Back in 2006 Joshua Crandall observed his fellow commuters on the New Jersey Manhattan route only peering into the screens of their smart phones and not communicating with each other.

Frustrated by delays and the inability of the transit authorities to supply up-to-the-second updates to their commuters, it occurred to Joshua that their was an opportunity for commuters to update each other using their cell-phones.   Having “pals” up the line who could phone, email, or text news of delays could help people down the line take alternative routes, or simply prepare to hunker down for a delay.

This service is now called “Clever Commute” and as Alan Gomez reported in USA today, the service is now being rolled out nationwide with Joshua earning revenue through advertising deals and selling his timely information to news services.

Brilliantly simply and obvious isn’t it?  This is a tribute to not only the boundless business and service opportunities that exist out there, but to what a good practice of observation and asking the right questions can uncover.

Nice going Joshua.