145
413 Comments

Every idea is taken. It's not possible to build a startup anymore.

I'm getting tired of those who say there are still countless problems to solve in this world. I do a quick Google search for whatever idea I come up with and guess what? The niche is already cluttered with a bunch of competitors in the field. How does one start a startup these days? Yes, I know, you can differentiate. Yes, I know, it's the execution that matters but let's be real. It's so discouraging to place your hopes on a market that is already filled with others who have made progress when you are just starting. What do you think? How do you guys approach this dilemma?

  1. 106

    Hi Zach, sorry to hear your frustration and I totally understand.

    Not sure if it will help but one thing that helps me: start with the tiniest audience possible, tinier than any other competitor in that market. This is something I had heard in one of Seth Godin's podcasts where the host asked him to come up with a business idea if he were to launch a product with $1,000 and 90 days to spare.

    Godin's answer? A concierge service that helps Californian families with young kids to find the best place to stay in Paris for their holidays.

    Once you trim your audience to the bone, the problems they face and the solutions you can offer all of a sudden become much more specific. This niche approach gives your foundation an edge over competitors who run around like headless chickens trying to please everyone.

    1. 21

      Came to say this ^.

      Typically when feeling overwhelmed or competed away I find the answer is to reduce your scope.

      start with the tiniest audience possible.

      Try to solve one problem, learn, and repeat. Remember, indie hacker is a long game so think in 1, 3, 5, 10 year time frames.

    2. 3

      Zero down, niche down - Very interesting take on the problem.

    3. 3

      I think most times there is already someome with something very similar to your product.

      For me it´s:

      Niche down
      Different Angles (I always see solutions - also with what i´m currently working on), but they attach a different target group, with a different message, with a different approach on their delivery, slightly different software)

      And if you take the approach of - customer benefits first, it´s kinda unnecessary how you solve the problem (and if there is a similar delivery vehicle - the same software) but that you solve their problem.

      1. 1

        Agree with this! Besides functionality, you can differentiate on target market, distribution channel, pricing, support, etc..

    4. 3

      It’s funny because the reality is that if Seth tried to start that business it would a massive failure but it still gets quoted a lot. I guess people like the message and hope it’s true with no easy way to disprove it.

      Ofc the idea of focusing / being niche has worked well for many businesses. Facebook started at Harvard and then just unis. amazon just sold books. Then everything. Walmart sold jn very specific areas of America gradually taking over the entire country over a long period of time and so on…

      1. 1

        why would be a failure?

        1. 1

          "A concierge service that helps Californian families with young kids to find the best place to stay in Paris for their holidays."
          LMK once it becomes successful 😂

          I don't even think he meant it seriously. It was more to illustrate his point.

    5. 2

      I think this is a really interesting take on the problem, and something I will try to remember on my next brainstorming sesh :)

    6. 1

      This is excellent advice!

  2. 1

    The challenge is not the idea. Idea might be taken or not. Challenge is how to reach your target customers in a profitable way? Say I create a one page site maker for wedding photographers. I am competing with the likes of Wix and Squarespace. One can create a specialised product targeting a specific niche like wedding photographers. Now, how do I let them know about my product? That's the challenging part. If you can unlock a way to get in front of your target audience at scale, you can build any product even in a crowded market and can make a meaningful business.

  3. 30

    Something I've learned the hard way is that there is a huge difference between building a product and building a profitable business model.

    If you're only evaluating your ideas in terms of "product" then yes, it seems like everything is already taken.

    What if you start evaluating ideas in terms of "business model" - you might realize that there is TONS of opportunity.

    When evaluating business models, product is often times the least important thing.

    More important stuff is

    1. Distribution channel
    2. ICP selection (ideal customer profile you're selling to)
    3. Marketing strategy (can the marketing strategy fund itself or do you need outside capital)
    4. Sales strategy (For high price products, cold calling can work. For low price products, you'll need a scalable/automated sales approach)

    So let's say you google your idea and see 5 existing companies. Try to reverse engineer their business model along all those variables. Then see how you can innovate not in terms of product but in terms of business model.

    To be blunt, follow the money, not your passion. If you "do what you love" you'll end up building stuff that doesn't sell.

    If you follow the money, you're forced to ask important questions like:

    1. What does the customer want to pay for?
    2. Who is the customer
    3. How do I get the customer's attention
    4. How do I persuade the customer to give me their money
    1. 1

      I like your perspective. A good example of this in action is how the 5 hour energy drink company was selling the same item as their competition but used a different sales strategy by making their product small enough to place near the cashier - in front of the cusomter - making them competetive.

    2. 1

      This is so cool advise.
      The bluntness of following the money will make me ask real questions like you have stated.
      Thanks

      1. 11

        Yeah the key is to realize that 99% of the mainstream advice you read about in the tech media, and 99% the interviews you watch by successful entrepreneurs are lies made up by PR companies.

        A billionaire will say this in an interview:
        "If you're doing it for money you're doing it for the wrong reasons. You need to follow your passion."

        Now let's look at the billionaire's ACTIONS and not their WORDS:

        1. They studied the market and talked to tons of customers
        2. They figured out that customers want to PAY for - an automated payroll solution
        3. They built what customers want to pay for - an automated payroll solution
        4. They raised money and hired people with "passion" (engineerings, designers, etc) to build the product.
        5. They got rich
        6. They go on an interview and lie to you with this "I followed my passion" b.s.

        Why do you think so many founders are college drop outs who don't know how to code? It's because they don't have a passion for tech. They focused on getting the money. And that's why they figure out what customers want - that's all they focus on. They don't spend their time tinkering with coding and UI design because they literally don't care about it.

        I've had the opportunity to ask several billionaires behind closed doors why they lie about this stuff (i've worked at several startups that did massive exits and gotten to know the founders).

        They all say the same thing - it's good PR. When a rich founder gives an interview, they care about one thing - managing their public image. They are not concerned with giving you honest business advice.

        Just take a moment to ask your self - is the multilmillionaire who owns the company that manufactured your toilets passionate about toilets? Of course not. But they know that you need a toilet and will pay for one, so they sold it to you (indirectly).

        PR is a very nasty business. All about lies and deception.

        1. 1

          I don't know how i can upvote this many times...
          If you are not in for the money, you wont find the money.
          Passion can't make people get money and invest in mines and toilets and so many kickboxing and so many examples.
          I think we should do a podcast on this and share it more often.
          I just love your honest.

  4. 23

    When you find your idea is taken:

    1. Can you build it significantly better or simpler?
    2. Can you apply the solution to a smaller audience?
    3. Can you apply the solution to a bigger audience?
    4. Can you apply the solution to a different audience?
    1. 7

      Other important questions are:

      • Can you build something to simplify or learn its usage?
      • Can you build an add-on to add to its functionality?
      • Can you combine or integrate it with other relevant systems of its ecosystem?
    2. 3

      This is the advice I came into this thread to write, but written more eloquently and succinctly than I would have. And the way you phrased it as questions rather than dictated as advice! 👩‍🍳 Chef’s kiss.

      Yes, ask these questions. I’m doing that right now and just had my first ever stranger buy from me on the internet TODAY. Asking these questions incessantly is what makes a startup, and the search for the means to answer yes to at least one of them.

      1. 1

        Hi Josh, I saw this thread and out of curiosity, where are you today one year later after you get your first paying customer? Hope for the best:)

      2. 1

        Gracias. And congrats on your first customer!

  5. 16

    Every love song has also been written, mastered and produced.

  6. 12

    I was about to post this question on here... but it seems like all questions have been taken already. 😅

      1. 2

        I wish I had made that comment first ;-)

  7. 12

    Constant Contact (the email marketing platform) started in 1995. Mailchimp in 2001. We, EmailOctopus, launched 14 years later in ~2015 and do over $2m in ARR.

    Take an established product in a massive market and make it cheaper, easier, more privacy focussed or offer a better service. There's room for everyone!

    1. 2

      Privacy focused seems like a great differentiator these days!

      Plausible.io came along and offered a decent (though necessarily somewhat less informative) cookieless analytics platform that seems to be doing well.

      So many services that have website integrations set cookies that require you to ask for user consent under various privacy laws (GDPR, etc.). Everyone visiting your site hates these banners! There are probably quite a few of them that could be competed against simply by building an alternative that does not rely on cookies and therefore does not require adding a cookie consent banner.

  8. 10

    I always say: "Competition is evidence that there is money to be made".

    Do not let it demotivate you from taking action.

    Use it as evidence that you can earn money from your idea.

    Apple didn't create the first smartphone.
    Google wasn't the first search engine.
    Amazon wasn't the first e-commerce company.

    Learn from others and give it your own twist.

  9. 9

    “Gather round, children. It is time to tell you a story of old legend. Forgotten by time and only remembered by few. So muddled from rumour that only few remember it correctly. And that story is... THE STARTUP”

    (thunder rumbles in the distance. All the children gasp, afraid)

    “It was the summer of 2022...”

    Drag Racing

  10. 9

    There are more than enough problems that need to be solved. That's right.
    If you are looking for a specific problem, you will not find it.

    Often there are tools or technologies that create new problems.

    One thing I learned:
    Listen to people, analyze their work.

