What's the first thing you do when working on a new idea?
Aaron O'Leary
102 replies
You have a new idea and it's on your mind, you want to get started, but where? What do you do first?
Replies
Leandro@lifelivedfreely
Merida for Remote Workers
I write everything down first. Nothing structured, just raw thoughts. Then I read through those notes and think about it all for a while, to see if I like the idea. See if it's something I want to pursue vs whatever else I have going on. Sometimes just writing it down is enough.
Share
Growth Calculators
See if anyone else is doing it and how. Even if they are doing it, I end up doing it anyways because I think I can make it better.
VidProposals
Keyword research around the industry to see what the competition is like.
Upvote Bell
Looking for something similar in Google.
I upgrade my idea based on competitor.
And finally - Design -> Code -> Product Hunt :)
Product Hunt
For me, it's always the domain hence why I have about 20 unused domains π₯²
Carpio 2.0
@aaronoleary Jokes aside, I feel like finding a cool/matching domain name isn't as easy as one would imagine haha
@aaronoleary Same hahah I go crazy and immediately search for the TLD
@aaronoleary This is legit the same thing I do.
MagicSlides App
@aaronoleary i usually go for free .web.app domain so first focus becomes building the product and landing page to not waste much time on landing page i use Frontendor
Mitzu
Launching soon!
Google the problem you want to solve and find out how people are solving it now. It will take you to articles, Quora, Product Hunt, Reddit, IndieHackers, etc. Join the discussion.
Create a simple landing page, connect to Typeform or Airtable and ask people to join the waiting list.
Spend a few dollars on GAW and test the copy, flow and conversion. Offer these subscribers a small gift for a 10 minute conversation.
Warmup Inbox
Estimate required effort to implement it. => if more than 2 days of work postpone assessment to the end of the month (I end each month by making my backlog for the next one).
Estimate the potential return (market size if business idea, or impact on branding potential for content ideas)
If the potential return/effort worth it I review the existing competition.
If I still see potential:
- If it is less than 2 days of work, implement it on some weekend
- Otherwise plan it my monthly backlog.
I have a Trello board that I use as an idea "dump".
Whether it's related to some photos I want to take, some app I'd like to build or some topic I'd like to research, I just add them there. I add some labels for sorting purposes and some rough notes.
This helps me because:
1. If it's something good, I'll keep thinking about it and I'll definitely revisit it, add some more thoughts until I consider it to be "refined" - a state which can lead to something deliverable. If time allows it, I will even start working on it or at least plan it if I still feel like it's worth doing later.
2. If it's just meh, I don't bother. Some ideas are good just in theory. But having them all written up somewhere is really helpful. I'll usually revisit the board and I'll get a burst of inspiration.
domain + social accounts ==> no launched products :(
For me it's usually an outline of what the idea is. Sometimes that's enough to kill an idea. Sounds great in your head but you start writing it out and all of a sudden it doesn't sound so great.
Call your trusted friends and explain your idea, they will tell you how many of the products with same idea already exists. Then iterate and disrupt your idea and start working on it. That's how https://deepfeed.net born :)
Open Bulk URL
Make sure to make it complicated and make list of every cool features to add then stop working on it.
1. Check if someone does the same.
If yes -> what is your added value/ How your solution will be different.
If not -> why?
2. Ask people if they really have a problem which your idea tries to solve.
3. Think about the MVP. What is the minimum value you can deliver to validate the assumptions?
Brainstorm (to figure out the details). Design (letting my creative imagination run wild). Improve (share with the world, get feedback, make it more meaningful). π€π
Camaradly
Hmm let's see, I find me the nicest paper, the least used pen and before you know it I am typing away on my laptop :)
Jokes aside, as an introverted product person I face my fears by talking to as many people I can find and get feedback on the idea so I fail faster if I have to.
Just do it. Social Media. Landing page. A blog post. A status/ tweet. A cold email. A super small test that I help refine that knowledge.
GitNoter
Validate the idea !
Personally I start crystallising the idea, turn it into a logical concept. Then I start researching on how the things are going in this very field.
I'm working on something that I'm hoping to release before the end of the year that touches this very thing. But until thats ready. I create a keynote deck with every aspect about it I can think of to just get it out of my head, then I track how new info related to the idea comes to me over time. I build the deck out on as many aspects as I can think of till I reach the necessary confidence in the idea to move it into becoming an actual project. Experiments, validations, marketing plans, everything gets tracked, so that when it's execution time... Everything I need to get started is already gathered and ready to go.