought I'd throw it out there in case some better minds can see a potential fast lane path related to this.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this

 

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[Deleted50669]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a way to monetize this strange idea. I had written it off as a passion, and not a business because it brings me joy but I could not think of a way to actually earn money from doing it.

It's probably something that is just a hobby, but at the same time it has the potential to really affect people and I think it would be a big mistake to not ask your opinion on it.

What I do is create nature scenes. If I want something that doesn't exist in real life, then I'll create it just how I imagine. I am particularly fascinated with bioluminescence, like in the movie "Avatar".

I don't have many pictures of the things I've made, but just to give you an idea, here is an example of a project that I did earlier this year that was inspired by bioluminescence.

My most recent project involved hunting for a rare moss species with only 200 estimated occurrences worldwide. It's special because it glows a brilliant green color and is the only one of it's kind. After 2 months of searching through rainforested areas I located it and it's now growing in my garden.
2017-09-01.png

I started doing this specifically because I wanted to make jaws drop. One time a childhood friend came to visit and I had set up a lot of "bioluminescent" plants in the forest around my home... we didn't tell him that it wasn't real. He started tearing up and called his dad to describe what he was looking at.

So my question to you is... can you see any way of turning this project into a fastlane business?

My only restriction is this: I would refuse to ruin the magic for people, so that rules out doing anything that shatters an illusion. For example, I had some people approach me and ask to buy the mushrooms in the above video, but I declined because it would be like a magician showing the crowd how the trick works- not so much fun any more.

I thought of buying up forest land and creating an attraction for the public which would be kind of like visiting a far away world... but that is something that would require way more capital than I have.

I think that I would simply become the starving artist if I attempted to earn a living from this, but I just thought I'd throw it out there in case some better minds can see a potential fast lane path related to this.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this

That video sample is pretty cool! Two questions I have; who are you envisioning providing value to through this work, and how do you describe the value from the perspective of the client / customer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Colton]

That video sample is pretty cool! Two questions I have; who are you envisioning providing value to through this work, and how do you describe the value from the perspective of the client / customer?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks dude! Make sure you watch the video to the end, it's the best part

I'm not really sure how to answer your question though.

I decided to try this for the first time when I read about people committing suicide after watching the movie "Avatar". They became depressed after watching it because they didn't want to go back to the real world. So I guess they are the sort of people I want to provide value for, and also for everyone in the modern era who has become disconnected from nature.

Maybe it's possible that zoos might want something like this for a night-exhibit?

I don't know how to make it a business, but I do know that I could impact a lot of people with my work. I keep hearing the phrase "impact millions", and I think that I could eventually. I can make something 100x better than the sample video I provided above.

 

[Deleted50669]

Thanks dude! Make sure you watch the video to the end, it's the best part

I'm not really sure how to answer your question though.

I decided to try this for the first time when I read about people committing suicide after watching the movie "Avatar". They became depressed after watching it because they didn't want to go back to the real world. So I guess they are the sort of people I want to provide value for, and also for everyone in the modern era who has become disconnected from nature.

Maybe it's possible that zoos might want something like this for a night-exhibit?

I don't know how to make it a business, but I do know that I could impact a lot of people with my work. I keep hearing the phrase "impact millions", and I think that I could eventually. I can make something 100x better than the sample video I provided above.

Yea, I think partnering with a zoo or even herbal / medicinal businesses could be viable (I'm not speaking from expertise, just speculating, so take with a grain of salt obviously). It seems like a core value proposition is connecting folks with nature in a unique way. Whether that is motivated through suicide prevention or simply wanting to introduce a novel experience would come out in your purpose / meaning. One idea could be to pilot your ideas with small focus groups and get as much feedback / reaction data as you can. Let the "marketmind" steer the development.

 

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[Puppy]

off the top of my head i can see a few ways this could be monetized. raves, this sort of thing would likely go over well with that crowd. buying a single acre(or less) of land and spending a year building up an exhibit does not have to require excessive capital. creating a traveling exhibit for schools and such. i remember my school would bring in a inflatable planetarium each year during my 4th-6th grade years and i still remember that as being one of the coolest experiences ever. potential to get grants to fund the venture plus great way to get kids into science and instill a love a learning again. sell your services to others, create scenes, photographers who would love to work with that, film makers to design sets, work with a local haunted house to design sets, sell the images you create to people who want a piece of it themselves. personally id buy a lighted nightlight/wall art of a fantasy scene such as that. dont underestimate the amount of money fantasy lovers will spend on weird shit. you tracked down a rare plant and now have it in your garden, thats a skill collecters and people searching for rare/hard to find plants might pay dearly for, dont overlook that. team up with the fairy legion to create any number of oppertunities. perhaps team up with your local park for a 'festival of lights' type display. this way you dont have to buy the land, you get the backing of the community, impress the hell out of people and keep it small and local for a few years while you learn the ropes of putting it togeather. something like this could gain a massive cult following if done right. then turn it in to a nation wide even with traveling displays, permanet displays select areas, special events (hello hollywood. new years eve!) hell, team up with local musicians for stage shows/videos. start small like that and find yourself designing something like avatar sets down the line.

k, not sure if any of those ideas are true fastlane but i think some of them could be used/modified to become the biases of a fastlane business.