    What is bothering her?
    What do they hate about current tools?
    What is holding them back from productive work?
    Why they are using specific tools and not alternatives?

    There are often all-in-one tools that basically make everything more complicated.
    Simplify individual components and you have a market.

    The same we did with era.sh (our markdown note-taking tool for developers). We saw there are many tools on the market, but almost none is made for developers and their needs. Some are, but they are overcomplicated and not intuitive.

    So we fill these gaps: keep it simple, intuitive and for developers.

    1. 2

      Love the landing page, congrats. My question: isn't it already cluttered? Even when I search for "note taking tools for developers", Google overwhelms me with answers. Are you saying you combine differentiation with niching down? Don't get me wrong, just trying to understand your approach a little better.

      1. 3

        Thanks!

        Sure, you will find many different tools.
        But all of them have their disadvantage.

        We talked to many developers in the beginning, and we covered users of almost all tools. No-one was really satisfied.

        You just have to learn from the others mistakes and make it better.
        Combine all improvements and you have a better tool.

        We are still in beta, some fundamental features are missing, and developers already move to our tool.

        1. 1

          How and where did you talk to developers?

          1. 1

            LinkedIn and Twitter. We reached out to them and asked for a short meeting/interview. Almost everything was pleased to help us.

  11. 8

    What your brain spits out as ideas is just an amalgamation of stuff you've consumed.

    If you're coming up ideas that already exist, it means your consumption is too one dimensional.

    Consume things outside of you current bubble, get interested in a hobby, get a temp job in an industry you've never worked in, go to wonky/weird/different meetups.

    In other words, expand your horizons, so you brain comes up with unique ideas.

  12. 8

    Came across this thread recently. It might be useful:

  13. 7

    Imagine it's 1850 and you just moved west to California after hearing about the promise of gold. You arrive at the main intersection of a frontier town, look as far as you can see in every direction, and think, "Damn! I'm too late. There's no gold left here."

    The Indie Hackers community, Hacker News - these places are "in town". They're admittedly great places to learn about techniques other miners use, but they can be miserable places to find gold.

    But there's still tons of gold in the wilderness - you just need to leave the safety of town and go find it.

    Yes, most of the startup ideas that require no domain expertise besides tech are probably gone. But there are so, so many opportunities for software to solve real problems in other verticals.

    Think about unique distribution channels you already have: what groups of people do you have unique access to where you could talk with them about their problems? Which of those groups might be willing to use software to solve those problems and could benefit financially from those problems being solved? Is your aunt a manager on a factory floor? Is your wife a pediatrician? People often take take their "unfair advantages" for granted. (I wrote a blog post a while ago about exactly this topic that you may find useful.).

    Spend time developing an understanding of a second vertical: I think that would-be founders are sometimes so allergic to working for others that they refuse to "put in the time" at an existing company that might develop the relationships and understanding necessary to start a successful company. Most successful SaaS companies sell to other companies - isn't it worth putting in the time to understand how those companies work, even if you intend to eventually found your own? Find a PM role in a tech subdomain (e.g. health tech, construction tech) that lets you talk to customers and get a better understanding of what problems they really face. In other words, "leave the saloon and go into the foothills".

    Head to a new frontier: find a brand new "wave" and arrive there before the masses do. Existing companies take a long time to pivot: you don't have to. When you see a disruptive new technology (e.g. stable diffusion, GPT-3), find a real problem that can be solved with it, identify people who are willing to pay when that problem is solved, and build a company.

    1. 2

      What a great analogy. It really is true, IHers are not your customers, we must venture out to find our actual customers.

  14. 7

    There are 26 characters in the alphabet, yet we keep creating new words every year because of either context or opportunity.

    Context and opportunity are what enable us to create, improve or simply re-invent for the better (think of Google during the Yahoo! era). We're only limited by our imagination, determination and patience to execute something. It's true that there's nothing new under sun, but if you look past the sun, you'll find galaxies that we haven't heard or seen yet.

    I hope that you won't get discouraged in plunging in doing something that you're passionate about, curious about, even though it might not be innovative or flashy. You're uniqueness in who you are or what you do is what connects people (friends, customers, etc.). One thing that I learned so far in life is that people don't want to buy a product, they want to buy an experience. Anybody can sell a product, but not everyone can sell a good experience. Maybe focus on that and don't be shy of trying to start something. You got this. 💫

  15. 7

    Hey Zach,
    To build a successful business, you don't need a unique idea. That's the misconception.
    Secondly, having competitors is a good sign of a flourishing market.

  16. 6

    Secret method to find a bootstrapped idea
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    Step 1) Stop searching for Ideas.
    Step 2) Start searching workflows.
    Let me put it in simple words.
    Step 3) Finding a specific industry and finding a crucial part of their workflow.
    Example: Sourcing raw materials and managing them for the construction industry.
    Stop!!!
    Don't build the product.
    Step 4) If you already have the expertise or know someone in the space it's great else talk to 50 people.
    Step 5) Partner with someone who offers that service
    Step 6) Build something on top of bubble or if you're good with coding then build a usable product. (I mean usable and it solves the problem) (ie not MVP)
    Magic! You know to whom to sell and you'll have an unfair advantage if you've done step 6 correctly.

  17. 6

    All useful advice has already been said. It's not possible to add value to this post anymore

  18. 6

    Imagine if Elon Musk got on Google and searched for car companies and said "oh shit, someone already has a car company, just found one called To-Yo-Ta. They even have electric engines in their cars like my idea."

    There is NEVER a single company for a sector. You can make the competition.

  19. 6

    this is what I would do in a cluttered segment

    • Do one thing better
    • Price my lowest tier lower then the competitors ( but not free ) and my best tier higher
    • Target a different market on Google ads or other platforms, many parts of the world speak English not only western countries. These places are often underserved by saas and have a higher GDP.
    • Do things that don't scale initially , your competition can't do this as good as you can. hand write your emails.

    the best thing in a cluttered segment is that you know for sure that the idea is tested and validated and people know what you offer.

  20. 5

    Imagine if Chipolte said, "there are already Mexican restaurants."
    Or if Facebook said, "there's already MySpace."
    Or Spotify said, "there's already Pandora."
    Or Sam's Club said, "there's already Costco."

    Find a profitable idea that's working and figure out how to make it better or for a different audience.

  21. 5

    This is going to sound ridiculous but my co-founder and I spent 1.5-2 months this past summer searching for ideas since our previous startup idea was flawed — the biggest (obvious) lesson learned was to pick an idea that solves a problem.

    We came up with 315 ideas which we shortlisted to 15 — we did a mix of sitting and thinking up ideas to going out there to talk to literally hundreds of people across different industries. I recall walking into 70+ hotels in Manhattan trying to talk to their front desk about problems they may have regarding their property management systems and spending 3+ hours in a liquor store learning about their whole supply-chain from a passionate manager.

    Some observations:

    • A large portion of ideas had been made already. This included more-obvious ideas like simple property management system for hotels (CloudBeds) to more surprising ideas like demand-prediction for hotels (PredictHQ), natural-language to database queries (Cogram), company-wide document search (Glean), etc.

    • A fraction of the ideas were daring/bold but we knew if it were possible then it could be really valuable to people; these ideas were often beyond the capability of current technology (e.g. generative-AI for video so like DALLE-2 but video).

    • A fraction of the ideas were interesting but we had no domain expertise in them (e.g. generative-AI for food/beverage formula production, generative-AI for food packaging).

    • A fraction of the ideas existed in some form but we felt like we could offer a different spin to it.

    In the end we chose the last option which is to put a different spin on an existing market as we felt it had the lowest demand-side and supply-side risk (e.g. people would need it and we could build it in time); we still don't know if it'll work but that's part of the startup game.

    That's how we got to Infisical which we MVP'ed in 2.5 weeks and just launched a week ago: https://infisical.com

    I know exactly how you feel because I was just there a month back and it really sucked to spend 1.5-2 months just ideating and thinking that I was getting nowhere... My advice: Try harder and go talk to people in person.

  22. 5

    I suspect others have made this comment too, but: Branch out of the developer space.

    The low-hanging fruit for startups was creating things for other developers. Why?

    When you solve a problem you yourself are experiencing, you can count on others having the same problem. In other words, it's the poor man's market research.

    The problem with that approach is we have millions of programmers and we're not all unique snowflakes. So we're all trying to solve the same small set of problems.

    But if you branch out to another field and bring a programmer's mindset to that, you're much more likely to discover an open field of problems in need of solutions.

    Basically, go into any field or hobby and ask yourself: How would I automate this? What's tedious or otherwise difficult for a person to do in this field, but a computer could handle it easily?

    Does it mean there won't be any competition? Not at all. But you'll have a lot less of it than if you try to develop a new CMS, database, CRM, social network, development framework, etc etc. There are enough programmers working on those problems already.

    What we don't have enough of is programmers automating things like:

    • Agriculture
    • Home construction, renovations, and maintenance
    • Manufacturing
    • Governance and policy analysis
    • Middle-management duties, like in Marshall Brain's "Manna"

    There's automation happening in all of those areas of course. Just nowhere near as much as tech-specific fields. Bring tech to traditionally low-tech industries and I think you'll find an open ocean.

