Tell me more ×
Answers OnStartups is a question and answer site for entrepreneurs looking to start or run a new business. It's 100% free, no registration required.
up vote 1 down vote favorite
1

Possible Duplicate:
Where to draw ideas from?

My hope is by asking this question, that many of you who are very proficient in doing a start-up would be able to enlighten some of us who just come to OnStartups to learn from your experience (in addition to the other thought provoking articles that are posted here).

I consider myself a very passionate software developer, despite having (in my opinion) moderate technical ability. I am a father & husband, but continue to seek out time to learn new language features as well as understand emerging technologies and experiment by creating rudimentary examples of what I have learned.

I frequently hear that ideas are cheap, and implementation is difficult. I feel ready to apply myself to start a project, but have difficulty identifying missed opportunities that would likely prove to be profitable. I've stumbled upon a few myself (such as lacking competition in markets like music instrument rental as an example) but struggle to come up with those ideas on my own and have been restless waiting to arrive at an idea that lines up with my personal interests.

Any suggestions?

share|improve this question
2  
Please describe clearly what you question is? – Ross Jan 5 '12 at 20:43
1  
I apologize for not being more clear @Ross. I was simply trying to ascertain what thought process people use to arrive at ideas for startups. – Kyle B. Jan 5 '12 at 22:55
See the answers to this question for lots of suggestions: answers.onstartups.com/questions/23554/where-to-draw-ideas-from – Matt Jan 6 '12 at 5:37

marked as duplicate by TimJ♦, Kekito, Zuly Gonzalez♦ Jan 6 '12 at 15:33

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

1 Answer

up vote 2 down vote

Most business ideas start from the desire to scratch your own itch: problems you encounter in your personal or professional lives. Pay more attention to what annoys you in everyday life and take notes possible solutions.

Another source of ideas is news. Read about new technologies (API hooks included) and studies and use your imagination to figure out how the information can be monetized.

However, when you find an opportunity you're passionate about, make sure to validate it with 10-20 potential users (use but not pay) and customers (pay but may not use). The 2 aspects that need validation are 1) whether they will use it and 2) whether they will pay for it. Start building only when you have positive answers to both or you risk wasting a lot of resources.

share|improve this answer

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.