

Ask HN: How do you find product ideas? - mikkel

Hi HN, how do you choose the passion projects you are working on?<p>I just wrote an entry about how I find my ideas - http://first10.255bits.com/wordpress/2013/01/01/how-to-find-your-product-in-a-sea-of-prospects/<p>TLDR: I write down one idea a day as an exercise and then choose which idea to productize when I have enough time to implement it.
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zeynalov
There are plenty of ways to find working startup ideas. It would be great if
you can find some problem solving idea, but it's not necessary. I wrote an
additional essay on how to find ideas to PG's essay.

<http://www.vusal.me/essays/ideas/>

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pukka_my
from the POV of a design researcher/strategist, this is a pretty typical if
oversimplified process

1) find a problem through user research 2) asess scope & scale (is this a big
problem? does it impact a lot of people?) 3) identify what the successful
experience would include (more/less interpersonal interaction? faster or more
leisurely? high energy or soothing?) 4) create divergent solutions, filter to
find ones that work and might actually be profitable

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joeschindel
My rule of thumb is to find problems and create solutions using technology. If
you can solve a problem you truly have a product worth working on.

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arkitaip
How do you determine the quality of your ideas?

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mikkel
Idea quality is hard to quantify. I don't really worry about the quality of
the ideas until I'm choosing another project to work on.

Some people advocate using an idea validation board:
[http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2012/10/02/the-
validation...](http://thenextweb.com/entrepreneur/2012/10/02/the-validation-
board-a-free-tool-for-testing-new-startup-ideas-from-lean-startup-machine/) .

Lean startup method advocate measuring market demand -
[http://www.slideshare.net/explorics/4-tools-for-quick-
market...](http://www.slideshare.net/explorics/4-tools-for-quick-market-
validation) .

I'm not sure what's best to be honest.

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arkitaip
I ask because I find it incredibly easy to come up with ideas for projects and
startups but find it incredibly difficult to assess their commercial
qualities, the amount of work required, etc. Just picking an idea and work on
it isn't that optimal because it's difficult to know how much work it required
and where it will lead to.

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AncoraImparo
Lucky you! I am an experienced developer who really wants to do the whole
startup journey. I am confident in my development skills, but ideas are
something that escape me!

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mikkel
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VShmtsLhkQg> John Cleese of monty python talks
about creativity and it's essence. May be relevant and is definitely fun.

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AncoraImparo
Thanks, I will try to get a look at this when I get home from work tonight.

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dkisit
Provide a solution for a pain experienced by the masses.

