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I think the general response from HN would be that you don't find ideas, you find problems. I'm interested in following a similar path (lifestyle business, sof

by caw 13y ago

I think the general response from HN would be that you don't find ideas, you find problems. I'm interested in following a similar path (lifestyle business, software related), but I don't feel confident going out and asking people about their business problems. I've thought about going to my friends, but most of them are in programmers or (I feel) not in a position to know of good problems that the business they work at would pay money for.

skarmklart 13y ago
Where do I start though? Which business? How do I reach out? What do I offer them for them to answer my questions?
- caw 13y ago
  Yeah those are my questions as well. I'd feel more comfortable going to my friends, but I'm not sure that would get me anywhere.
- LarryMade2 13y ago
  Many of SAAS and niche application successes came out of the founders' own frustrations and their work on making their tasks easier. They themselves saw something they know was broken that they could could fix or improve. They were knowledgeable in the field and worked with it. Going into a field where you have no expert knowledge would be a daunting task, as you not only have to create a solution but also learn what the problem is exactly. Another venue is doing tech support, you get to see what technology is in places as well as what systems are woefully inadequate (sometimes the potential customers don't even know they can improve their process...) Maybe you can start by automating something from them and learn the ropes of the industry and then expand that into a service. Friends and family are a good start, older ones might have a bit more insight on what they see isn't working, and they have the expert knowledge to help you along with creating a solution. What do you offer them, if they provide essential knowledge: part stake in the undertaking, because they probably are also your inside network connection. Second being part of the process of fixing or creating better solutions is a draw, we are talking people with first-hand frustrations, they probably would get a kick out of helping see a solution come into creation. Thirdly, money never hurts.

by caw 13y ago

skarmklart 13y ago

Where do I start though? Which business? How do I reach out? What do I offer them for them to answer my questions?

caw 13y ago
Yeah those are my questions as well. I'd feel more comfortable going to my friends, but I'm not sure that would get me anywhere.
LarryMade2 13y ago
Many of SAAS and niche application successes came out of the founders' own frustrations and their work on making their tasks easier. They themselves saw something they know was broken that they could could fix or improve. They were knowledgeable in the field and worked with it. Going into a field where you have no expert knowledge would be a daunting task, as you not only have to create a solution but also learn what the problem is exactly. Another venue is doing tech support, you get to see what technology is in places as well as what systems are woefully inadequate (sometimes the potential customers don't even know they can improve their process...) Maybe you can start by automating something from them and learn the ropes of the industry and then expand that into a service. Friends and family are a good start, older ones might have a bit more insight on what they see isn't working, and they have the expert knowledge to help you along with creating a solution. What do you offer them, if they provide essential knowledge: part stake in the undertaking, because they probably are also your inside network connection. Second being part of the process of fixing or creating better solutions is a draw, we are talking people with first-hand frustrations, they probably would get a kick out of helping see a solution come into creation. Thirdly, money never hurts.