15 People Speak About Their Silliest Ideas That Worked

Dumb ideas are not uncommon. We all come up with some obviously silly ideas from time to time, but most of us quit before executing them. Well, some people didn’t give up; they went ahead and did it - and it actually worked.

They share their stories about dumb ideas on Reddit, and some of them will make us wonder about our missed chances. If we had only gone with our gut feeling instead of our intellect… What could have been?

We have selected some of the best stories, and we know you are going to like them. They are hilarious and inspirational.

1. Insurance fraud is a good idea until you get caught…

“In my freshman year of college, my grades were really not great. My parents were very strict about getting good grades. When my dad asked to see my grades, I panicked and used the inspect command on the computer, where you can change typefaces on the screen to read different words and letters.

I changed all of my bad grades to good grades. My dad was so happy that I did “well” my first year of school. He asked me to print my results. I did, and it turns out he had to send them to our car insurance company for a “good student discount.” Ultimately, I committed insurance fraud by accident. But I got the discount.”

2. It might look strange, but it works…

“Wearing a motorcycle helmet while snowblowing.

I did it because I missed riding; it kept my face warm, and when snow would fly back at me, the visor would protect me.”

3. Extremely unwise decision…

“A storm broke a limb on a tree hanging over my house in my backyard, but it was still hanging on by a few splinters. I didn’t want it to fall, and it wasn’t in a place where I could use my ladder to get to it.

So I found some rope, tied a brick to it, threw the brick and rope over the limb, made a crude rope swing, and swung and pulled at the branch until it finally broke.

It wasn’t until I was using the chainsaw to cut it up that I realized how many times during my stupid idea I could have easily hurt or even killed myself.”

4. Not bad…

“Our power was out due to a storm. I had a camp stove to use for boiling water to make a coffee pour-through, but I couldn’t use my electric grinder for the coffee beans. I tried fashioning a mortar and pestle, but it was taking too long.

So, I put the coffee beans in a couple of ziplock bags, placed the bags right behind a car tire, and then ran over them back and forth a couple of times to crush the beans. It worked like a charm.”

5. We are V.I.P.

“A friend and I once snuck 15 people into the Warped Tour by giving them some bracelets from a party supply store and clipboards full of paper.

We walked up to the side gate and said we were with Rock The Vote. The security guard waved us right in.”

6. Quick thinking...

“I forgot to bring a resume to a job interview, but I had an index card in my bag. I cut the index card in half and wrote my name, my contact info, and “creative problem solver” in my best handwriting, and gave a copy of my “business card” to both interviewers.

I got the job.”

7. A test drive...

“When I was young and broke, I bought a sofa from a used furniture store. I had no way to take the sofa home.

I went to a used car lot a couple of blocks away and took a truck for a test drive…”

8. Like TV...

“I’m stuck on a cliff, but if I jump at a really sharp angle at that gravel field, I could just slide down there and be fine, just like in TV!”

Every time I think about this, I am amazed I’m not either flattened by a rock or impacted against something.

Childhood really is just the tutorial level sometimes.”

9. Just married...

“In college, I was taking a class that required me to purchase an online textbook and workbook that were registered under your name, basically ensuring that each student would have to buy a new online copy each semester instead of buying used textbooks.

I had a friend who took this class a semester before me, so we came up with the idea to message customer service and explain that I had recently gotten married (so my last name had changed) and that I legally changed my first name from [my friend’s first name] to [my first name], and I would need them to change it in their system.

It totally worked, and the rep even congratulated me on my marriage.”

10. Good thinking…

“The real estate agent told me I had to have the carpets professionally cleaned (it wasn’t in the contract) or I’d lose my $800 bond.

I did some research and found out I could become an accredited carpet cleaner, as there are no official licensing boards in my state.

So, I did what any sane person would do. I paid the $85, completed the online course, and got my certificate. I registered a business name, ABN, etc. (all free)

I handed the property management a copy of my accreditation and an invoice for services.

I became a professional carpet cleaner and launched a vacate cleaning business that is still going six months later.

I did clean the carpets. They claimed I didn’t and required a professional cleaner’s invoice as proof. So I gave them the proof.

I did not charge the real estate agency; it was a copy of the invoice they claimed to require.

I do professional housekeeping and cleaning for vacating a property at the end of a lease to ensure you get the maximum bond back.

I help people who are being unfairly treated by their property management and advise them on what steps to take regarding cleaning, repairs, etc.

With the return of the bond and some smart shopping, I was able to purchase my own equipment to continue the job; I then claimed those costs back on tax.”

11. Exactly what we wanted...

“This idea could’ve easily gotten me fired if it went wrong.

I was working as an art director at an animation studio, making videos for clients. One client was especially picky about the use of yellow in the background. They wanted it to match their logo, which was this horrible neon-piss yellow.

We advised against it, but after numerous calls, we had to cave and provided a version with that color. They hated it and asked for a change. What followed were 12 versions with numerous calls in between tweaking the color over and over.

Eventually, I got tired of it and just sent the original version again; I didn’t even bother to rename the file. The client said, “This looks exactly the way I wanted; thank you!”

How that ever went right, I still have no idea.”

12. Chameleon…

“Dressing like a redneck to pick up chicks. I went to college in the South, but the guys there were all very preppy. I thought that because a lot of the girls grew up in the South, they would be drawn to more of a redneck vibe that not many people on campus had. So, I bought a camo fishing hat.

Literally, three girls started conversations with me that day.”

13. This feels great

“There was a swarm of hornets that had made a nest under the front of our porch with only one specific narrow entry in or out.

Spray wouldn’t work, and it was right under our front door, so I had no way to keep exterminating them.

Then I realized, “Why not use whirring blades of metal?” We did have an old 50s metal fan, and I could maybe blow them away from the entrance so they had no way to get in.

The unanticipated effect was that it worked, though after a few hours it had created a Civil War battlefield of dead or dying hornets piling up like a zombie tower in World War Z. Every few moments, you’d hear a “thunk” as another hornet fell into the trap.

So satisfying.”

14. Just act indifferent…

“I was really, really desperate to leave my past employer after 15 years. I had been applying and interviewing and striking out. Finally, I got an interview at a place where (at the time) I felt, “Meh, I am not really sure this is right for me, but anything is better than where I am.”

Instead of prepping for the interview, rehearsing answers, etc.… I pulled an “Office Space.” I was cocky, brash, unconcerned, and made it seem like I was happy where I was and didn’t really care if I got the job or not.

They called me back the next week, and I waited a week to return their call. Same deal with the second interview. When they offered me the job, I hemmed and hawed, said I needed to think about it really hard, and that it was a “big move” for me, etc., etc. I came back and demanded well over $15,000 above what they were offering in salary. They accepted.”

15. George Costanza to the rescue…

“It probably wouldn’t work in this day and age, but back when I was young, I was tired of retail and wanted an office job. I just lied my way through and pulled a total George Costanza, with friends coached to answer their phones as a business and such.

I got hired as an administrative assistant and have been steadily moving up since.”