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With a bit of luck there'll come a startup with said friend out of this later this year.
What in your life would you pay for, that does not exist? What do you know others will pay for, that does not exist? What is your unique intersection of talents, interests and experiences, that might allow you to find a new angle on something? Don't start with the idea of "a startup". Look for a way you can make life sufficiently better for a sufficient number of people/companies with sufficient ability and willingne…
This is especially important. Don't just try to solve an arbitrary 'problem', think about people that you're around often, what they do, what they complain about. These will be your first testers / potential customers, and you'll need them to keep you working towards solving something that actually needs to be solved.
These can spark ideas to work on while possibly providing an edge to be accepted into YC. The other road I'd advise is to think about things you're already passionate about. If you can find a passion you can monetize you have most of the battle won IMO (tip: start blogging about it and build an audience which may also turn into your first customers).
Here's my advice: If you don't have the AH-HAH moment, don't do it.
More rigid framework:
- what's the problem you're trying to solve?
- who is your customer?
- why would they pay for it?
Even if sales don't pick up, it might come in handy.
I have too many ideas. :(
Get out there, focus on ONE THING and execute.
I'm a big fan of throwing things against the wall until something sticks. Success is not about having THE great idea; it's about being persistent and determined. Don't think too much about HOW to start, just START! Then never give up, and success will come (probably sooner rather than later).
I am also a huge fan of this. Even if you don't have the big hit, you have a good chance of stumbling across something decent that can sustain you while you search for the big hit. The problem with this technique is I never know where to draw the line between "wasting your time" and "staying determined".