

Hey HN, where do you go for good ideas? - jfasi

I'll admit this is sort of a vague question, but I think it will make for more interesting conversation. Where do you find interesting ideas for things to work on? Universities? Friends? Internet? The shower?<p>I'm finding myself in something of a creative slump, and I'm eager to find out what's happening on the frontiers of computer science and entrepreneurship.
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delwin
Although I'm not much of an entrepreneur (yep, here more for the hacking than
the startup'ing), I spend a lot of my time working on "ideas" — I am a
musician, a programmer, a tinkerer, a writer, a designer, etc., and find
myself daily in need of ideas.

But recently I've been feeling an information overload. I spend too much time
reading online, consuming information, taking in everything I can get. I read
books all day long, I am constantly pushing myself to learn new things
(languages, computer & human, and ancient history has been a recent focus).
And I love it, I really do enjoy learning this way.

But some things, like good ideas, have to come slowly. Some of my best
programming-related ideas have come while immersed in nature, like on a
camping trip or while hiking a glacier, removed from the internet for days.

My advice is to leave town, disconnect. Go camping for a week. You'll learn a
lot more there than you ever could online.

Alternatively, dramatically change your daily routine. Become nocturnal. Live
with a friend in a different city for the weekend. These don't have to be
permanent changes, but they do have to be dramatic.

My theory — backed by zero empirical evidence — is that when we our brains are
forced to react to new situations, they have to improvise. This makes us
instantly more creative.

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dlf
I find I have my best ideas when I'm not trying to come up with an idea at
all. That doesn't mean you shouldn't look for inspiration, but I think a large
part of forming an idea is to let your brain be disengaged. Here's something I
shared on HN the other day that touches on this concept, but with better
evidence:

[http://fairobserver.com/article/self-referential-thought-
neu...](http://fairobserver.com/article/self-referential-thought-neuro-
scientific-perspective)

~~~
dlf
A quote from the article might be helpful:

"Scientists suggest that the Default Network may be required for generating
spontaneous thoughts during mind-wandering, and that it may be an essential
component for creativity. More specifically, it becomes active when
individuals focus on internal tasks, such as daydreaming or envisioning the
future."

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fooandbarify
My interesting ideas almost always come to me when I'm trying to sleep or when
I'm in class. However, the _subject_ of my idea is almost always unrelated to
sleep or to the subject of the class at hand.

I think the meat of an interesting idea comes from exposure to the widest
possible variety of environments, and the intersection between them. An
obvious pattern for programmers which fits this criteria is an app idea
arising from the intersection of knowledge about software and knowledge about
something entirely unrelated, eg. patio11's Bingo Card Creator. (Yes I know,
"interesting" is subjective.)

The ideal "idea generating formula" for me has therefore become seeking
exposure to interesting (no, actually just _different_ )
objects/places/people/ideas/pastimes/jobs/[insert noun here] and then waiting
for my brain to make connections out of it while it should be focused on a
lecture or sleeping.

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AznHisoka
Rather than looking for good ideas, look for problems that need to be solved,
or market opportunities. Find out what is selling like crazy, and see if
there's a subniche you can fill in that market. Read around in forums and see
what people are complaining about. Talk to them and delve into their problems.
Start with niches you're interested in.

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euroclydon
My wife or mom. They both spend a lot of time traversing the internet, to
places I would NEVER visit, and they've been known to open their pocketbooks
while doing so, especially when they have a problem that needs a rapid
solution.

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chunkyslink
Saw this interesting link on the Entrepreneur blog. Might help you with your
inspiration!

<http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/220790>

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deutronium
For some completely crazy ideas have a look at <http://www.halfbakery.com>

~~~
kls
That is a great site, I really like this idea
[http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Advertisement_20casino#108429...](http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Advertisement_20casino#1084294800)
I think it could be a good company if it where done right, an iPhone app would
be great for just killing time.

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SuperChihuahua
Try my idea generator at: <http://www.ideaoverload.com/>

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revorad
I get most of my good ideas while writing about and actually coding up ideas I
already have.

