
Ask HN: How do you know when to run with an idea? - dhatch387
Entrepreneurial folks hash out new ideas all the time.  How do you pick the ones that will stick?
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Gustomaximus
[http://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html](http://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html)

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qwrusz
One of pg's best essays IMO. I think it's worth reading at least twice, the
second time read from the bottom section back to up the top.

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qwrusz
Besides the common responses like pick an idea you actually want to work on
and will enjoy doing and where you have the skills to do the work needed...

I recommend doing some research into how large companies vet new product ideas
and borrowing some concepts from that. I realize MBA-type practices taught in
business schools get a bad rap from many folks and frankly a lot of the bad
reputation of MBAs is deserved. But there are tools and procedures for how
bigger companies decide whether to start a new product line and these are
worth learning about. For example, how does Apple decide to launch the iPad or
how did they decide to launch the Apple Watch? And how does Apple decide to
cancel/not launch the dozens of other internal product ideas they have that
don't see the light of day?... Testing the idea, it's market potential and
digging into the overall pros and cons and risks of an idea, all have known
steps and processes that can work at a startup-level idea too. Nothing is 100%
for sure a good idea or bad idea - Plus you don't have to listen to the
results of your product vetting, you can launch an idea with low support for
it or decide not to launch an idea that has tons of potential, either way I
think it's worth taking the time to understand these factors.

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ashwn
I heard something on the Tim Ferris podcast the other day about how Kevin
Kelly (founder of Wired) tries to give away or kill as many of his ideas as
possible. If no one takes the idea or he can't kill the idea with a fatal
flaw, he knows that he needs to work on that particular idea. That said, ideas
are a dime a dozen while execution is priceless.

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cylinder
Talking to myself here as much as to you.

For regular business, i.e., I need to make a living and I'm not looking for VC
to build a unicorn, it's usually "do I have a paying client lined up?" Most
service businesses are like this.

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nnn1234
I would say everyone hashes out new ideas. Implementing them and selecting
profitable ones is the difficulty. I will echo most points made by people
here.

Solve a problem or a need, that is the idea that will work

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DrNuke
Lowest effort (both technical and marketing) for highest return (a real and
approachable market). Many times the effort would be too much for negligible
return, so move on.

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bsvalley
If a lot of people tell you - "I'd definitely want that". Build it. Ideas
don't exist anymore.

Just ask people for their requirements, that'll be your idea.

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miguelrochefort
I don't. I've had thousands of ideas, and implemented none.

I think my ideas are too ambitious. I can no longer go back to limited and
realistic ideas.

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madamelic
Yeah so was "Let's fly through the sky" or "Let's go to the moon".

Those are both extreme examples but everything is "too ambitious" till it has
been done.

