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How to Get Startup Ideas

paulgraham.com

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Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#141

Post by srid68 »

SeoxyS wrote: post #90

I think it comes down simply to: don't set out to make a startup. That's the wrong mind set. You shouldn't be creating a startup for the sake of creating a startup. You should be setting out to solve a problem, and somehow happen to turn that into a startup along the way.

Exactly and this is what i said in my comment in a roundabout way. You should solve problems which interest you and not even think whether that will become a startup. If you want to create a startup, then you should think of solving other peoples problem and not your problem.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#142

Post by rythie »

flipside wrote: post #23
paulsutter wrote: post #8

After 20 years of entrepreneurship, of struggles and successes, of spending man years of that time thinking about startup ideas, and having learned so many lessons the hard way, I can say the following: pg's essays are so true and correct that I could practically cry. If enough people read these essays (especially this and the recent "growth" essay), it could materially boost the economy.

Reading essays like this drives me crazy. No, it's not because pg is wrong or I disagree with anything he's saying, it's because everything resonates with my startup (Tinj.co, interactive movie ratings) but after 1000+ pitches I still can't succinctly articulate how I know this. I could probably make a checklist for the criteria of great startup ideas (seems like a toy: check, personal problem: check, inspiration fro…

Essentially it sounds like what you are claiming to be able to do, is recommend movies I like better. The 3-axis movie rating system or whatever is just how you solve that problem [and that might not work so you'd have to be open to trying a new method to solve the problem].

It's difficult problem to solve, you need lots of users and a good algorithm to improve on what IMDB or Rotten Tomatoes provide. In general I find that I'm happy with the ratings on IMDB and generally I will like the high rated films on that site - though I can imagine there are a lot of people that doesn't work for.

It would take a lot to convince me that someone had solved this problem (many have tried and failed), like a bit of hype from everyone or some rave reviews. However, in absence of that and seeing that you had done 1000+ pitches, I looked at your site and it has an invite form on it - so really you haven't even started yet.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#143

Post by hollerith »

ivankirigin wrote: post #107
hiddenstage wrote: post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Stock market investing isn't a zero sum game anymore than VC investing or even Y Combinator. Edit: OK, YC adds much more hands on value to businesses, but the investment aspect is exactly the same as it would be if you bought shares over the market.

options & futures are zero sum in the sense that any money gained is lost by someone else, correct?

Even if it is zero-sum in dollars, it can be positive-sum in aggregate utility.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#145

Post by omegant »

nlh wrote: post #12

This is a spectacular essay. PG is dead-on correct here. In fact, one of the strongest reactions I had while reading it just now was "Shhh Paul, you're giving away the secret!" :) And this doesn't just apply to tech startups... The business I currently run (an exotic car rental company) started out precisely as described -- it was an idea I had to solve a problem I was facing (I wanted to rent a super-fancy car to dr…

What a great idea!.Eventually you´ll find what is broken in the car renting community and be able to offer a better service outside your actual market.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#147

Post by fhe »

nicktal wrote: post #123
flipside wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Reading essays like this drives me crazy. No, it's not because pg is wrong or I disagree with anything he's saying, it's because everything resonates with my startup (Tinj.co, interactive movie ratings) but after 1000+ pitches I still can't succinctly articulate how I know this. I could probably make a checklist for the criteria of great startup ideas (seems like a toy: check, personal problem: check, inspiration fro…

If it makes you feel any better, I've held the opinion for years now that ratings are broken across most services on the web. Jeff Bezos even acknowledged as much in a famous essay of his on how the distribution of one-to-five star ratings settle over time. Still, every new service sticks to the binary thumbs-up/down model or five-star. I'm sure you probably know the pitfalls of each, so good luck to you. I'm hoping…

I'd love to read that Jeff Bezos essay. A google search didn't find it. Do you have the link to it, or do you remember the title? Thanks.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#148

Post by pinaceae »

flipside wrote: post #23
paulsutter wrote: post #8

After 20 years of entrepreneurship, of struggles and successes, of spending man years of that time thinking about startup ideas, and having learned so many lessons the hard way, I can say the following: pg's essays are so true and correct that I could practically cry. If enough people read these essays (especially this and the recent "growth" essay), it could materially boost the economy.

Reading essays like this drives me crazy. No, it's not because pg is wrong or I disagree with anything he's saying, it's because everything resonates with my startup (Tinj.co, interactive movie ratings) but after 1000+ pitches I still can't succinctly articulate how I know this. I could probably make a checklist for the criteria of great startup ideas (seems like a toy: check, personal problem: check, inspiration fro…

the problem you're trying to solve is discovering new movies for a user, right? i assume it is, so let me try to expand on why you might have trouble with your current offering:

- some people enjoy movies and are always looking for new stuff.

- their joy is watching movies, not rating them. like / not like right after the movie is ok. some disconnected process is not, this is work, not joy.

- what are the major, simple factors leading to the next good movie?

1., Same personnel involved. director, screenwriter, main actors.

2., I liked their previous work.

3., The major outliers are found by chance or word of mouth. then 1 and 2 are in play.

Now, does a web page solve this nicely? No. Much smarter would something akin to what Netflix is attempting. A XBMC/Plex/VLC plugin maybe that tracks HABITS. No effort involved. The plugin tracks the movie history and maybe, maybe asks at the end if you like the movie.

You can apply the same to songs, etc.

And yes, Netflix, Amazon, all prior art. But actually working.

Convenience is key for consumers. Seamless. Easy. Valuable. Instagram hooked itself into the photo making process. Flickr did not.

Good luck.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#149

Post by eli_gottlieb »

kyro wrote: post #11

One thing I've noticed that has generated a ton of ideas, particularly within the hospital setting I'm in, is to listen to all the questions staff members ask one another. Who's doing that? When's this happening? How do I do that? etc. They're all seemingly mundane questions that get asked on a daily basis, but they give you great insight to the daily frustrations that people have come to accept (that's why they're b…

Yeah, I mostly think of ideas by listening to what people complain about.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#150

Post by wslh »

" The prices of gene sequencing and 3D printing are both experiencing Moore's Law-like declines. What new things will we be able to do in the new world we'll have in a few years?"

An OkCupid for best genetic matching?

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