

Ask YC: How to Find Problems to Solve? - paraschopra

Recently, on my blog, I have compiled a short list of resources which help startups find problems to solve. The link to the post is: http://tinyurl.com/4n9uw2<p>The resources include researching Twitter conversations via Summize and Twistori, creating Google alerts for the term 'survey', researching on Yahoo Answers, etc.<p>I am wondering what resources/methods do you use to find problems to solve?
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corentin
Problems find me. And, unless you're a very lucky person, I bet they find you
as well, so just pick the one that annoys you the most.

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aitoehigie
solve your own problems, you will be surprised at the number of people that
have the same problem that you do.

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dreish
And the key there is being able to look at your everyday life and get annoyed
by things that aren't as easy or as good as they should be. It takes a certain
combination of imagination, creativity, a tendency for thoughts to wander off
the task at hand, and persistent dissatisfaction with regular habits and with
the way things are.

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edw519
Get a job.

They'll give you plenty of problems to solve.

Many of which you can build a business around.

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iamelgringo
Agreed.

The project I'm working on right now is to build online tools to make contract
nurses lives easier. It comes from my working as a contract nurse for 10
years, and knowing what problems that niche market has.

I have a bunch of other ideas/problems in need of solving on the back burner
if this one doesn't work out. Most of them are issues that I've come across
and said, "I'd love it if I had something that would help me do X, Y or Z..."

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tadej
Experience, open-mindedness, open eyes, serendipity.

Using Twitter, Google Alerts & co. is just another way of having your eyes
open (really wide, in this case), but they are hardly enough.

Do your thing, follow your bliss, and problems will find you - specifically
searching for one is like searching for a girlfriend at a party.

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steveplace
Read: WSJ

economist

inc

Check what current businesses are trying to solve. Don't use techcrunch...
instead go right to the source. See what the VC's are investing in by looking
at their portfolios on their website. Explore those startups... you'll
probably see something that says "you can do better"

also: irc #startup

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brandonkm
Use products/services that you think are solving a problem and observe what
their doing right and what their doing wrong, come up with your own twist on
the problem you want to solve and apply good design in your effort to solve
that problem.

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es
Start working as a freelancer and you will see a lot of ideas floating around.

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maien
observe

