4 ms·

If you are not afraid of working hard you should be keeping your day job and work on your idea in your spare time until it takes off.

deanmoriarty 3y ago
The problem is not how to find the time to hack on it, my question was specifically how to come up with an idea since I do not have any particular exposure to any niche field.
- nnurmanov 3y ago
  I do the following exercise, each time after YC demo day, I review startups and evaluate their ideas. This helps to come up with new ideas. Another thing, I try to solve my own problems, this is a good source of ideas.
- RetroTechie 3y ago
  Ouch, here was I thinking that you already had identified some market niche / emerging market, or some piece of technology / engineering / software that doesn't exist yet but you'd like to see become reality. A vision, if you will. What idea to pursue really is the smallest problem. If you haven't passed that hurdle, don't even think about going all-in. Going all-in, doing what? Ideas are cheap. It's implementation that matters. And marketing that. So: come up with idea / market niche / potential product first. Then decide whether to pursue that, and/or start business while doing so. > I do not have any niche skills, I’m your typical run-of-the-mill backend developer with no particular expertise. That's not true. You're underestimating yourself. Every person has unique experience, skill set & personality. As someone said: "every person you talk to, knows something that you don't". But the reverse is also true: you know some things (or have a specific combination of skills, or an idea / vision) that nobody else does. Even if ever-so-slightly different from one of your peers. Or may be in a unique position to take an idea & make it go places. "Do only, what only you can do". I think that was Edsger G. Dijkstra quote? You seem at least to have the means to do so. P.S. Maybe you just need a change of scenery, to come up with fresh ideas? (vacation, hop jobs, move house, dive into unexplored online communities, start a new hobby, ..)
  - deanmoriarty 3y ago
    > So: come up with idea My thread is exactly about how to do this first step :-) > Maybe you just need a change of scenery, to come up with fresh ideas? (vacation, hop jobs, move house, dive into unexplored online communities, start a new hobby, ..) I have done all those things over the years, and I never had an idea come out of it. Perhaps there is something wrong with me, where I am just good at being a corporate cog.
- akg_67 3y ago
  I will suggest you take a look at these books. The step 0 of Bill Aulet’s books are all about “how to come up with an idea”. * Bill Aulet, Disciplined entrepreneurship, 24 steps to a successful startup * Bill Aulet, Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook

deanmoriarty 3y ago

The problem is not how to find the time to hack on it, my question was specifically how to come up with an idea since I do not have any particular exposure to any niche field.

nnurmanov 3y ago
I do the following exercise, each time after YC demo day, I review startups and evaluate their ideas. This helps to come up with new ideas. Another thing, I try to solve my own problems, this is a good source of ideas.
RetroTechie 3y ago
Ouch, here was I thinking that you already had identified some market niche / emerging market, or some piece of technology / engineering / software that doesn't exist yet but you'd like to see become reality. A vision, if you will. What idea to pursue really is the smallest problem. If you haven't passed that hurdle, don't even think about going all-in. Going all-in, doing what? Ideas are cheap. It's implementation that matters. And marketing that. So: come up with idea / market niche / potential product first. Then decide whether to pursue that, and/or start business while doing so. > I do not have any niche skills, I’m your typical run-of-the-mill backend developer with no particular expertise. That's not true. You're underestimating yourself. Every person has unique experience, skill set & personality. As someone said: "every person you talk to, knows something that you don't". But the reverse is also true: you know some things (or have a specific combination of skills, or an idea / vision) that nobody else does. Even if ever-so-slightly different from one of your peers. Or may be in a unique position to take an idea & make it go places. "Do only, what only you can do". I think that was Edsger G. Dijkstra quote? You seem at least to have the means to do so. P.S. Maybe you just need a change of scenery, to come up with fresh ideas? (vacation, hop jobs, move house, dive into unexplored online communities, start a new hobby, ..)
- deanmoriarty 3y ago
  > So: come up with idea My thread is exactly about how to do this first step :-) > Maybe you just need a change of scenery, to come up with fresh ideas? (vacation, hop jobs, move house, dive into unexplored online communities, start a new hobby, ..) I have done all those things over the years, and I never had an idea come out of it. Perhaps there is something wrong with me, where I am just good at being a corporate cog.
akg_67 3y ago
I will suggest you take a look at these books. The step 0 of Bill Aulet’s books are all about “how to come up with an idea”. * Bill Aulet, Disciplined entrepreneurship, 24 steps to a successful startup * Bill Aulet, Disciplined Entrepreneurship Workbook