  23. 5

    Seeing a lot of players in a problem space is good! It validates your assumptions that this is a problem worth solving.

    Next is researching. Find users who are unhappy with their current solution and talk to them. What do they like, what do they not like, and how can you offer a solution that eliminates the negative while bolstering the positive.

    1. 2

      "Find users who are unhappy with their current solution and talk to them."

      This is great advice. Because you also can find an established market and userbase - this gives you ideas to what sort of communities you can engage in and open discussions in.

      1. 1

        Thanks for your kind reply.

        Now I need to actually follow my own advice and actually start a new project... I lead others to a treasure I can not possess.

  24. 5

    Ok, (in the nicest way possible) are you kidding me? Your experience could mean one of many things. Three off the top of my head (I am sure there are more possibilities besides your conclusion being correct):
    (1) lack of imagination
    (2) lack of experience
    (3) looking at problems at the wrong resolution
    Do you not experience challenges in your day to day life? Do you not get annoyed by software not working properly or being prohibitive because the learning curve is steep? Are you completely satisfied with existing institutions / companies? If no, then there are plenty of opportunities to start a company.

    In any case, within a 'problem space' you personally care about and/or have some experience in, keep learning, build, and repeat. That is probably the best cure for your complaint.

    Here is something I've been thinking about. Social media has chopped up and siloed pieces of our collective reality. In my view and contrarily, social media should form a digital layer over the real world and, consequently, augment it. Interacting with the real world (like going to the store, a bar, a show) should be built into participating on a social media platform. Furthermore, it should help strengthen local communities not allow members therein to ignore each other. We need a crossbreed of hyperlocal social media such as Nextdoor and the more traditional social media to create a digital augmentation of reality.

    Ok, maybe my solution is not something you'd agree with but it is something that doesn't exist and even if people are executing on it they are probably all going to fail because they aren't noticing something I am (or so you have to think)... therefore I am confident pursuing this idea. Btw I am not pursuing this idea in actuality. It's just an example. Even if you don't agree with the solution you can see that there is a problem everyone basically agrees exists and for which there is no obvious solution.

  25. 5

    Your idea doesn't have to be unique.

    If your particular customer has a problem and he values your solution to that problem more than he values the money in his bank account, he'll trade it with you. He gets the solution and you get the money. Both are happier after the exchange (non-zero-sum game).

    Your current approach is sub-optimal. "Have an idea, search on Google, see competitors, get discouraged."

    Others have made the point that competition isn't a bad thing (how many restaurants are there in your city?) and a lack of competition is worrisome (is this even a REAL problem?)

    But I there's a different thing I'd like to point out... the order.

    Right now, ideas come from you.

    If you had formal marketing training, they'd teach you that ideas should come from the market.

    You can decrease risk by using qualitative research.

    Instead of coming up with 'trademark Golden Idea', you should determine who you'd like to serve first and make it specific.

    Then you should research them to find out where they hang out online so you can study them.

    What you're looking for is:

    • Where are they now? (A)
    • What is their desired outcome? (B)
    • What products/services are they buying currently to go from A to B? (Proof of buying behavior)
    • What sucks about those products/services?
    • What would they love instead?
    • What language are they using? (this becomes your copy on your landing page, offer, emails, content, etc.)
    • What price are they paying for the current solutions?
    • How valuable is a better solution?

    This is not mathematics. No one expects you to come up with a rigorous proof. Marketing is messy in the sense that different people will come up with different answers here. However, the overall trends should be similar. (These are painful problems, these are current solutions, this is the desired outcome, this is the language they use, this is how much they're paying, and so on.)

    Now, with all that information, you can create an MVP that you believe solves their painful problem better than the current solutions.

    Note that the fact they have a painful problem proves there's an opportunity for a better solution. It can even be as simple as "there's no pizza place near me" which shows your solution doesn't have to be genius-level IQ or unique.

    Where do you pitch it?

    Unfortunately, many IH posters say "I built this, now where do I find customers?" That's ass-backward. In your case, you already know where your customers hang out because you used that to identify the problem in the first place!

    So you simply go back, show your MVP (which is just a rough draft), and then the response you get will allow you to iterate.

    This approach is the opposite of "build a beautiful key, now go into the world and find the unique lock it opens".

    What we've now done is "Pick a door with a simple lock and then make a janky key for that lock. Iterate a few times until the door opens and perfect the key."

    You can build the best oil rig in the history of mankind and you can pimp it with all the latest and greatest features, but if it's in a place where there's no oil... fuck all is gonna happen. No matter how great your oil rig is, its existence will not attract oil. So you have to start with the oil first.

    I also recommend you check out this post to understand the difference between wants and needs.

  26. 5

    Instead of trying to build a unicorn - why don't you just take an existing product of an existing niche and go from there? It has already been validted.
    Actually I just did a short video about this also:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1i1NWMzw_A

  27. 5

    If idea is taken then it means there is a market for it. Adjust it a little bit and you'll be good.

    For example: dating. But dating for christians, for HIV positive... whatever

    1. 1

      That's interesting and inspiring.

  28. 4

    I have worked at multiple startups that competed in their niche, against big players, and have excelled to become the front runners. Competition is an excellent thing and creates a ton of validation. I would say, start the startup anyways, even if its cluttered, but execute on the growth strategy. Some of the startups I worked at were pre-seed and going against billion dollar companies. They were not only able to find their place in the market, but we won many deals from the billion dollar player. Market segmentation exists for a reason and execution is everything. Big companies can't innovate as fast as startups can!

  29. 4

    I feel you, the hard thing is you need to solve a real problem, and to solve problems you need to understand them which usually comes from experiencing them.

    If you have spent the last 5 years writing software, its unlikely you have also been a receptionist working with terrible admin software or as a geological engineer at a mining site working with over priced GIS systems.

    When you say you did a google search for start-up ideas, its likely you only looked for problems that you have experienced or based on your exposure to other peoples problems as they have expressed them.

    Don't forget that there are people in these domains that have these problems but don't have the technical skills to understand that there could be a better solution.

    So there are many problems out there, you just need to broaden the scope of problems you are trying to solve by broadening the number of problems you can experience.

  30. 4

    every business I started was an innovation of something that already existed. It's all about making something better, faster, and/or cheaper. Think of an app that you already use, and think about how you can make it better and hopefully cheaper as well, especially in the beginning.

    Here are a few principles I like to follow:

    1. something I am passionate about
    2. you will always be a primary user of it
    3. something that you can easily create with your current leverage
  31. 4

    There are a lot of garbage implementations of good ideas out there. Focus on perfecting one of those.

    1. 2

      What a positive guy You are! Thanks..

  32. 4

    It's not about new ideas per se, but seeing new ways of solving old problems. The truth is problems don't change much, they are rooted deep in society and how we do business. The opportunity lies in solving those problems in new creative and better ways!

  33. 4

    Because there is a result on Google for your search doesn't mean all problems are solved. Look at your life, your work, and anything you're experiencing yourself, there will likely be a lot of problems that aren't solved. You can google them and find companies claiming to solve your problem, yet your problem is not solved. I'd get two takeaways from this:

    1. There might be a solution to that problem, but you didn't know about it, nor did you use/implement that solution. That means there's still a market (share) to grab. More often than not, there are great solutions but they aren't widely marketed.
    2. There are claims of solutions, but they don't really solve the problem, the product isn't mature enough, and hasn't found the right fit, etc.

    If you're thinking of a problem/solution enough to start a company, you must know some potential users/clients in your network. Ask them about this problem, how do they solve it, did they find a solution, did they try services, or even hear about it? If there is no clear no-brainer go-to solution, you may have an opportunity. If you do a better job, it's not a huge problem to start a bit after some competitors.

  34. 4

    Why does your idea have to be original? As an indie hacker, the advice folks give to avoid doing something that's already done doesn't apply. That advice is meant for finding ideas that can turn into multi-billion dollar companies. Yes, if you're aiming to be number one. It helps to start in a category where there is no number two.

    But if you're trying to build a business that makes good cash, even 10s of millions you don't have to worry about being one of a kind. In fact, there's benefit to entering a market with existing products out there.

    You can research the existing companies and learn what to copy and what not to do. Customers are already primed to pay for this product, so you don't have to convince them that your thing is worth paying for. Plus, you can rely on your competitors marketing. At the very least customers understand the category, and what the product offers.

  35. 4

    There's a common misconception that all the good ideas for startups have already been taken. This simply isn't true. While it may be more difficult to find a truly unique idea, there are still plenty of opportunities for new startups to succeed. With a bit of creativity and hard work, it's possible to build a successful startup even in today's competitive landscape.

  36. 4

    As Basecamp founders Jason Fried and David Hansson says, "Don't be a startup" and "Don't Innovate". Rather try to be of value.

    This article will definitely provide some motivation: https://medium.com/the-mission/how-basecamp-built-a-100-billion-business-by-doing-less-on-purpose-5f978ce6478c

  37. 4

    This dilemma has crossed my mind at least a million times! I wrote a short piece today on a very similar topic. Its key message is:

    "Don't worry about reinventing the wheel, and don't worry about building YET another task management tool. Do worry about building the most user-inclusive product there is".

