Stop Chasing Ideas, Start Solving Problems

Does the idea have to be great to start a company?

I don’t think so.

Don’t think that your idea needs to be great.

Instead, I think it is best to start with a problem. Starting with ideas is more difficult because people rush to judge your idea.

It is easier to think about a problem. Ask yourself if you have close connection with the problem. For example:

• Is it a problem that you have?
• Do my friends have this problem?
• Do people in my family have this problem?
• Is this a problem I see at work?
• Is it a problem I see in my community?

There are two reasons that this is a good place to start:

1. This helps you see if your solution has a chance of solving the problem.
2. It allows you to get past hurdles and failures because you have a personal motivation to solve the problem.

So how do you find problems?

Track them. Have a list of problems that you experience, hear about, or witness. Note them down as they happen.

Then brainstorm with friends and see what problems they have, and share experiences around the problem and potential solutions. You may even find co-founders this way too if they feel strongly about wanting to solve the problem with you.

When you start working on solutions to the problem, try to determine if you have a good understanding of it that maybe most others do not. This insight can make you personally well suited to solving the problem. Is there some perspective, or approach that you don’t think most people are aware of.

Look at other attempts to solve the problem that have come before. Are they the same approaches, or different?

Once you’re ready to proceed, you want to create a MVP: A Minimal Viable Product.

This is the very first step to find out if the problem can actually be solved. This is not the end product. Don’t get overly attached to your MVP. You will most likely need to change it completely in the long run. Always be prepared to change the product to better solve the problem and better serve the customer.

Once you have your MVP, it’s time to look for some initial users. If you can, hand pick them. If you can’t hand pick your first users, make sure that you have a clear idea of who they are in theory so you can go looking for them. Be specific to begin with. They should be willing to use an MVP and early stage product, and ready to engage with feedback to you.