Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#11

Post by chrisabruce » Wed, Sep 28, 2011, 3:33 AM UTC

Execution over ideas in every case.

However, after diving a lot into Lean Product and UX Design, I have learned that the hardest part is finding problems worth solving. In my opinion, being able to discover problems that have terrible solutions and workarounds are really where good ideas are spawned, then "hypothesized" and "validated".

Also, for helping to formulate your ideas (I am assuming a business model), it has helped me to use a business model canvas. I like the "lean" one from http://www.runningleanhq.com and there is a link to one from Steve Blank's blog article: http://steveblank.com/2011/09/22/how-to-build-a-web-startup-... and a good slide explanation: http://steveblank.com/2010/11/15/creating-startup-success-cu...

Hope this helps.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#12

Post by md1515 » Wed, Sep 28, 2011, 5:44 AM UTC

think of an idea from your area of expertise. ex: a restaurant owner develops software to helps his/her restaurant

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#13

Post by luckycharm » Wed, Sep 28, 2011, 12:46 PM UTC

revorad wrote: post #7

A search engine for stuff in my house. I'm constantly struggling to find things around the house. If I could easily search the space in my house, my life would improve significantly.

I'm building one now. Hope to launch on Friday.

http://www.ikeepm.com

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#14

Post by Mankhool » Wed, Sep 28, 2011, 6:24 PM UTC

I was 2 years into my search for seed funding for what some other guys launched as Gigwalk. I keep looking at GW to see what they are doing and it is not living up to the potential that I had imagined for it. I want someone to build a Gigwalk service that is aimed at professionals and also that allows the buying and selling of information with complete anonymity at both ends of the transaction. Tasks may be interviews, covert video or photos, translation of foreign texts - all aimed at professional journalists and information gatherers and all paying a lot more than current location based tasking chores.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#15

Post by abbasmehdi » Wed, Sep 28, 2011, 7:15 PM UTC

byoung2 wrote: post #8

abbasmehdi wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fruit couldn't be hanging any lower. This is so simple to build, so why don't they do it?

The technology side of it seems easy enough. A quick search revealed quite a few scheduling software packages, and a few hosted options. But look at all of things I've had to schedule over the phone recently: dentist appointment, eye doctor appointment, and a physical (the last one I put the request in online, and they called to confirm). It seems like the winner of this industry would be the one who could convince b…

The hard part might be plugging in their existing systems.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#16

Post by visiblestorm » Thu, Sep 29, 2011, 12:11 AM UTC

I guess one of the reasons that I find it so difficult to find or come up with a great idea is because I am looking for an idea within my ability and resources - within my ability to execute as a single founder - within my coding, design and marketing ability and with a minimum amount of money.

For example something like www.metrolyrics.com is within my ability to execute. I wish I came up with that idea. Oh well. Anyway the story of this site and his founder is very educational. I can't find the link right now.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#17

Post by revorad » Fri, Sep 30, 2011, 10:10 AM UTC

luckycharm wrote: post #13

revorad wrote: post #7

A search engine for stuff in my house. I'm constantly struggling to find things around the house. If I could easily search the space in my house, my life would improve significantly.

I'm building one now. Hope to launch on Friday. http://www.ikeepm.com

Ooh that looks interesting. But you just do inventories, right? I need something that lets me track the position of stuff inside the house. If you add that kind of thing, I'm sold.

Re: Ask HN: Do you have a startup idea to share?

#18

Post by luckycharm » Fri, Sep 30, 2011, 10:28 PM UTC

revorad wrote: post #17

luckycharm wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm building one now. Hope to launch on Friday. http://www.ikeepm.com

Ooh that looks interesting. But you just do inventories, right? I need something that lets me track the position of stuff inside the house. If you add that kind of thing, I'm sold.

What do you mean by position? You're allowed to create rooms and assign items to the rooms.