Another great place to search for SaaS ideas is support forums of bigger software companies. They are ripe with unanswered questions and pain points.
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Free registration at the forum removes this block.I just had coffee with a mentor, who encouraged me to stop mistakenly brainstorming "solutions looking for a problem" based on my skill-set.
Rather, he suggested that I need to find the problems that need solving. Sounds like sage advice, but I'm at a bit of a conundrum:
How do I focus and target my "What problems are you facing?" questions to the world, without prescriptively targeting the niches I think I can solve with my current skill-set, which then really sound more like, "I have this solution, do you have this problem?"
Any advice on how and where to get "problems to solve" ideas that will get my creative juices flowing without just bopping around pinging people and industries randomly?
I'm finding it very difficult to be systematic in my searching without projecting my (vastly limited) idea of the potential solution.
Any methods for this?
Thanks for the ideas.
Working to solve my own problem (and inspired by PizzaOnTheRoof), here's a brainstorming activity I'm going to do:
Take any product/service that I find interesting and ask myself, "What does this product look like when transformed for..." (kindof a "who, what, where, when, why, how activity)
-- A different audience (e.g. Kid's version of a screwdriver... Cat's version of a ping pong ball...)
-- A different location (e.g. Sand toy... snow toy)
-- A different budget (e.g. Economy version of a...)
-- A different time (e.g. If I eat it for breakfast, it's a muffin...)
-- A different function (e.g. copper insulation becomes a pool noodle!)
-- A different shape, size, color, material
-- A reclaimed waste
Please help me out with any other inspiration springboards!
Sometimes it’s not about solving a problem.
I run a lawn care business.
I buy labor for $15 an hour and sell it for around $60 an hour and pocket the difference.
Yeah, we “solve” the problem of people needing their lawn mowed. But so can 50 other businesses in the area.
I make money because I avoid unnecessary costa, keep prices high, and have systems which allow me to hire cheap labor while still getting them to perform services. I don’t make money because we do a good job or actually solve any real problems. We literally mow lawns.
Before talking about what business you should go into, you should figure out what you want your life to be and what your goals are. That’s first.
And on that fine note, never, ever use Microsoft Excel 360.Another great place to search for SaaS ideas is support forums of bigger software companies. They are ripe with unanswered questions and pain points.
There’s and idea right there: Data mining specific SAAS.And on that fine note, never, ever use Microsoft Excel 360.
Was F*cking hell to find I couldn't do simple things like break paragraphs within cells, or use 'Select Data' to assign x and y data to charts easily.
That online Excel was basically crippled.
I don't understand how such a great online version of Excel could be done so horribly wrong. Had to use it for a data mining project in a college group project, and it was F*cking dismal. Also couldn't use Sheets for online collab, as the charts kept inversing for no reason.
I had to chuckle as I saw people on the Microsoft and Reddit forums literally calling out for blood, and got nothing but corporate speak.
I wouldn't encourage it as a first product though, unless you've got A LOT of skin in the game.There’s and idea right there: Data mining specific SAAS.
Tbh, Redditors call for blood when they stub their toe.
Thanks. That's a good way to look at it. It also makes me realize these brainstorming platforms as well:It’s hard I know. It’s not easy thinking of problems as they stand on the spot.
I think a better way to look at it is this:
Instead of trying to find entire problems, try to reduce friction.
What’s a product/service that you use/have used that you could make more frictionless? Easier? Simpler? Faster?
Here’s a freebie. Feel free to run with it. If you don’t I might
Example: It’s kind of a pain to wash my car. I have to get a bucket, soap, water, and find the sponge that’s lost somewhere in my garage.
How can we make this a more frictionless process? Let’s combine the soap and the sponge, and create a new product: A sponge with soap built in.
Now all I need are a water hose and the new product.
Don’t worry about price. Sell the value and convenience not the cost.
Washing the car was never a life halting problem, but our new product just makes it that much easier, simpler, and faster.
Working to solve my own problem (and inspired by PizzaOnTheRoof), here's a brainstorming activity I'm going to do:
Take any product/service that I find interesting and ask myself, "What does this product look like when transformed for..." (kindof a "who, what, where, when, why, how activity)
-- A different audience (e.g. Kid's version of a screwdriver... Cat's version of a ping pong ball...)
-- A different location (e.g. Sand toy... snow toy)
-- A different budget (e.g. Economy version of a...)
-- A different time (e.g. If I eat it for breakfast, it's a muffin...)
-- A different function (e.g. copper insulation becomes a pool noodle!)
-- A different shape, size, color, material
-- A reclaimed waste
Please help me out with any other inspiration springboards!
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