10 Questions for Teasing Out Market Opportunities

These are my top 10 questions to think about when brainstorming for new business opportunities.

What successful companies are resting on their laurels?
What products have gone so far up-market that a broad base of customers can no longer afford them?
What successful products have critical flaws for a subset of users?
What products are people using for a different purpose than originally intended?
What popular products are extensible and could be augmented to work even better for a particular niche?
What inefficiencies can be solved by borrowing new technology and applying it to an older space?
What areas have a bunch of new people looking to join who are willing to spend money to succeed faster?
What popular products have been acquired and shut down, leaving a void of demand?
What companies have stopped listening to their customers?
What companies are unable to keep up with feature demands because of legacy?