Software Developers Who Became Rich Thanks to MVP
belitsoft.com
belitsoft.com
The idea -- and this apparently worked in the 80s -- is that if you had a "high concept" script, you could sell it for millions.
A high concept script would be one where the idea was the driving force so, for instance, a man and a dog switch bodies. Or, aliens take over people's minds through drinking water, or whatever.
The values of these treatments fell over time, because the market learned to correctly price in the execution risk.
But when I think of the 80's, I think of awesome concepts for films. When I think of the early 2000's I remember...nothing outstanding?
Compare for yourself:
http://www.imdb.com/search/title/?release_date=1980,1989&tit...
(Many of which I had in mind as I wrote the first paragraph.)
And:
http://www.imdb.com/list/ls057556971/
I've seen many of those films: I couldn't remember a single one. Also throwaway films like Bond films are in the list.
There were between 5 and 9 Bond films in the 80s depending on how you count (for example License to Kill, For your eyes only, The living daylights, Octopussy, A view to Kill, Never say never again, The Naked Face, Bonds are Forever) not one of which made it to the first cited list above, edged out by better and more memorable stories and films.
Who is going to remember "Up in the air" in ten years?
The fact is, although there are twice as many (my first link shows 50, my second list 100), there is hardly a concept among them.
So the interesting fact you've stated about the eighties can be seen very, very clearly. The concepts from the 2000s...simply suck. Your additional information about the market history of concepts is most interesting.
--
EDIT: in response to ajmurmann's reply below:
So I consider those worse concepts than the concepts embodied in the first list, movies from the 80s. Really look at the two lists (really) and see the strength of the concept behind them. They're worlds apart (to me.)
I realize this will be a subjective judgment. Look at the overall impression, not just one or two films.
However, I have one issue: how come you're comparing the 80s (a whole decade spanning 10 years) with the early 2000s (a span of 3 years? maybe 4?).
If you looked at the entire decade, I think you would see many fine movies.
One way to go about remembering movies is to think about the great film makers of the time: Cohen brothers, Aranofsky, Nolan, Fincher, Tarantino, Boyle.
A lot of their great work was done in the 2000s.
Edit: Do you think your 2000s list is worse than your 1980s list?
The second list is from 2000-2009, so the decade in question.
Basically, as you look at the list of concepts 2000-2009, to me those concepts are objectively weaker than the first list of movie concepts. This is just my personal opinion.
I'm not discounting the strategy. I think getting the idea in front of eyeballs to see if it is worthwhile is great. I'd even recommend it. I just don't think it is an MVP. You don't have a viable product yet if customers can't buy it.
I'm just curious if this definition is common.
My definition is: a product that has the minimum set of features implemented possible in order for people to be able to use it.