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How to Get Startup Ideas

paulgraham.com

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Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#201

Post by hnriot »

eli_gottlieb wrote: post #149
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.

Or in PG speak, you're noticing startup ideas, not thinking them up.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#202

Post by gopi »

wslh wrote: post #150

" 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?

genepartner.com

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#203

Post by panayi »

iamwil wrote: post #71

Reading this was like a punch in the gut, in the same way that Family Guy comedy hits you right there just by stating what's plainly in sight. I saw all the mistakes, things I've discovered, and hard lessons I've learned along the way phrased and frame in a clear way--so much so I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

It was a punch in the stomach. Only wish I could talk to my 2-3 years younger self.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#204

Post by brc »

flipside wrote: post #133
precisioncoder wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One thing I would suggest is when you mention it, have a link ready with an email signup so people like me who are intrigued can easily sign up to get a mail when the beta releases. The name seems fairly popular at least a google search for "Tinj" or "Tinj movie reviews" didn't work. (Although the hacker news thread came up with the second search)

I'll definitely need to take a day to improve our SEO before we launch. In the mean time, you can sign up at http://tinj.co

Err - take a day to improve your SEO?

You should be putting those blocks in place now. Good SEO takes time, and day-before-launch is not the time.

Seriously, start executing your strategy now.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#205

Post by brc »

hiddenstage wrote: post #156
emmett wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Twitter was obviously a great idea, but it wasn't an obviously great idea. Just because no one (including the Twitter guys) could see the direction it would grow in doesn't mean that it wasn't a great place to start. In retrospect, clearly it was.

I guess I don't think there is a 100% correlation between success and a great idea. I think that luck can be just as big a factor in success as the idea, especially in the mass consumer space. If celebrities didn't take to Twitter I very much doubt they would have hundreds of millions of users now. You could argue the idea is what drove celebrities to use the service, but did it? If another service came out before or…

I think the thing that is being overlooked with Twitter and celebrities, is that it's yet another case of cutting out the middle-man that the internet does so well.

Delivery of celebrity gossip, information, photos to fans is big business. It was also gate-kept by an industry who decided who was cool and who was not.

Celebrities quickly worked out they could by-pass this channel and go direct to their fans. The broadcast and print media no longer were the gatekeepers, and the celebrities could build their own direct channel to their fans.

Now celebrities make money just by having a direct link to their fans and have an incredibly effective marketing channel. And now they often accept money for posting something on twitter.

I think it's one of those examples where the media-replacement is coming in along an axis that nobody expected.

The future of media is less in the masthead but more in the individually branded producer. To achieve this requires a lightweight direct channel. Which twitter has achieved without really setting out to.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#206

Post by charleshaanel »

RyanMcGreal wrote: post #191
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…

Required reading: The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande.

I've just wishlisted this on Amazon. Thanks for posting it. It follows along very well with what I'm reading from Michael Gerber's E-Myth (also a bestseller on processes)

http://www.amazon.com/E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-Abou...

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#207

Post by brc »

Swizec wrote: post #3

"For example, a social network for pet owners. It doesn't sound obviously mistaken. Millions of people have pets." I once worked on a social network for dog owners. Not pet owners, dog owners. And not actually dog owners, but their dogs. A place for people to have a social network of ... dogs. But all the features made it an interesting enough project. The guy even came up with enough money to pay the web agency I wa…

These days, being a developer without a social network death-march project story is like being an EMT without a gory accident story. They do exist, but their box of anecdotes seems a little bare.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#208

Post by brc »

matteodepalo wrote: post #124

I'm wondering if the reasoning that you should build a startup based on your own needs is applicable to ideas that have already been solved abroad and will not be imported in your country for some time. We don't live all in the Silicon Valley and people feel the same needs all over the world. Let's take the Stripe example. I live in Italy and I would use their product right now. Too bad they are not here and will not…

There are many, many examples of successful regional clones dominating their market to the point where the branded newcomer doesn't ever get traction. Even Google struggles against some local-language versions in some countries.

trademe.co.nz is an ebay clone that got traction in NZ long before ebay ever got going, and now ebay is nowhere there because of the network effect.

Taking a young-ish but proven business model from the USA and rolling it out in your own country can be a very viable way to get success.

However, it takes all the usual combination of drive, talent and capital to do so. And you've got to get straight onto it, because it's such an obvious idea, others will also be doing the same thing.

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#209

Post by xkiwi »

Amazing that how every essay PG written can shows you the ideas.

-You have to be a founder to found, who you are defines what you can do.

-just another founder at work

Re: How to Get Startup Ideas

#210

Post by joshmlewis »

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…

I'm a huge fan of your service, I've read a lot about you, GTC, and have been interested in the whole aspect of it for awhile. This is a shot in the dark, but could I email you a couple questions? I promise not to take too much of your time.
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