Live in the future and build what seems interesting
A summary for “How to get startup ideas” by Paul Graham from Y Combinator
Source: https://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html
The main points of the always relevant article about how to and shouldn't work with startup ideas by Paul Graham from Y Combinator. I decided to leave this here, because about once every 5 years I come across this article, and I am convinced of its relevance and value.
Live in the future, then build what's missing (Paul Buchheit) Live in the future and build what seems interesting (Paul Graham)
- Do not try to think of startup ideas (it's a trap to find the "sitcom" startup idea)
- Look for problems, preferably problems you have yourself
- 3 important points in the best startups: they're build something the founders themselves want, that they themselves can build, and that few others realise are worth doing
- Be sure that the problem really exists. Do not solve problems no one has
- You need to be sure that at least some users on start who want your product urgently
- Ask yourself: who wants this right now? Who wants this so much that they'll use it even when it's a crappy version one made by a two-person startup they've never heard of? If you can't answer that, the idea is probably bad
- Be ready to compromise on one dimension: build something a large number of people want a small amount, or something a small number of people want a large amount. Nearly all good startup ideas are of the 2nd type
- A good way to trick yourself into noticing ideas is to work on projects that seem like they'd be cool. If you do that, you'll naturally tend to build things that are missing. It wouldn't seem as interesting to build something that already existed.
- The clash of domains is a particularly fruitful source of ideas
- Because a good idea should seem obvious, when you have one you'll tend to feel that you're late. Don't let that deter you. Worrying that you're late is one of the signs of a good idea
- Inexperienced founders usually give competitors more credit than they deserve
- You don't need to worry about entering a "crowded market" so long as you have a thesis about what everyone else in it is overlooking. In fact that's a very promising starting point
- A crowded market is actually a good sign, because it means both that there's demand and that none of the existing solutions are good enough
- A startup can't hope to enter a market that's obviously big and yet in which they have no competitors
- To turn off the unsexy filter (keeps you from working on problems you despise) and the schlep filter (keeps you from working on problems you fear)
- Turning off the schlep filter is more important than turning off the unsexy filter
- To seek out ideas that are unsexy or involve schleps
- Make something unsexy that people will pay you for
- The person who needs something may not know exactly what they need
- One way to ensure you do a good job solving other people's problems is to make them your own
- Just build things