Finding startup ideas. Prepared for intro lecture in the class "Creating New Business" as Chalmers University of Technology.

1. Coming
up
with
a
good
startup
idea
Henrik
Berglund
Chalmers
University
of
Technology
Center
for
Business
Innova8on
henber@chalmers.se
www.henrikberglund.com
@khberglund
2013-­‐10-­‐24
1

2. Three
heuris8cs
(can
be
combined)
1. Solve
a
problem
you
have
yourself
2. Choose
a
market
you
would
like
to
serve,
find
out
what
problem
those
people
have
3. Clone/tweak
what
works
elsewhere

3. 1)
Solve
a
problem
you
have
yourself

12. Ask
yourselves
Why
doesn't
someone
make
X?
If
someone
made
X
we'd
buy
it
in
a
second!
Are
you
“ahead
of
the
curve”
on
some
dimension?
If
so,
your
problems/needs
may
be
common
in
the
future.

13. 2)
Choose
a
market
you
would
like
to
serve
find
out
what
problem
those
people
have

14. Who
do
you
want
to
work
with?

15. What
problems
do
they
have?
Talk
to
people
(you
probably
know
some)
Search
forums,
twiTer,
Facebook
and
blog
post
for
common
complaints
and
problems
(and
ask
to
contact
them)

18. Polled
his
blog
readers
for
1
or
2
favorite
cook
books

19. Polled
his
blog
readers
for
1
or
2
favorite
cook
books
Selected
books
with
4,5
or
higher
on
Amazon

20. Polled
his
blog
readers
for
1
or
2
favorite
cook
books
Selected
books
with
4,5
or
higher
on
Amazon
Read
most
helpful
reviews:
what
is
missing?

21. Polled
his
blog
readers
for
1
or
2
favorite
cook
books
Selected
books
with
4,5
or
higher
on
Amazon
Read
most
helpful
reviews:
what
is
missing?
Gross
list
of
recepies/items
for
his
new
book

22. 3)
Clone/tweak
what
works
elsewhere

26. Copying
is
generally
good
advice

27. Copy
80%
Innovate
20%

28. Copy
99%
Innovate
1%

29. In
sum
1. Solve
a
problem
you
have
yourself
2. Choose
a
market
you
would
like
to
serve,
find
out
what
problem
those
people
have
3. Clone/tweak
what
works
elsewhere

31. Tools
hTp://steveblank.com/tools-­‐and-­‐blogs-­‐for-­‐
entrepreneurs/
hTp://pla_ormsandnetworks.blogspot.se/2012/12/
managing-­‐startups-­‐best-­‐posts-­‐of-­‐2012.html
hTp://www.appsumo.com/sumo-­‐jerky/
(more
of
a
fun
example)

32. Ideas
used
in
this
presenta8on
hTp://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html
hTp://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2013/08/08/low-­‐risk-­‐entrepreneurship/
hTp://www.slideshare.net/andrew_null/zero-­‐to-­‐trac8on
hTp://kevindewalt.com/2013/08/26/looking-­‐for-­‐a-­‐startup-­‐idea-­‐first-­‐pick-­‐your-­‐market/

33. Tack!
Henrik
Berglund
Chalmers
University
of
Technology
Center
for
Business
Innova8on
henber@chalmers.se
www.henrikberglund.com
@khberglund
2013-­‐10-­‐24
33