Entrepreneur

Build a tool that can standardize transaction data from multiple sources to a pre-specified format

Find someone with an idea, let's call them a client, and then build their vision in exchange for cash.

There you go, now you have a company.

If I was you I'd be hunting for a non-technical co-founder with either a marketing or finance background. A crap ton of people in software dev have this 'build it and they will come' mindset, I sorta did too back when I was a FSD, but since working in marketing at multiple SaaS startups, I've realised it really, really isn't true. There are so, so many good pieces of software out there with almost no users because they've got no idea how to communicate with their target audience. If you're a great developer, find someone who can get users for your platform and help with design and such along the way, you'll have a much better chance.

You can try to think of the economy as is in its basic forms. Distribution, production, and consumption. Everything revolves around this.. music, art, medicine, movies, clothing, everything. It's all got production, distribution, and consumption in the process. So pick a niche for example, and analyze it logically. I recommend using pen and paper to outline your path and points.

You can build something to help solve or improve the process of DISTRIBUTION a product, or something to help PRODUCE a product, or something to help CONSUME that product.

Let's say it's a shovel. That's a product, a "raw" material, you can later define how raw your products can be in your chosen industry (e.g. focus on the raw stone all the way to the molted shovel part). That's relative. Either way let's say it's a shovel as is.

Who needs shovels? Shovels are needed by construction workers in construction sites (consumption), so you build a software to let's say, help the workers better use the shovels by keeping track of their number of times it was used because they need the info for whatever reason.

Or, distribution. Let's say shovel distributors/manufacturers/shops are having trouble finding a platform to sell their shovels on. So you go here, you can post your shovels here in this online database of ready to go shovel buyers. So you've achieved the distribution of a shovel.

Or production. Let's say there's trouble right now managing the production facility for the shovels, so here! I made a software to help you track materials use and schedule future batches of production.

The world is massive, just look around. Only thing is, don't expect to just find "it" in a day by thinking... Same way you can think of imagining a book or movie, it comes to you while having breakfast. Same thing. You got your eye open, KEEP that mindset open with these basics in mind, you will spot something.

Once you pick an idea just keep going. Either it works or doesn't and you move on. You'll learn along the way good luck

Hi,

I am also IT profession, but not from software background.

Often I get ideas but I drop it since I don’t know coding.

Can you dm me, I will share my one idea💡, if you it’s worth, we can build together 😊

Twenty years is quite a long time. Turnover for games is like 3-5 years. Software is longer, but within ten years, it's difficult to stay. Metaverse has a chance to be quite long, but it's also very seasonal.

For twenty years, it should be something more like an ecosystem. If you want to build one, I think you should consider IoT. Start simple from place that you like in your house like toilet, terrace, basement, etc.

What languages do you code?

Do you have any hobbies, problems, or things you want to try?

I’m in construction… estimating/takeoff software project management software CRM (geotagged, canvassing, etc) Lidar architectural cad AI based product matching and pricing…

I could go on for days.

I also have an app I started to build (that I have a lot of passion for) if you want an equity share hobby.

Try doing something small first, small goals? This will provide good focus.

After all, not everyone is Steve Jobs, Altman

I'm trying to come up with a systematic approach to this. So for this is what I have from several sources:

1 Start with a broad search: Conduct a broad search for topics related to an industry or market. Read news articles, blog posts, social media posts and industry specific website that discuss current trends and issues.

You can also: Scratch your own itch, Find a problem at your day job, Solve a problem of someone you know, look at what products your company or you use.

2. Research competitors: Once you found an issue find out who is solving that issue. Analyze the competitors website traffic. If it's a public company in the US look up there annual report. If it's a private company in England use the website company house to learn more. You can listen to talks with the CEO to find out what problems they are currently facing in that market. You can also find out what's going on inside by using Glass Door, LinkedIn.

3. Find a differentiator: Use forums like Reddit and google review to find out what people dislike about there products which you can fix. You can also target it to a different market.

4. Can you build it: Do you have the skills required to build it? Can you get someone with industry knowledge to help you?

5. Validate / build: You can build an MVP or create a landing page to collect emails. You can also sell it before it's build and offer those who buy it a special offer. If you can talk to customers read the book "the mom test" to know what questions to ask them.

You know, software/technology/business is about solving a problem. You need to have a problem to solve. Solving someone else’s problem will just be “employment” to you.

You know when you’re stuck on a software bug, you stop working at the computer and go for a walk or take a shower? You probably need to do something similar, but at a bigger scale.

Go outside without any tech. Bring paper and pen. Maybe your phone, on silent. Buy a coffee or beer with cash. Just sit and watch life.

Software ideas are overrated, I say focus on the business side.

Enter an existing market, if you need help with this you can send me a DM. I’m basically a biz dev nowadays.

I also can get you connected with another biz dev that focuses on idea validation to PMF

Every product you build should start with satisfying a need. In software there is always something to improve.

How frustrating is fixing bugs, errors, testing someone else's code that doesn't have unit tests? How hard is to make estimates for feature development?

Last week happened to me that all of the features I built stopped working on the sandbox env.

As said there is always a way to create a product for developers

If you’re not creative, maybe find yourself a co-founder that’s full of ideas and problems to solve?

Some of the most pressing issues of our time: Climate change, Democracy, Biodiversity Loss, Wealth Disparity, and Hunger.

Keep in mind you’ll need to do marketing once it’s ready or find someone who can do that for you. So might be a good idea to look for cofounders

I can help you, certainly. As I am looking for a software developer that might help me achieve my goal for a product. If you are interested in discussion. Either DM or email at tellme@problemsolver.co.in

Build an automated trade bot with a winning algorithm to beat the markets and then trade with your own money.

Not sure this is a business idea and maybe it exists but I’d like to see an app or website that helps uncover to people what their beliefs are. It’d essentially be a large series of questions or statement you could answer or rate that would guide you to uncover what your own values are. It could then point you into a direction where you can learn more about the history of your values or believe structure. I would think a program like this might help a person like you find what is meaningful to work on.

what was the biggest projects you have been or do working on?

most people aren’t guna give you a good free idea that will make money or they would just do it themselves… find a problem that software can fix, or look at other software your interested in but can make better.

just me 2 cents

I suggest to look into supply chain and logistics, I know first hand that there are many problems that you can solve with software that is not being used now.

Hey! At the bottom of the comment I provide a couple of links from YC that might help.

Me and my partner are actually working on a product, which is aimed at helping entrepreneurs find and validate real problems that they could solve. And if it's not too much to ask, I was wondering if you could go through our survey, so we could better understand the true need of our potential customers. Your input will be very much appreciated!

Here is the link to our survey: https://forms.gle/Hb2emUPSamWnasP86

Here is a very useful video you can watch on the topic of discovering startup ideas: https://youtu.be/Th8JoIan4dg?si=QmdI8FbZllD5lGVY

Here is a good article: http://www.paulgraham.com/startupideas.html

Start by looking at the market and statistics of what software people or companies are making money on.

Then, look at how they market and sell it, and what offer they present to their customers. Reverse engineer the customer journey.

Now you still don’t start programming(!). You wanna first create your own offer through one of the viable marketing channels you created. But instead you’ll ask people “If I had x-software, would you buy it?” Or if youdon’t do in-person or telesales you run test-ads online or in newspapers to see whether you get the expected clickthrough rate of people being interested.

Once you figured out that way what people want, you start building a small low-effort prototype and give it to the most-desperate, early-adopter cusomers.

From there you improve the software bit by bit making it more and more delightful for the cusomers to experience. You may have to pivot into a new customer segment or a different application after you gained some knowledge and experience about the market

Try something related to AI.