    A few bullet-points explaining the above:

    • Right now there is an obvious abundance of products and services in every single industry. This means one thing - the real battle right now is for users' hearts.

    • Focus less on the product (existing one), but more on its users: are they happy with the product? how much are they involved in the development of the product? do founders really listen to them and make relevant adjustments? etc.

    • We have come to the point where users, especially the very first ones, should be considered to be builders too.

    • Founders should switch from saying "WE will build a product to solve YOUR problem" to "Let's build a product TOGETHER to solve OUR problem".

    • 'User inclusiveness' is probably the right word to use here.

    • Start very small - e.g. your home town's bus drivers' community. Take huge care of your early users / focus group: constant feedback loop, amazing customer service, direct communication (e.g. discord group), incentives for users to throw in new ideas, fair prices, etc.

    • The greater connection you develop with your focus group, the greater are the chances of building the product that people actually need (and beating the competition).

    Hope it helped! You can find my full post here: https://www.indiehackers.com/post/one-reason-why-you-should-not-focus-on-re-inventing-the-wheel-870f536ff0

  38. 4

    From my experience, every new startup and startup sector potentially creates new potential for startups. The Linktree/Link in bio space entire came about due to the single link limitation in platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. Linktree is now adding its own marketplace which opens up opportunities for new startups to find a limitation in the platform and create their own solutions.

    If you are looking for startup ideas, many simple ideas are created out of other people's problems.

  39. 4

    One suggestion:

    Pick an established idea but apply it in a new field/industry/niche. The one advantage we have as indie makers is that we can move much faster than big companies. And whenever a new trend emerges, there's a ton of unclaimed land.

    What Pieter Levels did is like the perfect example of this. There were already plenty of job boards before. So what he did is combine the established idea of setting up a job board with a rapidly growing trend "remote work". The result Remote OK is making north of $1M per year now.

    Shameless plug: if you're interested in trends, you might find my project Under the Radar useful.

  40. 4

    I'm doing a forms backend called fabform.io . Has forms been done to death. Probably LOL. I just try to do them better.

  41. 3

    Yes, every idea is taken, until someone come up with something unique and I come up with "why didn't I think of that".

  42. 3

    I remember back in 2010 talking with a friend: everything is already created, so hard to come up with something new. If I check the products and tools I use, almost all of them were created after then. I am sure that we will be checking this post in the future thinking how come didn't we come up with whatever will be popular by then 🤷🏼‍♂️

  43. 3

    There's really no such thing as startup ideas, there's problems and tools / services that solve those problems. There's always better ways to do that, especially if you experiment with using new technology to build tools so there will always be opportunities to create new startups. Keep building your own tools and you'll end up creating something that others will want too.

  44. 3

    I don't have inspiring words for you but I do have a list of "cool ideas" that I want to work on some day. They are not unique - some are already "taken", but it might nevertheless inspire someone. Here you go:

    1. A service to let people buy subscriptions as if they were from India. Almost all subscriptions are cheaper in India - netflix is $10 a month for 4 people, apple music is $1.5, my google workspace subscription is $1.2 a month. All you need is an Indian phone number and a bank account - not sure if this would be completely legal though.
    2. A voice assistant that runs locally on your macbook that always listens to you. All it can do is switch windows. You say "chrome" and focuses chrome, you say "vscode" and it brings you to the vscode desktop/window. I'd love to do this because compared to linux + i3 desktop/workspace management on the mac is a sh*tshow.
    3. A machine learning seminar/reading group. Kind of like how reading groups work in universities - pick a research area, start from an old-ish but fundamental paper, and work your way up to cutting edge research. Basically a blog, but focused.
    4. Make an RSS/ebook reader for the M5Paper e-ink display. The M5paper has the form-factor of a phone - if I can just read markdown on it, I'd buy it.
    5. An Algolia/Type-sense clone for Indic languages. India has just too many languages - existing players that provide search in a local language are probably too basic (think exact term matching).
    6. noisli.com but for the command line. Okay this is more of a fun project than a startup idea
    7. A kindle magazine for programmers. I like reading on the kindle in bed. But there are no kindle-optimized publications that are for tech. The closest parallel is "The phoenix project", which was a novel about software engineering. If someone simply republishes popular blog posts (with the author's consent) but with the layout optimized for the Kindle, I'd pay for it.
    8. A recommendation engine for https://www.zotero.org/ . I like zotero, and I'd love to get paper recommendations/alerts based on the folders I've created in Zotero. Right now I use semantic scholar, which forces me to use their webpage. But I already pay for Zotero and I like it and I hate the tool hopping, so somebody please create a recommendation engine (or a semantic scholar integration) so that I can pay you.

    Feel free to have a go at something from this list :)

    BTW I'm an ex-backend dev who is now working as a researcher (AI/ NLP) for a FAANG. If anyone wants to team up to build something in the above list, do let me know :)

  45. 3

    Well, I would say you don't have to reinvent the wheel and that's absolutely okay. Find a product/service and figure out a way where you can make it better. If there is photoshop then there is also a market for Canva. The market is much bigger than you can imagine and there is an audience for everyone.

    1. 1

      I totally agree with this. To some degree the existence of the other companies already doing similar things, provides validation that the idea is sound. Then it comes down to how well you can execute.

  46. 3

    I would like you to go through this projects. It will give you some boost. tiny projects

    1. 2

      I was just randomly wandering through the site and saw this comment. It has helped indeed. Now I'm going to create my own tiny website :) thanks!

    2. 1

      I like your website!

  47. 3

    As a UX researcher I always gag a little when people talk of "ideas" as that's what you need to launch a successful startup. It's not. Most people's idea are shit. Even if they are not shit, the solution they have in mind to pursue that idea is usually shit. It takes a lot of time, effort, and RESEARCH to investigate a problem and find out what's a possible innovative solution that is ALSO feasible as a startup.

  48. 3

    The truth is that "nothing is new under the sun - everything has been done before". The opportunity as founders is to find new ways of doing old things that take advantage of technology improvements, cultural trends and behaviour changes. What can you do to help people save time? Time is the only valuable thing in this world and every idea boils down to improving how people use it. Don't be discouraged because you can't think of a new idea that isn't being done - instead look at the most successful ideas and figure out how they will change as life moves on. Every idea iterates - will you be the one to do it?

  49. 3

    This is bullshit.

    If there are big companies in your space, understand what individuals don't like about them, make something better. And then compete!

    Takes time and patience.

    That is why I set up Survey101 - https://www.survey101.io/

    An ultra competitive space, but trying to do something different that adds value!

  50. 3

    You don't want to be a trailblazer of absolutely new niche. It would mean, that a lot of your time will be spent on educating and growing your market share.

    I would say, that fact that there is already a lot of competition is a good indication (not the opposite). Market demand is there. First comers never end up as winners in the end!

    Just niche down and start building, mate.

  51. 3

    It's the blessing that comes with how easy it is today to make a website. That being said, here are a few counterpoints:

    1. a lot of ideas seem crazy or unnecessary when people come up with them but obvious in hindsight, so it could be just be that all the ideas that make sense to you are taken
    2. there are clearly plenty of problems, just not easy ones. You can't IndieHack your way into nuclear fusion or colonizing Mars.

    I recommend not rushing into ideas. Think about markets first, then talk to them, then see if they have any problems you can solve. Here are some markets I like:

    • strategy gamers
    • STEM graduate students
    • home gardeners

    come up with markets and see if you know anyone who belongs to that market. Talk to them and learn about their lives. If you always think business idea first you'll only find the ones that others have already figured out.

  52. 3

    I hope you are doing good mate
    This kind of blockage and fog are common my friend :)

    Maybe, maybe you have added a little too many filters in the idea generation process
    If you want to make money, simply go ahead and do what's already working and make a shit ton of money - ofc won't work in 1st time but you will be putting effort into a strong signal

    If you don't like that thing - then you shall go ahead and imagine a world where you want your kids to live and try to reverse-engineer that (whatever it takes) try to make things that will happen in that world

    I would recommend one small video https://youtu.be/Kt7pyrrH1No

  53. 3

    "Good artist copy , great artist steal" - Picasso

    You dont have to have new ideas, you can make it better or unique.

    Before facebook there was myspace.

    You want the niche to be cluttered because thats where the money is at. If you're going to build then find your USP and go from there.

  54. 3

    I agree with the rest here, improve the existing tools we have in the space.

  55. 3

    First off, don't get discouraged by the negative/disparaging comments. I can empathize with what you are going through.

    Here is how I would try to break it down

    • What space (niche) are you in
    • What are some high value problems that exist (this has to be a real pain)
    • Which solutions solve this high value problem (some competitors may exist. it's okay. don't get discouraged - google had several competitors when they started)
    • What is the gap that the existing solutions are not addressing

    Once you have some ballpark idea, now it's time for customer conversations.

    You will agree when I say that it is hard to find a solution that exists in 2022 that is worse than what it was in 1999.

    So, pick your customers' brain and start small with an MVP.

    It's okay if your solution isn't original. Remember that it has to be solve a pain point

    Hit me up if you need to vent out a bit more

    1. 1

      ^ This resonates,

      Once you're into a problem space that you're passionate about, new ideas about how to solve the challenges your audience/customers are trying to solve may ideate.

