How do you develop an idea?
Hey there,
I just finished college and it feels like i dont really know anything... I want to build a business or some kind of service but I don't know where to start.
What is the process that you use to create an idea? and
Is there any advice that can you provide me?
Thanks!
Hi @ludadev. If you read startup propaganda you will be advised to jump off a cliff and sort it out as you go but thankfully you sound too self-aware for that. I'm going to assume you need some kind of income so if you don't have a job that should be your first priority. If you can get one in a small company you will get more insights into how the mechanics of business works. Don't look to lead at the moment. As for finding an idea, find a problem. Speak with people, understand what bugs them and what problems they would pay for to make go away. Look to your current groups for problems, as you know them already. Find a co-founder. That doesn't mean post an ad but ask your contacts and/or start hanging out with people likely to want to start a business and if you click with someone then maybe it could work out. Best of luck.
Hey rab thanks for reply!
Getting a co-founder sound nice and yes I'll should get a job to get experience and a little of income right ?
😁
Yes absolutely. Treat it as your next stage of education. If you do your job but are curious and find out how other parts of the business work (marketing, sales, finance, development, hr) you will be in a good position. Don't jump too soon but do the groundwork now to prepare.
Instead of thinking about how to get an idea, it's best to re-orient around picking a target market and then interviewing people in that target. For instance, I'm targeting newsletter creators and while my product idea is still in the works, my target market is more settled.
In terms of picking a target market. Think about a) industries that interest you (if your business is successful you'll be working on it for some time, so you can't be uninterested in the subject matter). b) what type of people/role do you want to help/solve problems for? (We all played different roles in our lives: consumer, entrepreneur, father, etc.) and c) what type of people/role will be easy for you to find and speak to (both for customer research and for when u have something to sell, u you need to pick a target that you can figure out how to reach).
One sentence from the book The Mom Test that stuck with me is: "Your customers own the problem and you own the solution".
Identify your customers first. Talk to them. Understand their problems. Then come up with a solution.
Hope this is helpful!
@LudaDev
Congratulations you have finally completed your college years, I hope it was wonderful experience to you.
Some advice.
Buy a dairy (write everything you learned in college experience I am not talking about studies on knowledge)
Go out and watch all the steve job videos on Youtube
Learn to code & make a mentality of leader, who solves problem & understands the fundamentals for time trade
Learn everything about money
Never get greedy or hungry about money
Money should be outcome of your input not your goal.
Help everyone with kind heart without expectations
Explore little bit about minimalism and stoicsm
Dream big think big, Be a badass dreamer (write them down)
Create something that you want your children's or kids to be using
--------------
Some video : (i dont promote any creator)
Idea to application : https://youtu.be/Ssivxgwa6B0
Understanding the working of money :
https://youtu.be/6mRbDEtDoyA
For startup advice :
https://www.youtube.com/c/GarryTan
Explore life, There is no winning or losing its all life exprenice. Dont take yourself seriously
Hey thanks for the reply!
I'll check it out those videos!
Hello @LudaDev ,
I know is hard to start something new and to be out of your comfort zone, but don't be discouraged by the new terms like: KPI, bounce rate or client feedback. Take it slowly in baby-steps.
This video by Michael Seibel - How to Plan an MVP ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hHMwLxN6EM ) helped me a lot to gasp the idea of an MVP, it contain real life examples.
Don't be afraid to fail because this process is a part of the success. This video from Simone Giertz - Why you should make useless things ( https://www.ted.com/talks/simone_giertz_why_you_should_make_useless_things/transcript ) showcase this idea.
OffTopic:
Currently I am searching for a technically co-founder to start an MVP together (baby-steps), if you are interested you can email me for more information.
Congrats on graduating!
Trying to purposefully come up with an idea can be tough and feel not organic. Instead, I am sure some random ideas pop into your head from time to time.
When they do, write them down and let them sit for a bit. If you're still thinking about one after a couple days, tell a friend about your idea and get their reaction.
Personally I use these initial reactions to gauge if something will be worth pursuing. Good reactions will give me motivation, poor reactions generally won't. It is much easier, at least for me, to work on something if there's excitement behind it.
If you're having trouble coming up with something, start with what you enjoy. Hobbies and interests - do you like to play or think about games? Maybe cooking or sports? What do your friends do to have fun?
Try to see if you can enhance one of these in some way. An idea that follows your interests does not always follow your strengths, but you will have the drive to pursue it!
There's some useful links down the right hand side of the Ideas and Validation group.
I just spend the last few weeks seeking for an answer to this question. I collected all the advice that is out there on how to come up with product ideas and used what I learned to create a Product Idea Prompt Generator. Moreover, I organized my thoughts by writing a blog post.