Washing machine

Have you ever felt vindicated? Have you ever had an idea that everyone laughed at only for it to come a reality? Well, it looks like I have.

It was way back in September 2015 that I first blogged about my idea. We were in our first lean startup training session lead by my good friend Justin and we had to come up with an idea for a business product that could be tested on the streets of Stanley.  You can read about it here.

My idea was for a portable washing machine, a plastic drum with baffles inside that you could put clothes in, add water and detergent, and then roll along the ground to agitate the washing. The clothes would then come out clean and you could repeat on a rinse cycle.

Imagine my amazement when I came across this suggestion from  Farbod Saraf on Twitter. Cycle is the operative word. The invention is a plastic drum with baffles inside that you could put clothes in, add water and detergent, and then use the forward motion of your bicycle to agitate the washing. In effect this uses the same motive force as my idea but has the added advantage of saving time. You wash and travel at the same time.

I chuckled to myself when I saw the article. My mind went straight back to that training day when we went out onto the streets of Stanley to pedal (pun intended) our wares. The people of Stanley were clearly not ready for such a business opportunity but I have now realised that I was just in the wrong market. There is a need for a portable washing machine yet for me it was just the wrong place at the wrong time. I wish the manufacturers every success with their venture and look forward to a cleaner and brighter world.