  56. 3

    Have you tried branching service layers one after another till you get to the point where nothing exists yet?

    Applications grow big every few days, look into layers of sub applications that the users of these massive apps could benefit from. If devs can make twitter apps and still make money till date, you shouldn't have any excuse.

  57. 3

    People are being really nice here but this is honestly the dumbest thing i've ever heard. Some guy at the US patent office said the same thing over 100 years ago (Charles Holland Duell) and that was before the computer!

    Some ways to come up with better ideas:

    • Practice. Every day as you go about your day look at the things around you and think to yourself "how could I improve this?" then write it down.
    • Learn more. Read books, study code, study science, get really good at one thing and when you do you will reach a point where you find how much is missing in that field and you can come up with all sorts of ideas on how to further it
    • Think bigger. The only reason you would say this is if you are thinking really small. There are a million problems that everyone knows about but no one is working on or has solved yet. Education still sucks, the government is incompetent (make a new decentralized gov?), American cities suck, modern housing sucks, we still haven't traveled through space yet, there's all sorts of disease/sickness people die from, etc
    1. 1

      Totally agree!
      Just a few days ago I tweeted about my starting with web development back in 2001, how we thought that we were too late and that everything was already done on the Internet.

  58. 3

    You don't have to be first. You don't even need to be best. Just be not terrible, be consistent & you can get market share. Nobody has a monoply on any market.

  59. 3

    Aha, I think the issue comes from a simple misconception:
    you are Googling "ideas" so you're putting the responsibility on you to find something to create.

    Whereas the much more rewarding process is to look at the world and figure out what's missing from it.
    As a subject matter expert in a couple of industries I can tell you there are things that are wrong/missing/frustrating/infuriating in every one of them.

    So while I don't have many creative "ideas" off the top of my head, I can tell you I have many, 100% unique, "solutions" I've thought through for those markets.

    One more essential point:
    If you Google some of those, you'll see that there are results for the search term.
    For instance, my startup Nuro.video is an AI-based video editor. Googling that will give you tens of software companies that have the exact same claim (including the largest incumbents like Adobe Premiere, Wondershare, etc.)

    However - we have some unique insight based on my partner's and my expertise, and surveying hundreds of people in a very specific niche (online course creators, coaches and experts). Some of this unique insight is that people hate video editing software :-)
    So when someone wants an "AI video editor" they want the AI to do the job for them... not to have a regular video editor with more features, which are powered by AI.

    That means that for a while, our solution (which completely edits the video for our customer with just one button to click) is 100% unique. You would not figure that out with a Google search like you've mentioned.

    TL;DR: What you need is not an idea. It's to identify a problem for a specific niche and bring in a unique insight

  60. 3

    As a creator, I have the same dilemma at times. Whatever I plan to write, design, create and share has already been created. I believe even founders are also people facing creative block.

    Below is a book I suggest reading – 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron.

    Hope this non-technical and non-start-up suggestion helps.

  61. 3

    I think Laura Roeder said it best in her IH Podcast (ep #43ish i think): (paraphrasing)

    "It doesn't matter if the market is saturated. Why are developers the only people who care about if a competitor exists? You don't see any other industry care if a competitor exists. Look around your house, your home office. There are notebooks, water bottles, plates, mouse (mice?), USB mem sticks.

    None of these things are built by a single company - no one cornered the market on any of these. All of these things come from successful businesses with lots of competition.

    Jump into the market, carve your own niche, and take a small piece of the profit pie. There is enough room in any market for a new player. Stop making excuses."

    Point: If you are trying to find a unique never-before thought of ide for some reason, you are focusing on the wrong thing. Focus on a problem you can solve. A mundane, everyone has this problem, boring as F problem, and solve it. Once you can solve, charge for the solution.

    Ignore the competitors and just focus on your sliver of the profit pie.

    Source: Laura Roder started Edgar - a social media content 'organizer' with competitors like Buffer and others. She didn't care, ran it for years at a great profit, and recently sold it for probably another great profit.

  62. 3

    IMO I think you may be looking at this from the wrong perspective. For example I decided to start a business in the field of web design. I truly think there are more web designers than there are successful companies to design for and with the rise of no code programs popping up all over almost anyone can do web design. So how did I set myself and my company apart?

    Well, I started with reading a book called "The Blue Ocean Strategy" which teaches you how to get your product or service to fit into a already saturated niche.

    From there I took a look at what everyone in web design was doing which was simply offering websites, the only things that really set most companies and freelance web designers apart is their price and their portfolio.

    I knew I wanted to offer prospective clients a service that was transformative vs. additive. So I decided to create a web design agency focused around DTC eCommerce the customer experience. Yes, my company is a web design agency, but we don't sell websites. We sell immersive & engaging shopping experiences with web design being the catalyst.

    I think going into a saturated niche is a great thing to do. You already know exactly what works, you know what the other guys are doing, which gives you the option to build something better, something that gives the customer that added value. Value is the name of the game!

    Hope this helps

  63. 3

    I think the issue is that you only want to solve certain problems.

    If you have real passion for a problem you've seen, you'd realise you can actually have the same idea as someone else but for a completely different target audience, or geolocation or business model.

    Its not just about the problem your looking to solve but HOW you look to solve it (execution)

  64. 3

    " I won't open a burger place because there's McDonald's already.
    I won't open a coffee shop because there's Starbucks already "

    • still when I walk through the city there's countless burger places, pizza restaurants and coffee shops that are independent, small and give a unique atmosphere. It's easy to make a better burger than McDonald's but it's still a burger.

    I can understand you see large companies implementing your business ideas and in the digital world everything looks to be a click away but here's how I think about it: my project is the small, digital coffee place . It can't (at this point ) & won't event want to serve everyone in this world. It's super fulfilling to see my idea being used by others. Start with 10 people, reach maybe 100 in the future, maybe 1000 or more. Most of them will stay because they like what you do, some of them will even become your friends.

    1. 2

      Couldn't agree more with this - Before Facebook was Myspace which looked like it had the market swen up, venture backed etc until... it didn't. Before Google was netscape, again looked like a done deal. Before Uber there were plenty of minicab booking websites that hadn't blown up. Before tick tock there was vine and so on and so on.

  65. 3

    You don't need a "new" idea. You can focus on "improving" current ideas.

  66. 3

    Please do not think of a market with competitors as a lost cause.

    First, if there are competitors, it means there is a market, so be glad, someone has already validated the idea for you, you just have to be better than them at executing it.

    Second, a populated market is not the same as a cluttered market. The first has competition but still room for others, the latter is completely filled with coices for the user, they are not the same.

    Finally, as others have pointed, try going for a smaller audience in that same market, a niche. Focus on it and then build upwards.

    And believe me, there are always problems to solve.

  67. 3

    Build for other markets! Think different languages, Latin America, etc.

    There are lots of things that work in english, but they have just not been ported or adapted to other markets.

    I would like to talk about this if you are interested.

  68. 3

    You can build up on another person's idea, observe an idea, find out their short comings and improve it.

    1. 1

      Like you just read my mind. exactly what I was thinking of saying

  69. 3

    I'm creating a website builder. There are already lots of them, but I don't care. I'm scratching an itch.

    The thing is, it's not the type of product that lends itself to a monopoly, so there's always a place at the table for one more player. You'll find a lot of existing products fall into this category.

    Don't try to build the next social network, search engine, TikTok or two-sided marketplace. Go after a well-served niche with low barriers to entry and carve out your slice.

  70. 3

    The good news is the idea is not anywhere nearly as important as the execution.

    There are TONS of personal finance tools, but I still built BudgetSheet, and have been having a lot of success with it.

    There are even many other direct competitors that also link bank accounts to Google Sheets. I am still doing well though because of how much better integrated BudgetSheet is into Google Sheets than my competitors that are just web apps that control a sheet with APIs in the background.

    Lots of competitors proves there is a market for it. Focus on better execution!

    1. 3

      How are you marketing BudgetSheet? What acquisition channels have worked for you?

      1. 2

        Have same question.

  71. 3

    Hey Zach, what's your process for finding and validating ideas?

    I always recommend reading "The Mom Test". You can start with an idea but the best thing to do is talk to users (pick an area that interests you!) about their problems and how they're currently solving them. You can then uncover gaps with current solutions.

    You can also find ideas from one geography that's getting traction and apply it to a new geography. Look at Crunchbase or other resources for startups that have raised their seed funding. Then understand how you can localise it by talking to users in your geography.

    Another great place to start is your own problems. If you can't find a product that solves your problem, then start to build it.

  72. 3

    One thing to remember, no one owns ideas and customers.

    It is all about how to strategize and double down work on bringing user's attention to your products.

  73. 2

    I will say what I normally say when an entrepreneur says this to me (courtesy of my former life as a literature academic):

    One of the earliest fragments of writing we have is a Sumerian clay tablet. On it, a nameless poet bewails that he was born so late, now that all the good poetic subjects have been taken.

  74. 2

    You have a few options here. You can either a) take some else's idea and execute better. Execution is arguably more important than idea. Or b) ask any business owner what the most frustrating thing's are about running their company. Those problems are potential business ideas.

  75. 2

    Here's something that has helped me with this: don't build a software start-up for software developers or entrepreneurs.

