I want to start a business but have no ideas

How to come up with a business idea

1. Pick people you understand

   Start from a job you have done, a trade in your family or a hobby where people spend money. You know their words already, and you can find them without paying for ads.

   “Everyone” is not a customer you can talk to.

2. Read what they complain about

   Go where they talk: their forums, their subreddits, the reviews of the tools they use. Write down each complaint in their exact words, and note what it costs them.

   Do not ask friends. They will be kind.

3. Keep what repeats and costs money

   Cross out what only one person says. Keep what many people say, often, with time or money at stake. That list is your list of ideas.

   An interesting problem is not a paid one.

4. See what they use today

   A spreadsheet, a person, an expensive tool they dislike: that is your real competitor. Your idea is the one thing it does badly, said in one sentence.

   A rival is good news: it proves people buy.

5. Sell it by hand first

   Offer to solve the problem yourself for ten people, for money, before you build anything. If three say yes within two weeks, you have a business to build. If nobody does, you lost two weeks, not two years.

   A sign-up is not a sale.

What people ask at this point

Do I need to be technical?

Not to begin. The first version of many software businesses is a person doing the work by hand. Once people pay for that, you know exactly what to build, or what to ask someone to build.

What if my idea already exists?

That helps you. Existing tools show that people pay, and their reviews tell you what they get wrong. Serve one group they neglect, and do the part they do badly.

How much money do I need?

Very little for the test: your time, a list of people to contact and a clear offer. Spend on building only after people have paid you.

What if I still cannot choose?

Pick the problem you could talk about for an hour with the people who have it. You will spend years with them, and you can always change after a failed test.

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