Finding Real Problems to Solve: How I Built BigIdeasDB to Stop Guessing What People Want
The Problem with "Solve a Real Problem"
Every startup guide tells you the same thing: "solve a real problem." But they never tell you where to find these problems. I spent months brainstorming ideas, asking ChatGPT for suggestions, and building things I thought people wanted. Most failed because I was guessing instead of listening.
Why I Built BigIdeasDB
I got tired of building in a vacuum. Instead of starting with a solution and hunting for a problem, I wanted to flip the process: start with proven pain points and build from there.
So I built BigIdeasDB—a platform that curates real problems from places where people actually complain: Reddit threads, G2 reviews, App Store feedback, Upwork job posts. Over 10,000 verified problems, updated weekly.
What Makes It Different
Most "idea generators" give you random suggestions. BigIdeasDB shows you what people are already frustrated about. When someone posts "I can't find a good tool for X" across multiple platforms, that's signal, not noise.
The platform includes:
10K+ real problems from Reddit, G2, app stores
AI analysis of 200K+ negative software reviews
New App Store gap analysis tool (50K reviews across 5K apps)
Automated pipelines to track emerging pain points
Free idea evaluator with market demand feedback
The App Store Gap Tool
The newest feature mines App Store and Google Play reviews to find what's missing or broken in mobile apps. It's already uncovered gaps in productivity apps, fitness trackers, and niche tools that developers are overlooking.
Early Results
Launched with lifetime pricing ($49-$199) and it's resonating with indie hackers who want validation before building. The "stop guessing, start listening" approach seems to hit home.
For Fellow Builders
If you're tired of building things no one uses, try starting with problems instead of solutions. BigIdeasDB is my attempt to make that easier, but the principle applies regardless of tools: listen to where people are already complaining, then build.
Try it yourself: BigIdeasDB.com - there's a free tier to explore the problem database.
What's been your biggest challenge finding problems worth solving? Always curious to hear how other indie hackers approach validation.
Everything is under a paywall, even the problem database.
yes, I unfortunately had to remove the free trial because of the amount of people abusing it.
but I have multiple demos showing the entire user flow and the data you get on the application.
you also have the option to book a quick meeting to be shown the data as well.
This really hit me , the fact that you kept pushing despite bias says a lot about your drive. Age and background shouldn’t define credibility; execution should.
You’re already doing what most founders struggle with: building real traction and community trust. Keep telling your story online..
authenticity like this connects faster than any ad ever could.
Really liked your approach, Om. I’ve been obsessed with idea validation lately — mostly because I lost too much time and money building things no one needed. I was actually searching for fresh ways to validate ideas when I found your post. I came up with the mvpAI idea, we’re trying to solve a similar pain: helping non-technical founders validate ideas by simulating real feedback and launching fast, testable prototypes. BigIdeasDB seems like a great complement to this approach too. Nice work!
Looks great! Will definitely help with the headache that is brainstorming.
I love the idea of mining data from app stores and Reddit but that would provide B2C problems. Any plans on helping founders who are focused more on B2B?
I'd say it's a 40/60 split between B2C ideas and B2B because most of the ideas scraped from G2 can be geared towards B2B SaaS.
I am just curious not demotivating whats you platform exactly do because chatgpt can also do same not even problems it also tells us solution and sorry for my bad english
Yeah, so ChatGPT doesn't take ideas from real user data and problems that users really have from real negative reviews on different platforms.
Really love this! Quick question - how do you spot real problems from random complaints while gathering these?
We built a scraper that looks at all of the negative reviews in a specific company, category, or app (depending on the feature), and it analyzes each one to determine if this problem can be solved through SaaS.
Nice Work
thanks :)
Nice work on the DB. Now we need someone to solve distribution. 🤣
haha waiting for someone to create vibe marketing