

How to get over idea block? - mbuck

I've been reading HN for a few years now, seeing everyone talk about their ideas, their weekend projects, and their startups.  I'm pretty capable with a background in programming and electronics, but for some reason, any time I want to sit down and create or invent something, I just draw a blank.  I'm sure there are other people here who have struggled with the same thing...  How did you get past it?  Thanks!
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kellros
I wrote this awhile ago: [http://programmersbreadth.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-
internet-...](http://programmersbreadth.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-internet-
fried-your-brain.html)

Ideas come from brainstorming - sit somewhere with a notepad and a pen and
start writing out ideas - something the average person will be interested in,
existing ideas than can be improved, something businesses find useful (like
consumer feedback) yet have become accustomed to living without.

Creating something entirely new for a need that does not exist is unheard of.
Need drives innovation. A niche I would say is something people have been
accustomed to not having. Programming like business is either focused on
increasing profits(products or features which are money makers) or reducing
cost (saving time, money, effort etc.)

If I could, I'd focus primarily on writing something useful that saves time.
Trying to build something that's 'too useful' sometimes makes the process
slower than it needs to be.

A simple example of the above-mentioned is inventory management systems
(compare selling non-perishables vs selling perishables). An electronics store
would use a first-in-first-out approach due to tax benefits. A 'food' store
would use a first-expire-first-out approach. The latter approach is quite
visible when standing in-front of rows of milk with the first to expire at the
front and the latest to expire at the back.

An electronic store could identify electronics by type/brand, while foodstuffs
requires another level of precision (a batch - all same ingredients used, same
expiration date).

Selecting via type is much easier than selecting via type and batch.
'Foodstuffs' that are used as ingredients generally require some level of
trace-ability - which adds another step into the process.

This is where pragmatism (business focused) outshines perfectionism (feature
focused).

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PythonDeveloper
I also am a fountain of ideas, and I've found that this is caused by burn out.
My solution is to go do something _completely_ different, that you wouldn't
normally do, for a week or so.

Many times I've found that new ideas on a new heightened level start flowing
due to the distraction.