    I sort of understand the appeal, but it seems that most devs seem very drawn towards building start-ups geared towards devs and/or entrepreneurs. I get that these groups are valuable, but the market seems just so saturated that it has to make it standing out really difficult. Let alone coming up with a unique idea.

    Find a group of users that aren't technical or founders and solve a problem of theirs that the market doesn't adequately address. I'm building a foraging app because I'm a forager and I didn't like the other options on the market.

  76. 2

    It's all about execution and trying things out. If you can find an edge, that is where you will succeed. Sometimes you don't know until you try so don't let these thoughts keep you from trying!

  77. 2

    I agree with you that the search for unique ideas can be frustrating. But as you said, an idea without good execution is worthless. There are many businesses, in all types of sectors where poor implementation or execution are letting their business and their customers down. Choose an existing simple idea then innovate. Implement your solution for it well, doing things better than the existing providers.

    The absence of any competition would be a warning sign, so don’t be discouraged by competition, instead, embrace it and be encouraged that it is a clear indication people want to buy what you offer.

    Remember – Starbucks didn’t invent coffee shops, they just did it better than others (perhaps!) I agree with @saurabhmithal - just because a coffee shop has been invented doesn't mean there is no room for a new and better one.

  78. 2

    I propose something to you, and that is that in those Google searches you should be even more (more) explicit, focus on a niche, on a group of people (perhaps you have already done so). It is a difficult thing to do and I agree with your words.

    (Idea) Try to think of something related to an habit. We all have habits, on a large scale we all have the same ones, on a small scale you will find more concrete habits, and the more concrete a habit is the harder it is to stop having it, and the more willingness there is for that user to have more attention and interest in things related to "their habit". It is an interesting topic to talk about.

  79. 2

    You shouldn't get discouraged if there are many competitors in the space. In fact, if it's a new field, that should encourage you since it demonstrates potential market validation. Now you can skip the part where you have to educate your potential customer or investors, and just focus on how you will execute and differentiate.

    If the market is growing fast enough and is large, there will be room for multiple players. It's important to start lean and to keep costs optimal until you hit an inflection point.

    Don't be discouraged, look at the bright side, this means that your idea is worth pursuing. Myspace and other social media sites were around before Facebook. Facebook was around before Instagram...Text messaging was around before WatsApp...

  80. 2

    Yes it is frustrating but resilience is a must. Differentiation is key. Even the best products have issues that can be capitalized on. There will always be a better way, it almost seems insignificant whether an idea is totally niche or not.

    I think the iteration and learning through failure is really important. It seems easier to create a competing product to something that already exists. If you do it often and toil long enough, you might just find something truly unique.

  81. 2

    Be very mindful that the world is big enough for more than one version of the same idea. It does not matter if it exists. If you have a take on it, you will be able to find people in the world that share your view. More and more people are coming online every day.

  82. 2

    So what? People are still making banks with god-damn todo lists. Do you think they bring something revolutionary to the market?

    Most of these ideas are already implemented and working. You just make it a little better. That's how you differentiate.

  83. 2

    I would kindly disagree with you.

    I am building a product for the Commercial Real Estate industry, the second least digitized industry in the world - while also being the largest. I didn't necessarily go into the industry wanting to solve some big problem. Still, I had prior product experience, which allowed me to identify problems/solutions that my coworkers could not see.

    I say this because you need to solve problems from the bottom up, not the top down. The unfortunate truth is you need to be exposed to these problems AND have the ability to execute.

    My advice would be to continue learning. Build your war chest of unique experiences and skills.

    Once you have found something, you will find that building a startup has never been easier. There are so many more resources than existed pre-Google / pre-internet. But, to your point, that also means more competitors. I hope this helps :).

  84. 2

    I feel you.
    Coming up with a solution to a problem that hasn't been solved seems harder and harder as the time goes. When we sit and think about the next big idea that would change the world, it is really hard to think of something that is not already being think of.

    I think maybe the problem is the thought process! maybe we need to come up with the idea from a different context. Those brain storming sessions are good, but maybe it won't always shed the light on what is the problem these days.

    I think a good way to come with those idea and become niche is to solving the problem that we see, so rather than think about something and say: OH! This is going to be amazing! we should work from customer!

    Here are some ways to find a customer and problem to solve:
    1- We can be a customer if we face a problem ourself and couldn't find an easy solution for it
    2- We interact with people more often and listen to their needs and challenges they are facing (Let's talk more with people and listen to their needs)
    3- Try different products and feel what is lagging and needs to be improved
    4- Browse in the review section of products and see what clients complain about and try to come up with a solution for those.

    Lastly, there's this great book called Shoe Dog which is the story of Nike brand. I highly recommend reading it. You know when Nike Started the business, there were already lots of big company names out there, but they didn't give up and they continue to improve and now they have the biggest market share. So that story, tells me that you don't need to be first always.

  85. 2

    Google wasn't the first, second or even third search engine to exist.
    Facebook wasn't the first, second or even third social media platform.
    Its all down to how well you execute and provide a better user experience than the competitor. Its not always necessary to reinvest the wheel and come up with some new...Although new ideas and markets popup daily. The biggest new trend is A.I of course, and there are many businesses that you can create that is unique around it.
    Think just a few years back, there certainly were no A.I Copywriting tools, and all these other A.I businesses that exist today.

    Think of amazon starting out. It was a book store. A tiny niche compared to what it is today. So to cut out the noise, build a MVP that solves a singular problem, that you know you can definitely execute better on than any competitor in the space, and just do it. You can scale and branch out later on.

  86. 2

    If the goal is to build the next Facebook or Apple, I agree with you that it is a very challenging problem to find the right idea.
    Seeking the idea is overrated in my opinion. I think the right approach should be to focus on the chance of getting X% of a given "existing" market, by solving the problems of that market in some different way (better, cheaper, or faster) that is appreciated by the people of that market.

  87. 2

    All the solutions that are already there produce new problems that can be solved. It's an endless process. So key is to evaluate quickly to not waste time building things no one needs.

    I started https://supastarter.dev, knowing there were similar solutions, but still I am making money from it and the fact that I built it and got a lot of feedback, led to new ideas for problems I can solve. Now I have more ideas than I have time to build. So just keep communicating and keeping your eyes open for new problems.

  88. 2

    The internet allows 8 billion monopolies.

    Think about this.

    I am here to tell you to let your ideas go, let your start-up plans down the drain, go get a job, work for a company and quit trying to build a business.

    Your job now is to tell me to go screw myself because you can ACTUALLY make it.

    You mentioned "discouraging". Does being discouraged mean more to you than making and executing your idea? Does it matter you are discouraged?

    You should feel a fire in your stomach, a burning desire to conquer the market.

    Take a look through history.

    The ones who made it try to make you feel discouraged because they don't want you competing with them.

    It's never been easy to succeed.

    Work. Fail. Do it a hundred times while documenting it on YouTube and you will have a unique market, unique audience where you can deliver your message and sell your products.

  89. 2

    I'm new to this site. Today i read some incredible ideas that generated quite impressive MRR. Make sure that not every idea is taken, we just have to find that problem. I know it's hard so is life :) I run a custom software development company and i was dying to find an idea to convert it to a product or a SAAS solution. Due to ongoing customer projects it was so hard to come up with an idea and make it a product. Finally we did and got good customers and MRR. It takes time but you just have to keep trying...

  90. 2

    The innovation is not only to come up with a new idea (never seen before) but also which is very important is to come up with a new approach of an existing one.

    Example: Before facebook, it was many other seccessful social networks like myspace , hi5..... Facebook came with a new skin, a new approach but still and it is always classified as a social network like the others .

    Sorry for my english but i hope it will give you fresh air and hopes ! :)

  91. 2

    Not all of the ideas are taken, that's for sure! But is true that many of them are already taken. But how to find a niche or product for you?
    Do with passion what you like/can and remember that you(as a consultant) or your product must solve any of two biggest problems: time and money. It will work if is cheaper or faster than others.
    Good luck!

    1. 1

      This! Completely agree. Choose something that you like and analyze it, pay attention to this topic, and try to find a time-killer or something that makes you angry/nervous. After that, you need to think about how to solve/avoid/improve it. That's it.
      Then go and google, if nothing is found - take this idea, if something exists - use it. Here you have also two ways. The first is everything goes well and you improved one process in your life by using some awesome tool, the second wait is something not good or completely not solving your problem at all. That if your time man! Go and take yours!

  92. 2

    It's true and also not true — there are ways to make something new in an already beaten niche. Like I did with my journaling app, you may be sure there are 1000s other journaling apps but not one has the approach mine has.

  93. 2

    You need to do more than a quick google search. No fast routes to finding ideas.

  94. 2

    "Everything That Can Be Invented Has Been Invented", was said in 1889 by Charles H. Duell, the Commissioner of US patent office.

    There are a few ways to approach this dilemma:

    1. Try to find a niche that is underserved or that you can serve in a unique way.
    2. Focus on execution and try to out execute your competition.
    3. Try to build a moat around your business by creating a unique product or service that is hard to replicate.
  95. 2

    Do you see a contradiction in your suggestion that "Every idea is taken" based on your research of "doing a quick Google search"?

