Itch Scratching
Finding Business-Worthy Ideas
Ideas
Ideas really are everywhere. The last time that you took a shower, or used the restroom, you may have produced a set of “wouldn’t this be cool” ideas. And though these ideas may be cool, they may not allow for you to build a profitable product around them. So what we’re really interested in are business-worthy ideas. Business-worthy ideas are a lot more interesting because these sorts of ideas will help you build a profitable business around them. And though they may not always spring into your mind when your rear is firmly planted upon the toilet, they’re often living a lot closer to you than you may imagine.
Itch Scratching
One way to find business-worthy ideas is to scratch your own itch. This sort of solve your own problems approach is the same method that 37signals has been emphasizing for years. They’ve hammered this method home because it’s incredibly effective. Building a product to solve your own needs and problems makes a ton of sense.
But since you and I are friendly sorts of people, let’s take a look at another kind of itch : The Itch of Others ( And no, I’m not referring to some sort of communicable disease! ). An incredible way of finding a problem worth solving is to look at those around you and to identify pain-points that they may be having. This isn’t necessarily a new or novel way of looking at the world but it’s worth emphasizing — nearly all of us are surrounded by other people with their own sets of problems and pain-points. If you work in an office, watch your coworkers, bosses, and surrounding teammates. Identify breakdowns in their workflows. Listen to them harp on certain tasks and tools that they find themselves involved with. There’s a lot to be scratched in this world.
In a recent post, Product Person Justin Jackson, writes:
Just look for opportunities to help people. When the person in the cubicle next to you is cursing at their computer that’s an opportunity. When you notice a question in a forum with no answers that’s an opportunity. When someone approaches you for advice that’s an opportunity.
Justin is spot on! Scratching another’s itch really is a form of “helping.” It’s important to help others and get outside your own sets of problems. It’s also important to remain cognizant and aware of what others are experiencing, and how they’re experiencing it.
The Opportunity is Right Next to You
The opportunity to start our own businesses and to build our own products really is all around us. It’s rooted in the problems and needs of those that we spend our time with. Just for the hell of it, watch others around you this week. What activities are they up to, where do things fall short, what sorts of problems do they seem to have … The moment that you recognize an itch that needs to be scratched, press PAUSE. It’s right there, at that itch-inducing spot, that opportunities arise. And in that instant of recognition, pull out your writing utensils, take note, and then get scratching!
I’d love to hear from you and can be reached on Twitter at @rossSpeak.
If you’ve found some inspiration from this post, I’d very much appreciate it if you’d tweet and share it below.
