"any other resourceful folks out there is: how do you approach a problem domain in which you know nothing, and manage to gain enough of a map of the territory so that you listen to someone's one-word suggestions and instantly grasp the implications"
Well, before answers were available online here is how it was done by an example just today.
Although it has nothing to do with my current business, I decided to explore the possibility of renting out luxury cars (high end performance cars).
The first thing I wanted to know about was the insurance.
But if you google "car rental company auto insurance" all you get are links to auto rental insurance (the type you get when you rent a car). I want companies that sell rental insurance to rental companies.
So the old fashion way to do this is to start to make phone calls to hone in on the brokers who handle this type of insurance (I did turn up AON as a vendor because they offer it in the UK but so far w/o a phone call I can't see if they offer it in the US).
So if I decide to pursue this idea I will make some calls and ask questions.
But the other thing I will do is visit a local small car rental agency (they rent beat up trucks) and I will do some form of either social engineering or play the "doing some research" angle after gaining their trust.
Or maybe I will make a deal with the owner to guide me in the business by making him a partner (edit: or paying him for consulting)
So this is something I know nothing about. But in the course of an afternoon so far this is what I came up with to start to vet the idea. If the initial metrics work I will take the idea further.
In other words be curious, ask questions and do some research. This has worked for me in starting three businesses in which I knew nothing about the business.
I'm sorry, I know nothing about your context, but if I was asking someone about renting luxury cars for, say, a special week-end with a Chinese client and his "cousin", I would appreciate someone coming the next day with a eye-dropping limo and all the details: a chauffeur, a filled minibar, etc. , all for a reasonable price. While, if the first thing I was hearing about was problems with insurance, I would not be so fully amazed...
Well, before answers were available online here is how it was done by an example just today.
Although it has nothing to do with my current business, I decided to explore the possibility of renting out luxury cars (high end performance cars).
The first thing I wanted to know about was the insurance.
But if you google "car rental company auto insurance" all you get are links to auto rental insurance (the type you get when you rent a car). I want companies that sell rental insurance to rental companies.
So the old fashion way to do this is to start to make phone calls to hone in on the brokers who handle this type of insurance (I did turn up AON as a vendor because they offer it in the UK but so far w/o a phone call I can't see if they offer it in the US).
So if I decide to pursue this idea I will make some calls and ask questions.
But the other thing I will do is visit a local small car rental agency (they rent beat up trucks) and I will do some form of either social engineering or play the "doing some research" angle after gaining their trust.
Or maybe I will make a deal with the owner to guide me in the business by making him a partner (edit: or paying him for consulting)
So this is something I know nothing about. But in the course of an afternoon so far this is what I came up with to start to vet the idea. If the initial metrics work I will take the idea further.
In other words be curious, ask questions and do some research. This has worked for me in starting three businesses in which I knew nothing about the business.