Researching & Finding Needs

[100k]

Type this into google (change amazon.com with what ever website you want to research):


site:amazon.com inurl:forum -faq broken | not working|fix | hate | why can't | how do I | how come | annoying | irritating | much better | I wish | if only | i need help | right now | asap | desperately | urgently | urgent | they should | got problem

Don't know have any websites in mind... here are a list of forums you can target.

The more urgent the problem is, the better. The fewer options/solutions to the problem the better.

So the best problems will be those where the problem is so painful and so urgent that a person would pay almost anything to have it solved....

i.e If your car is stolen and you can't get to work and there is no public transportation, if you lose your keys and can't enter your house, if your computer screen breaks and you can't do any work from home, if your home window is broken and its winter. You can't just ignore these problem because they are too painful and urgent.

But go 1 step further and look for problems where there are not a lot of options for the consumer then you might just be on to a winner. If you are the only one that can fix a house window the same day within a 30 mile radius... then you're in the sweet spot. That's where you want to be.

Also, there is a difference between WANT and NEED. Make sure you understand the difference. You want to focus on NEEDS not wants. I want an ice cream on a hot summer's day, I NEED my house window repaired ASAP unless I want to risk getting burgled in the middle of the night.


Once you've found a NEED you want to either interview those people to make sure its a real problem they have, or create a MVP and sell it to them, or create a landing page and pre-sell your solution (best option - 100% proof you've found a need).

 

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[luniac]

why can't i focus on wants? i make video games...

 

[Imgal]

I cannot over-exaggerate how powerful using searches like this is. If you do this across forums and social media (Twitter and Facebook particularly) then you can't help, but come up with enough ideas to last you a lifetime... and they're not ones that you've made up as being the one thing everyone needs, when actually it's on the crowd in your head who can't do without it.

 

[Lex DeVille]

why can't i focus on wants? i make video games...

I need a new DBZ video game to decrompress with. I need it not to suck. I'd buy it right now if it existed.

Sometimes wants are needs.

 

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[luniac]

I need a new DBZ video game to decrompress with. I need it not to suck. I'd buy it right now if it existed.

Sometimes wants are needs.

Same can be said for any entertainment.

I need sex.
I need coke.
I need nike sneakers.
I need a beer.
I need 4k TV.
I need iPhone 7.
I need to relax and take a load off. Lemme go download luniac's free casual app, it looks fun...

 

[100k]

Same can be said for any entertainment.

I need sex.
I need coke.
I need nike sneakers.
I need a beer.
I need 4k TV.
I need iPhone 7.
I need to relax and take a load off. Lemme go download luniac's free casual app, it looks fun...

You don't need that crap.

You do need to need to handle your taxes as a business owner unless you want to lose your home or end up in jail.

You do need a doctor when your leg/spin/arm is broken or you're seriously injured.

You do need protection from the Mafia (by the Mafia) as a business owner if you live in a Mafia controlled village in Italy.

You (usually) do need your car back if it gets towed away.

You do need your Apple computer repaired if it breaks and you're unable to carry out your work as a designer - and you'll pay almost anything to solve that problem!

You do need cancer treatment if you've been diagnosed with cancer and you want to stay alive longer - you'd almost be willing to pay any price (extreme example).

You do need your internet service & telephone lines working as a business - and you'd be willing to pay almost anything to have a technician fix what ever is causing the net/phone to be down.

You need your truck with the engine problem to get fixed ASAP if you're running a trucking company - that's a pain that is so urgent and painful that you can't just ignore it.

Hope that helps.

 

[luniac]

You don't need that crap.

You do need to need to handle your taxes as a business owner unless you want to lose your home or end up in jail.

You do need a doctor when your leg/spin/arm is broken or you're seriously injured.

You do need protection from the Mafia (by the Mafia) as a business owner if you live in a Mafia controlled village in Italy.

You (usually) do need your car back if it gets towed away.

You do need your Apple computer repaired if it breaks and you're unable to carry out your work as a designer - and you'll pay almost anything to solve that problem!

You do need cancer treatment if you've been diagnosed with cancer and you want to stay alive longer - you'd almost be willing to pay any price (extreme example).

You do need your internet service & telephone lines working as a business - and you'd be willing to pay almost anything to have a technician fix what ever is causing the net/phone to be down.

You need your truck with the engine problem to get fixed ASAP if you're running a trucking company - that's a pain that is so urgent and painful that you can't just ignore it.

Hope that helps.

Of course you don't NEED it, but billions WANT it.
You're making it sound like its not viable or sustainable to have an entertainment based business.
Strip clubs, movie theaters, MALLS, plastic surgery, plain old COMEDY, recreation drugs, sports, bars, music, and the list keeps going and going and going...

Life would be pretty damn wack if we spent it doing only what we need to do.

I mean what the hell, the only reason most people even work 40 hour weeks is to afford some new toys to play with or go out drinking, clubbing, vacationing, etc...

My point is... don't crush my game app dreams man, please

 

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[Deleted20833]

Another way to find needs is to look at the last things you have
bought and see if you can also sell those products yourself

 

[Chitown]

Strip clubs, movie theaters, MALLS, plastic surgery, plain old COMEDY, recreation drugs, sports, bars, music, and the list keeps going and going and going...

@luniac,

You live in Brooklyn? You just ran down 90% of the favored activities in L.A!

 

[Supa]

Of course you don't NEED it, but billions WANT it.
You're making it sound like its not viable or sustainable to have an entertainment based business.
Strip clubs, movie theaters, MALLS, plastic surgery, plain old COMEDY, recreation drugs, sports, bars, music, and the list keeps going and going and going...

Life would be pretty damn wack if we spent it doing only what we need to do.

