How to Get Startup Ideas

[Bond]

Found this very interesting article from Paul Graham(YCombinator) about startup ideas.

"The way to get startup ideas is not to try to think of startup ideas. It's to look for problems, preferably problems you have yourself."


How to Get Startup Ideas

 

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[nzerinto]

Great article, I've been stuck in this a lot recently, so it's great timing!

 

[Gsuz]

Wanted to share that aswell. Great article indeed!

 

[MJ DeMarco]

"The way to get startup ideas is not to try to think of startup ideas. It's to look for problems, preferably problems you have yourself."

Gold.

To experience problems, you have to be out in the world and doing stuff! When I drove limos, I saw problems! When I ran an internet company, I saw problems! When I published a book, I saw problems! When you are "out there" you will see the problems -- solve any of those, and there's your startup!

And guess what? If you're not "out there", you aren't going to see the problems. Not many problems appear on the couch before your face as you are watching the latest American Idol.

So, get out there are start doing stuff, and this of course isn't just limited to entrepreneurship -- jobs will give you the opportunity to see opportunity!

Great posting.

 

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[tincho1492]

Read it today, saved on Evernote and shared on Twitter. GREAT article!

 

[socaldude]

I get start up ideas when I least expect it while I am "out and about". Its very hard for me to come up with ideas when I sit my a$$ down and say "alright think think think!"

 

[NaPal]

A great read on ideas and startups. Definitely bookmarking this one.

 

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[andyredsox]

Great article!

Yes the greatest startup idea is finding problems that you can solve and build a business around it.

It doesn't really matter if this is something that you're good at. We all have the skill to learn new things.

The important thing is to put your 100% to it to make it work.

 

[Enzo_82]

I fully agree. Now to find the right problem which needs to be solved.

 

[Mike.B]

To experience problems, you have to be out in the world and doing stuff! When I drove limos, I saw problems! When I ran an internet company, I saw problems! When I published a book, I saw problems! When you are "out there" you will see the problems -- solve any of those, and there's your startup!

And guess what? If you're not "out there", you aren't going to see the problems. Not many problems appear on the couch before your face as you are watching the latest American Idol.

So, get out there are start doing stuff, and this of course isn't just limited to entrepreneurship -- jobs will give you the opportunity to see opportunity!

It's also hard to find problems living in a small town where nothing happens! I find myself traveling to the bigger cities whenever possible just to stay in touch with life. I'm considering taking a sales job in a bigger city so I can make more connections and find more problems.

 

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[tincho1492]

It's also hard to find problems living in a small town where nothing happens!

Yeah. 110% true. That's the reason why I'm going to move to a bigger city in 2013.

 

[Nick]

PG's essays - not just this one, all of them - are in my opinion some of the most thought provoking articles on the startup scene ever written. The only downside to them is that he treats everything from the perspective of build a startup -> scale it up big by getting investors -> become the next facebook, twitter. I would love something written with the same depth but for a lifestyle, bootstrapped business that anyone can start mainly on his own (similar with MJ's advice).