Most people have great ideas, good plans, and little follow through. Over the years I have seen a lot of this and have even participated on occasion (my want to create heated windshield wipers for one).
With consulting – time and time again – I hear great ideas, get a time/cost estimate in place and then the client comes back with “well we want all these features in the $10,000 estimate but we want to only spend $2,500”. For most people they either give up completely or get a family member, friend, etc that does some web development – but cannot completely follow through and in turn – the idea dies. Another common issue is that the idea holder has so overcomplicated the implementation/planning, that the idea never gets off the ground.
So what can you do if you have a big idea and a small budget? Modularize the project! If you really believe in your idea – take small steps and build the essentials. Then as you get feedback, extra cash, or even funding – add in the extras which will really make your idea stand out. This might take some extra time – but it will ensure your idea is well flushed out and done right the first time.
Next time you have a big idea – sit down and think about realistic steps in accomplishing it. You can always add on to the idea later, but you have to start somewhere and that might as well be something that is done right and done well. A strong foundation will always make the difference in the end!
