Ask HN: How do you validate the idea/s for a startup?

10 points by tyagis 8 years ago | 4 comments

Is there a system that you follow in order to filter out the idea around which a company can be built? How to differentiate b/w ideas worth chasing and the ones which are merely good to have?

Any books/teachings that may have helped you in this?

Looking out for all the serial founders here to share their wisdom.

kjksf 8 years ago |

One way is to talk to people who (you think) are your potential customers. Most people don't do that but even those who do it, can do it badly. I recommend "The Mom Test" (my summary: https://blog.kowalczyk.info/dailynotes/note/b4u674cvj43jdajd...) to learn how to talk to people to validate an idea.

Also, https://30x500.com/academy/ is an on-line course dedicated to that topic.

But the question shows a backwards process. You want the process to be:

1) come up with an idea

2) validate the idea

What 30x500 preaches is more like:

1) notice a problem people are having that you can solve with software

2) that is your idea

Following that process, the job changes from "come up with many idea" to "look out for signals that point to problems that are solvable with software".

Powerofmene 8 years ago |

Yes, talk to who the users would be/are. Then talk to them some more. And then some more. If your users are excited, communicative, give feedback, and telling their friends about your product, you are onto something. If not, you need to work on it further or on something else altogether.

sgroppino 8 years ago |

One advice I read recently was to focus on the problem you are trying to solve, not ideas.

Bat3Q 8 years ago |

how do that？