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Ask HN: How do you find product ideas?

by mikkel on 1/3/13, 8:33 PM with 12 comments

Hi HN, how do you choose the passion projects you are working on?

I just wrote an entry about how I find my ideas - http://first10.255bits.com/wordpress/2013/01/01/how-to-find-your-product-in-a-sea-of-prospects/

TLDR: I write down one idea a day as an exercise and then choose which idea to productize when I have enough time to implement it.

  • by zeynalov on 1/3/13, 11:48 PM

    There are plenty of ways to find working startup ideas. It would be great if you can find some problem solving idea, but it's not necessary. I wrote an additional essay on how to find ideas to PG's essay.

    http://www.vusal.me/essays/ideas/

  • by pukka_my on 1/3/13, 10:29 PM

    from the POV of a design researcher/strategist, this is a pretty typical if oversimplified process

    1) find a problem through user research 2) asess scope & scale (is this a big problem? does it impact a lot of people?) 3) identify what the successful experience would include (more/less interpersonal interaction? faster or more leisurely? high energy or soothing?) 4) create divergent solutions, filter to find ones that work and might actually be profitable

  • by joeschindel on 1/4/13, 4:48 AM

    My rule of thumb is to find problems and create solutions using technology. If you can solve a problem you truly have a product worth working on.

  • by arkitaip on 1/3/13, 8:52 PM

    How do you determine the quality of your ideas?

  • by dkisit on 1/7/13, 12:45 AM

    Provide a solution for a pain experienced by the masses.