  96. 2

    I'm working on something that's been done to death before. Plus, it's a thing that I am mostly building for myself. It's just the way that I am doing it will resonate with folks who are already users with alternatives. And--according to my predictions--I only need 6,000+ paying users to dedicate the rest of my life to it.

    1. 1

      What are you working on?

  97. 2

    They way you look at the world: you will never find money in the streets. If there was money, it would already picked-up...
    Execution is more important than the idea.

  98. 2

    Or just get a job and forget about the startup if you feel you can not tackle it. Business is a risky endeavour; if there are no competitors today, they will be here once you prepare the pathway for them, and they may progress faster than you as they learn from your mistakes.

  99. 2

    Oh jeez, finding good ideas to build upon has never been my problem, they always just flash into my head and compel me to start working on them, and I think this is a curse just as much as it is a blessing. For me at least, these ideas typically either originate out of my own commercial awareness, or my frustration at a problem that I personally feel I need to solve, even if they seem to fall out of the sky at the time.

    Am not sure if my own experience provides any helpful advice, but it does make me think of something someone said to me once that went along the lines of "your job as a founder is to see that which others can not".

    I think that cuts to the bone of the matter, your job as a founder is to come up with a foundational idea that you can build upon, and the best ideas are ones that only you can see at first. But I think to have these ideas, you have to have the kind of commercial and/or creative mentality to conceptualize these ideas in your subconscious, causing them to flash into your conscious thinking and appear as if by magic.

    Either that or god sends them to me....

  100. 2

    This may seem a harsh question but please think deeply about it.

    What level of experience in a domain is behind the whatever idea I come up with and how sure are you that these are original?

    If you know an area very well, especially in B2B, there are many niches needing filling.

    If you just want to do a startup and are searching for ideas, yes you will generate the same stuff as other people because there's hundreds of thousands of people trying to do the same thing.

    If you're young, with little domain experience anywhere, you will need to talk to people about their problems, their stories, to find things that can be helped.

  101. 2

    I was on the same boat 10 years ago!

    If you get that feeling, that means, you're still early in the journey and you haven't seen enough of the world yet. Keep exploring :)

  102. 2

    You start something when you find a problem and feel that its need to be solved/solved in your style.
    It was never about u/me/someone starting something new, but it is always about solving problems.
    It's not an issue of ideas, so maybe you haven't really felt serious about a problem and hence the dilemma.

  103. 2

    Imagine coming up with the idea for TikTok a few years ago. Everyone would tell you that Instagram/Facebook/Snapchat already do that. Saying "it's only videos though" would sound like a terrible pitch. The point is, there's always more room for someone new to do it a bit better.

    At the same time, we are small teams and solo founders, so we have to be realistic about what we can make and how much reach we can get. For us, timing is extremely important. If you can get into an emerging niche early, there will be much less competition, and getting attention/press will be way easier.

  104. 2

    I keep doing my startup even if it is quite similar to the other providers. I always try to provide a unique value for the customers. It takes time but It is worth it. A tiny improvement could be a game changer for the product.

  105. 2

    One way to find a good business idea is to hear people complain, people around you, your co-workers, colleagues, friends, family , etc. Of course, not everything they complain about , may be an opportunity to for you to build a business on, but you may find a gem of a idea somewhere. Listen between the lines. Many busineses have been build by scrathing your own itch or of someone you know,

  106. 2

    The existence of competition validates the market. Competition is a critical pre-requisite in almost all cases (the exception being where you create a new market). Analyze your competition, figure out their positioning, features, etc, and how you can differentiate. Maybe the competition is targeting enterprise, leaving an opportunity in SMB. Maybe they're a closed source company (99.99% of companies), leaving an opportunity for open source competition (see: Firebase, supabase et al). Don't be discouraged by competition, let it inspire you for how you can do it better.

  107. 2

    Whenever I am in this situation I asked one question myself?

    Amazon & Walmart are very big companies and almost have everything. If we closed every other business in this world. Are they able to provide to the whole world?

    The answer is "NO"

    So, don't get afraid of competition. There is so much for everyone.

  108. 2

    I see 3 ways to deal with this:

    1. solve an existing problem better than the existant solutions. (This might be extremely difficult since the incumbents enjoy the learning-by-doing advantage. But nobody said startups are easy)
    2. deliver an existant solution to a new market.
    3. take a slighly different niche approach to an existing problem
  109. 2

    I don’t know about you, but I see plenty of problems out there to be solved.

  110. 2

    I felt the same way for a long time, but I friend of mine has now been working for 2 years on his startup in one of the most crowded spaces and is nearing $200K ARR. He just said, look at these tools, they exist, and I will make a better version out of it.

    It gave me new motivation and I'm currently browsing a little on what I could be doing, I know I can build high quality products with attention for details, I just need to focus on something and go for it.

  111. 2

    Part of this is because you are trying to be an entrepreneur in a mature economy. Western economies are saturated, in fact it might seem the only thing left to solve are the problems created by the previous problem solving companies (climate anyone?). However, this does not mean it is impossible to start a business. This is where intuition and creativity come into play. You might not invent but you can still synthesise; that is combine different solutions into one. Furthermore, one can differentiate from the competition in other ways: customer service, marketing, price etc.

  112. 2

    An approach:

    Go outside and talk to people.
    They are full of problems to solve.

    1. 2

      This is a good idea and core to solving problems and productizing. If you can't talk to people and learn about their needs, you need to learn how, find someone who can, or get out of building a business.

      1. 1

        💯

        It's not easy but it is required.

    2. 1

      ah, yes, great advice. do I start annoying random strangers at the street about their problems? Or go at startup conferences full with empty wannabe entrepreneurs? Or I just go in to the business and start probing deepest problems out of the blue of some random overworked managers?

      1. 2

        With this attitude, I don't think you will get anything out of it.

        1. 1

          have you tried politics? they also can talk volumes without saying anything concrete and/or actionable.

  113. 2

    There are a lot of problems around that are worth solving. By trying to find an idea that is "not taken", you run the risk of creating something that no one wants. Taking some idea in the field with competitors is a good sign, at least it means that there is some market and demand.

  114. 2

    Dude. Look into DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, and Midjourney.

    There are 1,000 opportunities and new ideas there. The first ones will do well. Win the race.

  115. 2

    You need to ask yourself why you're in the startup world in the first place. Do you care about a problem so much you'll sacrifice everything to make a dent in the solution? Or are you here to make money? Neither is right or wrong, but both lead you down different paths.

  116. 2

    You've already answered your own question. You just have to offer something different, perhaps find a niche within a niche.

    Also, it's a good think that there are competitors, it validates that your idea is worth pursuing.

  117. 2

    AND YET LOTS OF NEW STARTUPS ARE BUILT EVERY DAY.

  118. 2

    This is what stupid books like Zero to One lead people to thinking. Creating a successful startup isn't all about coming up with some crazy new idea. The best founders identify a high-priority problem that a group of people are struggling to solve, and they create a better solution for that problem than what customers current have available.

    Stop trying to come up with ideas and start focusing on problems people are desperate to get rid of.

    Plus, you're going to make so many mistakes the first time around. You're better off building an incremental innovation the first time around and then maybe doing something that's more visionary afterwards when you've got the credibility, network and experience to get the job done faster and better.

  119. 2

    Consider this example, we are standup management company(https://www.undiffer.com/) providing niche solutions for SMEs, and startup founders. We already having big competitors such as clickup or Jira who can make similar like products in 1 or 2 quarters, but we are not afraid of such, if they have the advantages of having big in size, we have the advantage of being agile and execute ideas as well as deploy things very quickly

    Last, we are not competing instead we are making our space with clickup by providing integration with them.

  120. 2
    1. You're doing it the wrong way, pal. If startup ideas came from googling, then connecting your Stripe account to a website would make you a billionaire overnight. I recommend you read Paul Graham's post on "how to get startup ideas" so you can grasp exactly what I mean here :)

    2. As it's usually said at YC, if you fear the competition, you're probably not cut out for building a startup. The alternative for this saying is "Look for a 9-5 job that can cover your expenses and forget about being a startup founder."

  121. 2

    There are very few original ideas. That's the good news. Just find a good angle (or gap) in the market and go after it. Having competition means the space is validated.

    Here's how you can use reviews to find opportunities in your market

  122. 2

    I agree that every startup idea is taken. But, not every audience is taken. You can target an audience that your competitors are not focusing on. Niche down and then you can expand your audience. Google was not the first search engine, Facebook was not the first social media app, Amazon was not the first one to start an online bookstore.

    Just make sure that your product or service should be better than your competitor is some way or other.

  123. 2

    The thing you are describing is market validation. It's not a dilemma. The next step you should be taking is deep-diving into the existing products in a given space so you can see what the gaps are. Then you start to build around that feature.

    A good UX or product design course will teach you how to approach this.

    I think if you want to build a successful startup you are going to need more grit than this.

