How to generate ideas for startups? Is there a way to do it?

So, a lot of people I know want to do something of their own. Many people who hate their jobs want to quite and get a startup running. But the biggest hurdle these people face is - Where to start? How to get the idea that can become a startup idea? So, I got to thinking on this great question that everyone seems to be having -

How to generate idea for a startup?
Well, first thing one can do is listen to someone talk about a startup - It may be a TED Talk, a INK Talk or any YouTube video by someone on a website that talks about StartUps. (We have plenty of them here in this section. Just browse.)
This will get your brain thinking on topics that you normally don't ponder about.

Another good thing to try is getting a pen and a paper and writing stuff down. I have often heard people making lists of the things going on in their head and that gets their engines running.

Most startup ideas have come to life from the founder's solution to a real life problem or by something that he/she felt isn't being done the good way.
So, what you can do as a drill is everyday write about the things that aren't right/perfect or that simply suck. Now write against everything a point regarding how they can be done better. See if your startup can do something better!

Another drill could be asking random people that you meet what the biggest annoyances in their lives and jobs are. Your startup could revolve around their problem's solution finding.

Well, these are just some ideas I could come up with.

Here's a question to all the engineers around here - What according to you is a good way to generate idea for a startup? Please share with us all.

Replies

  • Sanyam Khurana
    Sanyam Khurana
    One small piece of advice.

    Stop Thinking, Start Doing
  • Ankita Katdare
    Ankita Katdare
    Some people tell me that they somehow always come up with a good startup idea but when they search about it on Google or talk about it with friends, they find out that that the idea has already been implemented and is doing really good!

    In fact, every new idea we have is always in the "already there" category. Only very rarest of them are innovative breakthroughs.

    My suggestion to all such people with random good ideas is that - We should find a way to do that something "better". If it's already being done, chances are that they aren't doing it right, or not doing it as efficiently as they should. You can find a loophole and target right at it!

You are reading an archived discussion.

Related Posts

Quick Question: Do you think we should have one 'Engineering & Technology News' section like we have present or categorise news in various sections (like we used to do before)?...
After Apple made its buzz by introducing the iPhone 5S with TouchID i.e. the fingerprint recognition sensor, the world's attention got into the not-so-new identity technology. Fingerprint Cards now has...
Quote: At the 2013 International CES earlier this year, a Belkin/Jarden partnership was announced that would offer Internet-connected devices, such as coffee machines and crockpots, to grant consumers everywhere the...
Hope that this is not considered inappropriate. It is crazy engineering anyway. The last line is relevant to current state of the Indian Union. Quote: Microsoft researchers have designed a...
Quote: A celebration by football fans in the US city of Seattle grew so loud on Monday evening it registered as a minor earthquake, a research group has said. Raucous...