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The start.

The idea. 

I have an idea. 

It’s not validated. I have absolutely no desire to check my assumptions since I will not be the entrepreneur for my idea. But I firmly believe that there is a market for my idea. And if there isn’t, there should be. I have seen something close to my idea pass by on LinkedIn once. So I conclude the idea doesn’t exist yet. Unwarranted conclusion, perhaps. 

Here it comes!

About this column:

In a weekly column, alternately written by Eveline van Zeeland, Derek Jan Fikkers, Eugène Franken, JP Kroeger, Katleen Gabriels, Bernd Maier-Leppla, Willemijn Brouwer, and Colinda de Beer, Innovation Origins tries to figure out what the future will look like. These columnists, sometimes joined by guest bloggers, all work in their own way to find solutions to the problems of our time. Here are all the previous installments.

Whereas you used to be bullied because of wearing glasses, since they were a manifestation of your visual impairment, today you can use glasses to show who you are as a person. They are an extension of your clothing, an accessory, or a fashion item. 

Hearing aids, on the other hand, are ugly things you have to put away. You get embarrassed if you need a hearing aid when you’re younger than the elderly. The word in itself – “hearing aid” – sounds flesh-colored and gray. 

Why couldn’t the same apply to hearing impairment as to visual impairment?

Hearing aids are located at the earring level. So this is a perfect opportunity to turn a hearing aid into a beautiful fashion product. Something you can be proud of as a wearer. That you can express yourself with. That it is such a cool product that people, even those without hearing impairment, also want to have it because it looks so bold. 

As an entrepreneur of this idea, you are in the position to come up with the perfect name for this hearing aid earring. And thus be the successor to other brands whose product name has become the same as the brand name, such as Velcro, for example.

Who will take this idea, will be going to make a lot of people happy, and get rich from it themselves!? I would love to brainstorm with you on a good name for this product.