

Ask HN: Idea Incubators? Or this: "I need some ideas" - Legend

I recently came across the following links from Google and Hacker News:<p>http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html
http://jacquesmattheij.com/My+list+of+ideas+for+when+you+are+looking+for+inspiration<p>I am probably dumb when it comes to ideas because everytime I think of the "next" big idea, it has already been done.<p>Would you recommened any other blog posts like the ones written by Jaques or Paul that can enlighten me?<p>I am not looking for a direct "here's an idea" though, only something that will make me think more about the latest problems. I want to go through the experience of a startup at least once and am willing to put in long hours and am open to learning. Any suggestions?
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sandroyong
A philosophical perspective - Ask yourself this:"why do you want to start a
startup?" Is it to make $? fast and lots of it? If so, then just rehash old
startups and make a new one with a twist (another photosharing app, file
sharing app, etc) - new startups today are all a mish-mash of some sort. If $
is not your immediate answer, then it must be drive/passion - something you
want to answer/see because no one else has that is disruptive. In all
honesty,the "next" big thing will take time and patience and you will need
your drive and passion to keep it going. Other 2 things I want to add: think
outside the box - step back and look at it from another way that no one else
has; don't stay complacent with the status quo. And, finally, take calculated
risks. Good luck.

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robfitz
Steve Blank's Customer Development is basically a repeatable process for
discovering IPO-worthy startup ideas in the enterprise space. Sounds like
reading 4 Steps to the Epiphany would be worth your time (the summaries and
blog posts don't really get at idea creation in the same way the book does).

Another choice is to start with a customer segment that mid-20s guys (e.g.
startup founders) tend to ignore and figure out what could be improved about
their lives. Middle managers, stay-at-home moms, nurses, prisoners, old
people, etc.

Also, pg posted a convenient list: <http://ycombinator.com/rfs.html>

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dominiquelevin
Haha ... I have the opposite problem: no lack of ideas, but a lack of my
ability to execute (on my own). I think it's because I am a customer facing
(marketing/bizdev/sales) person at heart though my forte is product
(management). Anyway, my ideas all come from customer interaction. And I have
heard it from many others: just pick something as long as it gives you an
excuse to interact with real customers. This is a bit easier in the enterprise
market where you can engage with real customers. Partnering with somebody who
has credibility with those guys and can get you meetings also helps.

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david927
1) the most you can be is inspired by a general concept. The rest has to be
your idea, otherwise you won't understand it at a deep enough level, and won't
be able to execute it in the right way.

2) if you're chasing the next big thing, you won't get anything. Solve a
problem to a significant degree (which means truly understanding the problem).
Page didn't do Page Rank because he wanted to be rich; he did it to try to
solve the search problem.

