Since we launched Ideasicle X this summer, we’ve learned a lot from our customers and trial users. The idea generation model we’ve created is working incredibly well so far. It’s what surrounds the idea generation we’re improving. For example, we learned it would be a tremendous help to agencies if Ideasicle X paid any freelancers hired by the agency rather than agencies paying them directly. The agency pays Ideasicle X and then we pay the freelancers. This one shift means the agency doesn’t have to deal with the headaches surrounding W9 and 1099 forms with freelancers, we will. Boom.

Just recently a major creative agency in New York City conducted a trial of the platform and not only loved the outcome, but plan to deploy it throughout their NYC and LA offices. But under one condition: the platform needs to allow more people to be involved in the process (not the idea generation part—that will remain four to a team—but the process surrounding it). It was an “aha!” for us and may be for you, too. Here’s how the platform is improving as a result.

Issue #1: the person setting up the idea projects isn’t always going to be the person monitoring the ideas.

The solution: we are developing a new feature within Ideasicle X where the owner of the Command Center can set up the job - invite freelancers or employees, upload the brief and launch the job - but can designate someone else within the company to monitor the ideas as they happen. We’re calling this new role the “Curator” for that job.

This NYC creative agency, as an example, had an operations person setting up the job but wanted the head of strategy to monitor the jobs. They were able to finagle a way to accomplish this, but it was clunky

With this new feature (coming in November) the Command Center owners can monitor the jobs themselves or invite Curators in the same way they invite freelancers to a job.

Issue #2: within a larger company someone will want to be in control of, and have visibility into, all the Command Centers assigned to various accounts or departments. Likely the CFO to monitor money spent or the head of creative services to monitor budgets and idea generating activity.

The solution: we are creating a free upgrade to any account to “Master Command Center.” With the Master CC the user can unify billing for all Command Centers under one corporate credit card, assign people within their organization their own Command Centers, quickly see how much freelance money has been spent across all of them, see who is using the platform the most/least, and archive Command Centers no longer in use. Click on the nearby image for expanded layout.

This move (coming in October) will make it far easier for agencies to deploy Ideasicle X within their organization, and do so in an organized way that provides total visibility into all idea activity across the company.

More innovations on the way.

The two solutions above are currently in development. Others in the pipeline:

• Create your own army of idea people. Ability for a customer to easily invite a mix of our Ideasicle Experts, their own go-to freelancers, and their employees to idea jobs, where their own freelancers and employees are not visible to any other customers and are always visible to them from their Command Center.

• Video links. Video links from YouTube as an option when uploading a video brief (vs mandating a file upload).

• Flexible job set-up. The ability to move back and forth in the job set-up process between the Vitals, inviting freelancers, uploading the brief, and launching the job. It’s currently a purely linear process.

• Idea Stream preview. The ability to preview the Idea Stream before launching the job to make sure everything is in order.

We will continue to listen to our customers and continue to innovate and report back to you. Because the more ideas in the world, the better.