 

[Colton]

Thank you both!! I really like your ideas.

 

[Fpm9]

I don't know much about plants or bioluminescence, but if it took you so long to find that rare type of moss, is there a way to "mass produce" it and sell it so other people won't have so search rainforests ?

 

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[The-J]

That's F*cking cool. I want some. Can you find them, grow them, and sell them?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KMA6NJE/?tag=tff-amazonparser-20

Here's one of your competitors. Shit reviews. Can you make it better?

The whole 'trick' thing is stupid. Don't insult my intelligence please. (Some people might like it but I wouldn't, I just want the damn thing growing)

 

[Hyrum]

My most recent project involved hunting for a rare moss species with only 200 estimated occurrences worldwide. It's special because it glows a brilliant green color and is the only one of it's kind. After 2 months of searching through rainforested areas I located it and it's now growing in my garden.

Wow, that's dedication to spend 2 months in a jungle tracking this thing down. Rep+

As a parent, I really like the idea about a traveling exhibit coming to schools. I think a lot of kids would really enjoy it. On the other hand, the current political climate is looking to cut funds from the dept of education so it might be harder to get a federal grant for this. And a lot of public schools can't even afford basic supplies for their staff, so they might not have the budget for special exhibits. Not saying it's impossible or not worth pursuing, but it could be a tough road.

Zoos might make a better target. I know our local zoo routinely has temporary exhibits. One summer they brought on animatronic dinosaurs. The next they had a stingray petting zoo. If they were approached with a bioluminescence exhibit (more than just a few muschrooms and moss), I think they would give it a strong consider. We have one of the best zoos in the country, and I have never seen anything like this there.

 

[Colton]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to share your thoughts, I really appreciate it.

Fpm9: I thought the same thing, but it turns out the moss grows so slowly and requires such a specific habitat that it's not really practical to try selling it. There's just not enough of it to go around... but it's really cool and I still like showing it to people.

Puppy: Those are some really creative ideas that I hadn't thought of. I especially like the thought that collectors might pay me to go find rare samples for them... that would be like some Indiana Jones level stuff!

The-J: I have some experience growing the mushrooms in the link that you shared, and I understand why they have bad reviews. For one, the pictures that they provide are of a completely different species, so it's false advertising. Panellus stipticus doesn't glow too brightly and you need high-exposure photography to really appreciate it.

My favorite really bioluminescent mushroom is called Filoboletus manipularis and it grows in Singapore. I'd really like to collect a few of those. Here's a couple pictures:

There are also some bioluminescent millipedes from California that I've been researching.

Hyrum: Thanks man! It was definitely a lot of sweaty and frustrating work but it paid off in the end. I got to see some other really cool things along the way too.

And yeah, I think you are probably right that there is some zoo out there that would like to display something like this. My concern though is whether I could get paid enough to make this a full-time venture, you know? I'm going to keep doing this kind of thing no matter what but turning it into a fast-lane business would be even better.

Maybe I should also mention that I'm attending University to become a Wildlife Biologist, so if nothing else, at least I'll have some awesome content for presentations/studies. I'm already the first one to grow the luminous moss in captivity.

EDIT: Maybe there's some way to combine this cool nature stuff with another type of business or product? For example I am working on making throwing knives to sell, and I thought of making a video of training with throwing knives amongst a bioluminescent rainforest setting. (Throwing into targets, not trees)

Basically taking something that's already fun, like throwing knives, and adding even more appeal to it.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

So my question to you is... can you see any way of turning this project into a fastlane business?

Hell ya.

 

[socaldude]

You can't package this idea and sell it as a kit?

I would buy one if it was reasonably priced.

 

[StevieB]

There's a tree house in Atlanta on AirBnB that goes for around $350/night. It only has a couple of beds, and there were some Christmas style lights lighting up the path on the way through a small bridge up to the treehouse. When I first noticed it, I couldn't imagine why someone would pay more or about the equivalent of cost to a resort hotel on beach front property per night for this little treehouse. Not only that but it was rated one of the top destinations on AirBnB which many times gives it a premium spot on their front page so this place is booked non-stop (which naturally drives the price up).

