The best way to come up with startup ideas remains solving a problem – a problem that you’ve faced. Figures are hazy, but most successful startups are borne by people solving their own problem. In fact, that’s how ‘Student Entrepreneurs’ got started all those years ago. With no place for the entrepreneurial kind to go, we decided to create that place, and in the process solved our own problem.
Your problem doesn’t have to be big, but it has to be yours. Something you’ve experienced first hand, perhaps something that happened earlier today? If you look around, there’s plenty of things that aren’t as you’d like.
Once you’ve focused in on a problem, try and express it as a question.
E.g. A problem I’ve faced the last couple of days is that despite my best intentions to stay healthy, I end up eating junk for dinner most nights; due to the lack of late night, healthy, tasty, and affordable, take-away restaurants around the city.
As a question, this might read: could one make a cheap, healthy, late night take-away shop?
Tweaking your problem thus, turns what looks a half-assed idea into an interesting question to work on…
Now it’s your turn: name a problem you’ve faced, then turn it into a question.
Here’s a problem I faced several times already, and I’m sure many of us do:
You and a group of friends want to dine in your favourite restaurant but that restaurant doesn’t allow you to make reservations in advance. So, what happens is that you and your friends will head to that place and pray that there will be vacanies. If not, you’ll just have to join in the queue.
Thus, I was wondering if it is possible to create a smartphone (i.e. Iphones, blackberries, htc, etc) application that lists the real-time availability of seats in the restaurants in your vicinity. Even though the app may not guarantee you a seat, at least it should be able to help you save a slot in a restaurant’s current queue…
…or something like that….;)
Hey same sentiments here. have this been developed?
Hmm… hate having to go the library to borrow textbooks that I have to read and then lugging them around and then forgetting to return them.
A ebook library service (for textbooks) that puts textbooks on loans to students for the year, saving $ from buying the hardcopy, library fines and then the trouble of reselling the textbook.
hate not having enough hands to hold an umbrella, could integrate an umbrella holding system into a backpack or into a harness.
I also have a problem with umbrellas. I like using the big solid ones that cannot be folded because they are strong enough to withstand the extremely windy weather we have here in Melb. But I don’t like carrying them around because the are not as portable.
What if we could have an umbrella as portable as the portable ones and with the strength of the big ones? =)
Hey I actually agree with the problem that we can’t find any healthy takeaway stores at night, which is why I believe that Maccas create the most awesome business system. Their food suckss! but I still have to go there after midnight cos there’s nth else that is open!
I really like Dominic’s idea btw. It is problem I personally face too. Being told that there are no vacancies and you have to wait in the cold is a bad experience :/
One of the problem that have been solved for me was “Where’s my Droid” which is an apps that allows you to find your phone even when it’s on silent mode. But how about car keys? cos I always seem to misplace them too :/
Keep em coming! Remember to include a problem you’ve faced, and a question on how you could go about solving it.
I’m terribly forgetful hence I would appreciate a faithful reminder. The norm is to develop a to-do list in a diary or phone. However, when the lists builds up, it maybe sometimes hard to search up the things one’s ought to do.
Personally, I’m a big fan of convenience, hence, almost naturally I was thinking about synchronizing the GPS function with a to-do list. How about associating where you currently am with the things you ought to be doing at that place? Let’s say, when you walk into Woolsworth, the phone’s GPS tracks your position and send you a list of things to buy. Similarly, it could be at work, home, school etc; wherever you go, you are constantly reminded of important things to do.
Ultimately, this allows one to just focus on planning his route around for the day with minimum effort spent on memorizing and searching up the to-do list. Interesting, practical or flawed? hmm..
I want to know how long I’ve been dating my girlfriend but can’t remember. Does anyone want to work on an app with me where you can click “dating” and then it will send alerts to you before aniversaries and occasionally ask you very philosophically “are you and X still dating?”
A problem that frequently bothers me is the hassle of trying to put together the cheapest combination meal yet get the most food at fast food chains. So, I questioned whether or not people had figured out the cheat, or formula to get the most out of these combination meals, and where I could possibly find a list of these value meals.
A possible solution would be to create a mobile phone application where members post what they ordered and how much they paid. Other users can then observe the list and pick out the meal they’d like for the amount of money. For people who wish to get the most out of their money, the cheapest meal with the most content would be the obvious choice.
It is becoming more and more difficult to gauge the price of service products.
Such has a mechanic fixing your car is this price, yet one a few streets away is half the price. The costs of pluumbers and locksmiths range everyday and for us everyday people to compare prices so we end up paying whatever price we are told
Woww a lot of great ideas!
Problem: Always have problem deciding where to go for dinner especially if we are with a big group of friends. Most of the time we are ok with all the options available, but just need a reason to decide where to go.
Question: Can we create a simple apps which get us to play a game and one option will picked randomly for us after the game is completed? The game doesn’t have to be logic, just a fun and easy one to help us in decision making.
I’m always looking for the cheapest yet most valued bargain that I can get, whether in terms of grocery shopping in Victoria Market or shopping in our big stores like Coles, Woolsworths and BigW.
Problem: Its hard to remember the past bargains I’ve got and I certainly don’t want to be spending more at one place when I could actually be getting the same product at a cheaper price in another place. I remember buying some vegetables in one stall and as I visited another stall, the price of the same vegetables were not only significantly cheaper but were also of the same fresh quality. I was pretty annoyed that I missed out on a cheaper option.
Question: Could one make a website where the “cheapest” prices of products are listed, along with where to get them? And then each week, one can list down the products that need to be bought and the website can quickly find out what is the cheapest price to buy the product and where + text you to remind you about the cheap deals etc.
A website that does comparisons of prices and quality of similar clothing from different retail brands, ensuring that purchasing becomes a more efficient process for the customer