A useful exercise when you want to be an entrepreneur but you don’t know what to build.
In 2022, I had a goal: whip up 52 product ideas before we rang in the New Year, one for every week. The ideas didn’t have to be innovative, groundbreaking or even unique. Software or real-world, both were fair game. They just had to be something that felt doable, that I felt filled a void somewhere, even if solutions already existed or the idea felt ‘dumb’. The point was to spark curiosity, notice pain points in the world around me, and find problems that needed solving. It was meant to be a first low-touch step when diving straight into building something felt overwhelming.
Every time I heard someone mention a problem or frustration they had, I wrote down some solution to it. Every time I By the year’s end, I clocked in at 58 ideas. Did I start building or testing these products? Nope, but that wasn’t the goal. This exercise was all about building confidence, about discovering that I could be an ‘idea person’, even when I’d always thought I wasn’t.
Setting such a goal isn’t about creating the next big thing, but about building a mindset. It’s about realizing that you too can come up with ideas, spot potential projects and that maybe the real task is turning those ideas into reality. It’s not about the ideas themselves, but about the confidence you can gain from knowing you’re capable of generating them. For me, it even started to be fun, and I’ve kept growing the list well into 2023.
Wrapping up the year of ideas was more than just celebrating a completed goal. It was a launchpad that prepared me for what’s next: focusing on executing these ideas. Now, with a plethora of options to pick from, I was ready to figure out my best move.
So, why not set yourself a similar challenge? Open up to the world around you, spot the problems, and let your mind wander to the possible solutions. You never know, you might surprise yourself and uncover a new side you never knew existed.
P.S. here is a snippet of 15 of the ideas:
- Shopify app for presenting art for sale in coffee shops
- Print non default lists Alexa skill
- Roblox tug of war game
- Zenmaps – choose the least stressful drive home
- Giphy for sound effects
- Tool borrowing closet for condo buildings
- Dating app that encourages processes of non-picture information
- Airdna where you don’t have to pay for every neighborhood
- Security alexa app that plays music when you’re not home to make it seem like you are
- Playlist publishing platform with good analytics
- Playlist collaboration tool that is better than built-in Spotify one
- Music making VR app
- Portal for finding Italian homes under $5k for sale (or $1)
- Better 3rd party WiFi adapter and app for Mitsubishi AC
- ‘Songwhip’ for podcasts.