People will pay for experience, especially something different and unique. Here it is in a large Metro area a little treehouse back in the woods. I imagine the treehouse itself cost around 20-30k (but the land that's a different story).

If you had some type of similar setup with these growing around it in an area that many people go through, rather for vacation / tourism / business I could see it demanding a pretty hefty nightly price.

 

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[Sequential]

Damn, I wish Liberty Caps were luminiscent!

 

[LiveEntrepreneur]

Looks pretty cool!

 

[stavedeve]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for a way to monetize this strange idea. I had written it off as a passion, and not a business because it brings me joy but I could not think of a way to actually earn money from doing it.

It's probably something that is just a hobby, but at the same time it has the potential to really affect people and I think it would be a big mistake to not ask your opinion on it.

What I do is create nature scenes. If I want something that doesn't exist in real life, then I'll create it just how I imagine. I am particularly fascinated with bioluminescence, like in the movie "Avatar".

I don't have many pictures of the things I've made, but just to give you an idea, here is an example of a project that I did earlier this year that was inspired by bioluminescence.

My most recent project involved hunting for a rare moss species with only 200 estimated occurrences worldwide. It's special because it glows a brilliant green color and is the only one of it's kind. After 2 months of searching through rainforested areas I located it and it's now growing in my garden.
2017-09-01.png

I started doing this specifically because I wanted to make jaws drop. One time a childhood friend came to visit and I had set up a lot of "bioluminescent" plants in the forest around my home... we didn't tell him that it wasn't real. He started tearing up and called his dad to describe what he was looking at.

So my question to you is... can you see any way of turning this project into a fastlane business?

My only restriction is this: I would refuse to ruin the magic for people, so that rules out doing anything that shatters an illusion. For example, I had some people approach me and ask to buy the mushrooms in the above video, but I declined because it would be like a magician showing the crowd how the trick works- not so much fun any more.

I thought of buying up forest land and creating an attraction for the public which would be kind of like visiting a far away world... but that is something that would require way more capital than I have.

I think that I would simply become the starving artist if I attempted to earn a living from this, but I just thought I'd throw it out there in case some better minds can see a potential fast lane path related to this.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this

Good stuff. One idea I had is to set up a guided tour somehow. I think a lot of people would be fascinated with the history and science behind it. Have people come to you for a fee and then you give them the history lesson, etc. Could be some potential there. Is it also possible for you to grow it? Could you harvest this type of mushroom?

 

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[Colton]

Thank you! Clearly there's potential here.

MJ DeMarco: That is so cool to hear you say! What do you think of the ideas discussed in this thread, such as creating exhibits for other businesses? Perhaps adding value to real estate? Or maybe selling kits to people? Personally I think that the idea of building attractions for people/adding value to real estate is the most interesting.

Socaldude: Yeah, I had really been considering that option. There are a lot of complications that I ran into with this but I will keep trying to figure it out.

StevieB: I freaking LOVE that idea! I looked into it and there are some treehouses here in Washington that rent for up to $700 a night! I think that a well set-up bioluminescent feature could add a lot of value to real estate such as this. The tricky part would be making sure that nobody takes souvenirs.

Another thing I can do is publish more videos to my YouTube channel, making sure that each video is better and more impressive than the last. If my work really inspires and touches people, then some interested parties might take notice and reach out to me with their proposal.

The next project I'm working on is to make crocus flowers that will resemble these:

Here's a fluorescent tree frog that was discovered this year. "Polka Dot Tree Frog"

 

[TheCj]

Looks very cool, are they real?

The rare slow growing moss, reminds of people growing coral in water. Something rare is hard to grow but anyone can go to a pet store and do it at home now.

Glow in the dark moss in peoples reptile display's terrarium etc..

 

[SquatchMan]

Woah these things are really cool.

I'd buy them for my fish tanks if you could find underwater ones at a reasonable price.

Edit: I personally don't like the attraction on a piece of property idea because that means people have to come to you and it's a small niche... and people are really lazy. I'm sure it'd do well online though.

 

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[Colton]

TheCJ: some of them are real, some are not.

SquatchMan: I see what you mean, but what if I put them on display where there is already lots of traffic? Just a thought:

I could make a portable display that looks really cool and commands attention. If a store or business placed the display behind their front window for example, it could be an effective way to bring in crowds.

Maybe I could charge a monthly fee for this service? If the extra visitors justify the cost to the business, I don't see why they wouldn't pay for it.

