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This question has been asked a thousand times. On reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/search?q=how+to+validate+idea&restrict_sr=on https://www.reddit.com

by kjksf 8y ago

This question has been asked a thousand times. On reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/search?q=how+to+validate+idea&restrict_sr=on https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/search?q=how+to+validate+i... On IndieHackers: * go to https://www.indiehackers.com/ https://www.indiehackers.com/ * click the search icon in the upper right * type "how to validate idea" Those 2 sources will give you hours of reading. My short answer is that if you have to validate an idea then you're doing it wrong. A good idea is a solution to a problem that you noticed. Maybe because you've had this problem yourself (e.g. "I was trying to share a screenshot with a friend but there was not tool to do it easily") or maybe because you noticed that other people have a problem that you can solve using your programming skills. Lacing any additional context to your particular situation "validating an idea" conjures a situation where you came up with a solution first and then started thinking "is this a solution to a problem that someone actually has"? Which is backwards. If you want to learn more about how to improve the skill of noticing problems, read "The Mom Test" (https://blog.kowalczyk.info/dailynotes/note/b4u674cvj43jdajdsukg-summary-of-the-mom-test-book-about-validating-business-ideas https://blog.kowalczyk.info/dailynotes/note/b4u674cvj43jdajd...).

danieltillett 8y ago
While I agree with you that starting with the idea and then trying to find a problem is backwards, starting with the problem is fraught with issues too. Unless you are working in the industry you want to target it is unlikely that your problems are either common or serious enough to make enough people fork out money to make a viable business. Identifying good business problems to solve with technology is very, very hard. Almost all the ones you can identify are too small, too trivial, or illusory.

by kjksf 8y ago

danieltillett 8y ago

While I agree with you that starting with the idea and then trying to find a problem is backwards, starting with the problem is fraught with issues too. Unless you are working in the industry you want to target it is unlikely that your problems are either common or serious enough to make enough people fork out money to make a viable business. Identifying good business problems to solve with technology is very, very hard. Almost all the ones you can identify are too small, too trivial, or illusory.