I mean what the hell, the only reason most people even work 40 hour weeks is to afford some new toys to play with or go out drinking, clubbing, vacationing, etc...

My point is... don't crush my game app dreams man, please

One of the tough things to do, while finding needs is to put yourself in the shoes of a consumer, while at the same time staying in your producer shoes. YOU as a producer may not need (want) all those entertainment things, but the consumers WANT it, and therefore think they NEED it. Creating value is not restricted to creating products that save lifes or that make life easier, it can also be created by making people have a good time, put a smile on the face of millions with your product and you'll probably make millions, look at Angry Birds, what does this little game do for people? It helps them to make the train rides more enjoyable or the hour in the waiting room of a doctor.

As producers we usually don't play Angry Birds on the train, but rather read or do something else helpful for us and our business, but if you are not creating a product for producers, you shouldn't think like a producer while searching for a need.

 

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[luniac]

@luniac,

You live in Brooklyn? You just ran down 90% of the favored activities in L.A!

same shit here honestly... maybe the plastic surgery is more ghetto here!

 

[Chitown]

As producers we usually don't play Angry Birds on the train, but rather read or do something else helpful for us and our business, but if you are not creating a product for producers, you shouldn't think like a producer while searching for a need.

@Supa,

Spot on!

I remember first encountering "bottle service" at a hot club in NYC, 2002. My then-girlfriend and I were seated in an exclusive part of the club, chillin'. Sippin' cocktails, looking forward to getting frisky, later on.

Imagine my horror when we were informed that we would have to soon vacate the table because birthday girl Pepa - of Salt-N-Pepa fame - was rolling through - entourage thick - and taking over a few tables. We protested and were politely told...

WE COULD RETAIN THAT TABLE FOR A "BOTTLE SERVICE FEE" OF $450.00!

I looked at the server like she stole my peanut butter cookies and gave them to Spanky McFarland!

$450.00!?...For Moet!?..That costs $35.00 at Cost Plus World Market!?

Get the F*ck....!!!!

I wouldn't pay for that service...

BUT I"D SELL IT, SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY!!!

One of my chauffeur colleagues has a client who insists my friend accompany him into hot L.A clubs, grab a "VIP" table and invite fine women to party with them for the night. The client throws down the Black Card and the booze starts flowing.

Average bills for this guy are $10,000 a visit! My friend tells me sometimes they're out twice a week, two or three months at a clip.

Needs are great but I've noticed some powerful motivators to fulfill wants, as well. People wanting to feel sexy is what I deem a very powerful motivator!

 

[100k]

Of course you don't NEED it, but billions WANT it.
You're making it sound like its not viable or sustainable to have an entertainment based business.
Strip clubs, movie theaters, MALLS, plastic surgery, plain old COMEDY, recreation drugs, sports, bars, music, and the list keeps going and going and going...

Life would be pretty damn wack if we spent it doing only what we need to do.

I mean what the hell, the only reason most people even work 40 hour weeks is to afford some new toys to play with or go out drinking, clubbing, vacationing, etc...

My point is... don't crush my game app dreams man, please

Not saying you can't make money fulfilling wants.

I just think your business stands a better chance of succeeding if you solve a problem that is really painful to someone and they don't have a lot of options.

i.e I'd rather start a business and be the only mechanic fixing big trucks in a 50 mile radius than to start another hair salon in a town that already has 50 of them.

But its a free world so please feel free to chase your app dream, create a me-too app hoping it will entertain millions of people.

 

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[Chitown]

. maybe the plastic surgery is more ghetto here!

LOL!!!!!

 

[luniac]

Not saying you can't make money fulfilling wants.

I just think your business stands a better chance of succeeding if you solve a problem that is really painful to someone and they don't have a lot of options.

i.e I'd rather start a business and be the only mechanic fixing big trucks in a 50 mile radius than to start another hair salon in a town that already has 50 of them.

But its a free world so please feel free to chase your app dream, create a me-too app hoping it will entertain millions of people.

Yea you're absolutely right man, needs are clearly defined whereas wants can be more abstract. There is definitely a massive want for fun casual games on smartphones, however creating a casual game that resonates with millions in just the right way like flappy bird did and eliciting voluntary sharing with massive viral potential, well i'm still figuring it out...

I have doubts creeping up on me all the time regarding my games but i can't just quit now, with only 2 games released i'm only getting started and i spent over 2 years already intensely learning app development.

We'll see what happens in the next 5 years, should be very interesting!

 

[100k]

The real value is your skill that you've learned.

Try to see if you can't develop really useful utility tool for a small niche/sector that isn't being served.

Check out the blog posts on Dane Maxwell's website about selling/pre-selling SaaS products.

 

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[luniac]

The real value is your skill that you've learned.

Try to see if you can't develop really useful utility tool for a small niche/sector that isn't being served.

Check out the blog posts on Dane Maxwell's website about selling/pre-selling SaaS products.

Im always keeping an eye out for a good non game app idea. My specialty is the unity3d game engine but non game stuff can definitely be created in it, maybe not as easy to make SAAS type app, but definitely possible with detailed app requirements.

 

[Summer Adams]

People are much more likely to indulge and overspend on their desires....

 

[100k]

You can also use this one.... just replace "affiliate" with your niche keyword.


affiliate "I hate" OR "why can't" OR "how come" OR "I wish" OR "how do I" OR "got a problem" OR "they should" OR "annoying" OR "irritating" OR "much better" OR "if only" OR "not working" OR "right now" OR "i need help" -youtube.com -wikipedia.org -imdb.com

Research for E-Commerce related problems:

site:amazon.com inurl:forum -faq broken | not working|fix | hate | why can't | how do I | how come | annoying | irritating | much better | I wish | if only | i need help | right now | asap | desperately | urgently | urgent | they should | got problem

 

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