And by the way, the plastic mushrooms that I made are waterproof, but I can't be 100% sure that no chemicals would leech into the water. I think it would be safe but I'd need to find out for sure. The material they are made from is supposed to be completely non-toxic.

 

[Greg R]

Now start executing.

 

[amp0193]

My first thought is "where do people go to see weird/interesting nature stuff?"

The zoo or museums. Flesh out a whole exhibit that could get booked for 2-3 months at a time.

I have no idea how much these places would pay for an exhibit, but I imagine it'd be enough that you should seriously consider this path.


One of the most successful exhibits I can think of is "Body Worlds". They've been everywhere, and it was one of the coolest things I ever saw when I was a kid. Maybe see if you can learn about the things they did to achieve success.

 

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[Colton]

My first thought is "where do people go to see weird/interesting nature stuff?"

The zoo or museums. Flesh out a whole exhibit that could get booked for 2-3 months at a time.

I have no idea how much these places would pay for an exhibit, but I imagine it'd be enough that you should seriously consider this path.


One of the most successful exhibits I can think of is "Body Worlds". They've been everywhere, and it was one of the coolest things I ever saw when I was a kid. Maybe see if you can learn about the things they did to achieve success.

Yeah, that's good thinking. I looked into the "body worlds" show, definitely can learn some things from them. Thanks.

 

[Colton]

Now start executing.

Yes sir.

While I'm working on this, I'd love to hear anyone's thoughts and suggestions related to this... so don't hesitate to shoot me a message if you come across something interesting.

 

[Aaron T]

Have you seen what disney has done with the Avatar movie in Disney World Animal Kingdom? They recreated so much of it, and what you are doing is similar in idea in your own backyard. So far this new Pandora world has been a HUGE hit at Animal Kingdom!

I can imagine all the children that have visited Pandora that would want some special fantasy garden built for them in their room or backyards. I can imagine all the parents that would love to satisfy their children's desires in some way meaningful.

Think small mini-gardens that can be sold as a kit (hide the magic somehow in the packaging/delivery?), or a custom garden business that recreates these worlds in the backyards/rooms/homes of those with the means. Biggest problem of it not being a kit of some sort is scaling the business, but you don't have to do that.

Is it a passion project of yours? Is it what you love? Is it possible to make this a viable business? Hell yes to all of it!

Hell I am excited seeing it. I think it is one of the coolest things I have seen. I want it myself!

 

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[StevieB]

StevieB: I freaking LOVE that idea! I looked into it and there are some treehouses here in Washington that rent for up to $700 a night! I think that a well set-up bioluminescent feature could add a lot of value to real estate such as this. The tricky part would be making sure that nobody takes souvenirs.

Most rentals in that price range have a large deposit. They'd just need to make it clear in the rental agreement that removal of any of the property is not allowed, and will come out of their deposit if any is missing after their stay.

 

[Coalission]

I agree that you shouldn't sell kits, the magic is in the exhibits or tourist attractions, like a place people can visit that temporarily takes them to another world. If you can build a world that feels like "Ori and the Blind Forest", you have my money.

 

[Colton]

Thanks guys!

Aaron: It's funny actually because when I started doing these projects I had no idea that they were building an Avatar themed ride, and I had been imagining how cool it would be to do a river float through a bioluminescent jungle (sort of like the glow-worm tours in NZ - see below)

And I can definitely understand why people would want kits for their homes, thank you for sharing your thoughts on that.

It really has been a passion project for me, so it means a lot to hear you say that you think it's really cool, thanks!

Stevie: that's great info, thanks!

Coalission: Those are my thoughts exactly. I have to admit that it's also way more fun to craft or grow something with my own two hands (and get it perfect) than it is trying to figure out how to cheaply have something mass produced.

I'll just keep an open mind going forward and won't rule out any options yet.

Thanks for sharing about "Ori and the Blind Forest", that's really cool and I hadn't seen it before!

 

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[Aaron T]

For the record, if you do you enjoy games, "Ori and the Blind Forest" is excellent!

And I am not taking the idea of a themed world, garden, anything off the table. Why would i? I also don't advocate "cheap" kits, but there are very high value kits that when well done are excellent. Think something like the higher end jellyfish aquariums.

 

[Colton]

For the record, if you do you enjoy games, "Ori and the Blind Forest" is excellent!

And I am not taking the idea of a themed world, garden, anything off the table. Why would i? I also don't advocate "cheap" kits, but there are very high value kits that when well done are excellent. Think something like the higher end jellyfish aquariums.

Thanks Aaron, that's a really good point. I'm definitely going to check out that game too.

There's been tons of great input on this thread, way more than I was expecting. It means a lot! Thank you.

You can be damn sure I'm executing on this.