

Ask HN: What's your process for generating startup ideas? - monological

I always try to keep an open mind to both software and hardware related ideas and of course, if you work on a project that's, for example, very software intensive, you tend to get tunnel vision and are less likely to think about other potentially great ideas.<p>What steps do you take to think outside the box and generate ideas that don't necessarily pertain to what you work on or do day in and day out
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floozyspeak
Map them out. Grab a black sharpie, a stack of yellow postits, and find a big
ass blank wall. Next jot down everything about the idea in bit statements on
postits. Dont try to organize them in advance, just get out of your head.

Use the voices in your head to dissect the idea, why this idea, why not
others, how does it work, whats the value, benefit, experience, competition,
barriers to make, barriers to sell, who is the customer, what makes it rock,
who would buy it right now, why did they buy it, how do they use it,
aspirationally connect it to other like ideas- its like x brand but with y, or
what not. Just generate a crap load of notes about the idea.

Start grouping them on the wall and eventually into buckets and themes.

Lastly project yourself to the end game. Use a different color post its if you
can. Think as if you've done the idea, its out, done, map that experience.
Everything from how someone finds out about it, getting it, experiencing it,
note the rewards of it, and does it end, how does it self sustain? Think
ideal, but with a tint of reality based on what ya know.

Now step back, odds are you have a heck of alot more ideas up there than one
you just started.

If you're hungry for more, get yet another color of post its and pick out the
themes you see around the notes. There's probably 3-4 themes at work around
your idea, bounce these themes off other people you know, if they resonate
that alone could tell you you're in the running for making something that
could work. Ideas always need constant validation, don't go at it alone,
simply them and bounce them off people, friends, family, anyone. And dont get
stuck on what they say, just record it, and save them for another wall
session.

~~~
monological
For me, I've found that I start getting crazy ideas depending on where I'm and
what I'm doing at the moment. I love going to coffee shops and seeing people
interact, but this generally leads to more socially driven ideas.
Contrastingly, if I were to watch some sci-fi movie, I'd probably start
thinking about solar based electricity generation or building the next space
ship one. Writing ideas down comes after a bit of inspiration.

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quizbiz
They just come naturally, pop into my head when I identify a problem and
corresponding solution.

I would be much more interested in learning how those hear take concepts
beyond the idea phase and properly begin execution.

A collection of great start up ideas is not as good as one original start up
idea that is properly executed.

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josh_nyc
I am in a heavy brainstorming phase as of late, thinking and mulling over
various "idea areas" that pertain to my domain, software _I_ would use, etc.
Not really a set process though...

But much to my delight a few days ago, I was with a friend and we were talking
about a service we both use, and some of the utility it lacks. I said "Oh man,
I wish somebody would make that! Why has nobody done that?" He then asked,
"Why don't _you_ make that? You told me you were trying to think of a good
project."

Duh. So, like many things, sometimes the ideas come to you when you aren't
mining for them, and the people around you can help point out the obvious.

(The particular idea wasn't that exciting, but it was a real surprise that
such an obvious improvement to something I use a lot didn't surface while I
purposefully mined for ideas).

~~~
monological
Yes, so usually you're (generally speaking) talking to a friend about some
particular service or you're using some app that everyone else uses and think,
'it's missing this' or 'I could do that better'. The problem with this is that
everyone rides the popularity wave, talking about and using the new thing on
the block, thinking to themselves, oh, look at me, check out my latest
iPhone/twitter/facebook/git/django/rails based app, while other important
fields get ignored. It's like a mad gold rush. Everyone sees these things
exploding and they all want a piece of the pie, while ignoring other areas
which have a massive potential for innovation. The thing is, I'm not going to
be hypocritical. I myself am also guilty of falling into this pattern, because
it's the path of least resistance, but I try to force myself to think outside
the box.

~~~
josh_nyc
Exactly... I have been mining the ""mundane"" areas for ideas, since I know
everyone else is riding the two point oh thing.

It's hard to force out-the-boxedness, though.