  124. 2

    Odd question. If you are smart enough to have noticed this, you should be smart enough to know 2 things: First, there is no formula, if there was one, everyone would be doing it! Second, even if someone had a formula, he wouldn't share it with the public and even if they did, that formula would stop working in a very short period of time due to saturation. Different things work for different people at different times and different circumstances. Having said that, there are several ways THOUGH none of them will guarantee success. They would just increase your odds. One way I can share with you is to come up with around 3-4 thousand ideas (how is a whole different conversation) and then test each one of them super quickly (days if not hours per idea - how so fast is also another conversation). Statistics almost guarantee that 1 of those ideas will gain traction almost immediately. This however, is extremely difficult to do and very taxing on the brain and spirit. Not to mention that "almost guarantee" is not the same as "guarantee". I have only had the mental strength to do this twice in my life, both times resulting in successful businesses from day 1 and in industries I had zero prior knowledge and experience in. I am not sure I can do it a 3rd time though...

    P.S. A sure-fire way to do it is to become an influencers in some field and then almost anything you do, people will buy regardless of the competition.

  125. 2

    Haha, for whatever reason I did this differently.
    I wanted to build a product that I would've needed in my previous jobs and didn't have.
    I went out and startet https://loggify.app as I though I know the players in the market and didn't wanna buy any of their products.
    Now that I am in the space myself I find more and more tools in the space and most of them much nicer than the traditional ones. Still, none is like Loggify.
    I think there's a niche for everyone.

    1. 1

      Congrats on making it to #4 on PH Launch. Could you shaped your launch strategy in a saturated niche?

      1. 2

        TBH, I just started it and let everyone in my network know with a post and dms on Linkedin to every person i message with in the last 4 years. All headhunters, dev agencies, ... :D

  126. 2

    I think of startups kind of like pop songs. Hit songs are co-creations of culture; they both shape and are shaped by the cultural landscape that they emerge from. Because culture constantly evolves, there will always be new pop songs. And there will always be new startups. The business landscape might change from year to year, decade to decade, making it easier or harder to start a successful company, but people will still do it because people are funny like that. Just like a good songwriter, when you're considering a startup, you have to be a good listener, absorbing the other startups around you and asking yourself how you can leave your mark and stick out in the crowd. All this is to say, don't be discouraged. It's easy to be intimidated by all the other great startups out there, but spending time listening to the hits of the day is part of what it takes to write your song. You can do this.

  127. 2

    Try to proceed not from your own idea, but from your own problems that you want to solve.

    I had such an idea connected with a not very good case :)

    For example, I wondered why there are no services for getting likes in some areas that are not super popular (but quite popular niches in their field).

    Try to think about what you have difficulties in life or work.

    Also try the method when a popular product is taken, but you will come up with a target audience for it. For example, "Amazon for Plant lovers" (just an example)

  128. 2

    In 2014 Superhuman launched and raised $108,000,000 for (another) email app.

    Tesla is worth $1T and is the 6th most valuable company.

    You have a great idea, find it on Google and your stomach sinks:

    Someone's already done it.

    Launch it anyway.

    Nerd Wallet entered the crowded market of credit card recommendations in 2019.

    It's worth $750,000,000.

    Disney+ launched in 2019 - 12 YEARS after Netflix started streaming.

    It's worth $100,000,000,000.

    Even without a catalog of 600 movies, you should launch.

    Let's dig in!

    Existing products prove your idea. If there's a competitor - they've validated demand for you. They've spent marketing dollars educating the market. The product's existence proves there's a real problem people will pay to solve.

    But here's the real opportunity:

    The competition might have lost focus. In the drive for growth, startups add features to attract new users. This lack of focus is your opportunity to double down on what works.

    The last one's my favorite:

    You bring a different perspective. The way you might solve a problem is different than some else. Your experience brings a different marketing message and user experience.

    When should you NOT build?

    If you see your idea has been done and no longer care bout it, then it wasn't something you were passionate about. Ideas come and go. Building a product is a marathon.

    So you've decided to move forward, now what?

    Next time you have an idea, don't search. Let your subconscious dwell on the idea. Allow it to grow, meander, fester. Let your mind take the idea into new places. Write down all the related but equally exciting ideas. Give yourself the time to enjoy exploring the idea.

    So remember, the internet is vast. If your idea's already been done, there's still good reason to build.

  129. 2

    I've been running a problem validation forum for past 3 years, There are hundreds of need-gaps posted for existing solutions by people who face them, Which are subsequently validated by those who come searching for a solution for those need-gaps from search engines.

    So, Even if a problem is being addressed by many, The need-gaps in them warrant a new solution.

    e.g. You would think Google must have figured everything out with their solutions right? Well there seems to be a need-gap for showing Google calendar hidden guest list; There are about two dozen people who come looking for a solution to that every week.

  130. 2

    Every successful idea that you want to work on, keeping niche strategies aside, will come from first-principles thinking. Never assume things, question the status quo and your assumptions, and usually you will have a winning narrative.

  131. 2

    I understand where the feeling comes from and I'm sending good vibes your way.

    Still, there are tons of products launched each day. Not all of them are a success, but a few make it, so there's space for you too. It's just not easy!

    As an analogy, think about music: there are 12 notes and people have been composing music for centuries. Yet, every day new songs come out.

    1. 2

      Love the analogy! Honestly I've been having the same frustration as OP, but having this perspective of viewing each idea as a music, has made it more easier. Appreciate it!

  132. 2

    Alot of people have great ideas, not because they thought it up out of nowhere, but they discovered their ideas.

  133. 2

    Yes the other simple way to put it is if all problems already were 'solved' with perfect collection of companies for each that all perfectly solve the problem, then there would be no problems in the world. But clearly there is! We wake up feeling tired, we over eat, we feel lonely, we struggle to find love, friendship, clothes we like, a home to live in.

    The world is heating up, our food industry is fucking up our planet, government is corrupt.

    Or more positive problems like I'm not able to move to and buy a house on Mars yet, I want to live forever or whatever else.

    So clearly there's still lots of problems to be solved even if some people are working at solving them already.

    As @Imoptimal says, just find one you really give a fuck about and maybe with 5 years of effort you'll end up solving it better than anyone else.

  134. 2

    When FaceBook launched, there were many social networks already on the market, some of them already dying for lack of interest.

    When Android launched, there were many mobile operating systems already on the market.

    I can go on forever, but you get the point.

    You can do something different, or for a specific use case.

  135. 2

    Yes, that is totally discouraging when you tried so hard to come up with an exciting idea but it turns out to be full of competitors.
    With so many people on the world, it's hard to find an unique idea.
    However, when it comes to developer-entrepreneur, uniqueness might be unnecessary.
    "You need to abandon the hope of finding the next billion dollar idea inside your head,and instead look for it out there, in the heads of other people. You need to prioritize talking to potential users and customers above building things. You need to find a way to sell something without building it first, ideally without even having a prototype. You need to learn to wave your hands convincingly."

    1. 3

      This ☝️ I'm a developer myself. I don't think we realize how much we live in a techie bubble, and that prevents us from noticing a lot of the problem outside of it. Add to that the fact that we are highly trained at creating solutions to a problem we know, but not at narrowing down problems we don't know.

      That's why we end up creating so many solutions looking for a problem. 😄

      The non evergy-intensive process for this is to find a community you like (among you hobbies or example) and start listing things people complain about or struggle with. Then it's pretty much product management: ask the right questions, infer the right information, check market size etc.

      Edit: The mom test describes this process in a wonderful way.

      1. 1

        That is true.
        We should try to find the needs instead of an app idea.

  136. 2

    A familiar little pit of despair. Writers are prone to similar anxieties. "Everything worth saying has already been said. But, since nobody was listening, it must be said again" – so wrote André Gide. Amusingly, Goethe already had made the same point a century earlier. Jean de La Bruyère had said the same thing in the seventeenth century. Augustine had written more or less the same thing in late Antiquity. And Ecclesiastes had beaten everyone to the punch centuries before that: "There is nothing new under the sun."

  137. 2

    When I bought and managed my logo-maker business, Instant Logo Design, I already searched the market and knew that there are quite a lot of competitors that I have to take on.

    But just like any other business in the world, there will always be a chain of competitors in the market. And this makes it even more interesting. It will always fall down on how 'better' your products or services are, and how effective your sales and marketing team in catching up with the latest trend, building audience, and tickling down your prospect's issues and solve them with the help of your brand.

    Look at the evolution of the social media sites: Multiply > Friendster > Facebook. As much as I thought Multiply will stay and revolutionize the world forever, FACEBOOK outdid them all.

  138. 2

    @ZergLurker I had a similar mental blocks for multiple years, whenever I want to build an idea. Later I figured out all great products were invented multiple decades back . VisiCalc was the first excel sheet introduced in 1979, Followed by MsExcel and many. Now, Airtable is the the newest form of excel sheet which is a threat for many softwares. Tomorrow someone will build something better than Airtable. What worked for me is to sit back and build what I like more, after multiple years now I have a clue how to improve on some product which improved my product thinking.

    Stop Thinking! Start Building!... One step a day is better than wait for so long.

    Please check my latest product https://www.voicebacks.com/

  139. 2

    @ZergLurker - Build a SC3 substitute ... or go work at Frost Giant / Dream Haven for inspiration ;)

  140. 2

    I'm building Calendly alternative. I receive feedback like "you are more intuitive" or "this is what I needed for my team". So I think there is always some way to compete with others. Get 2-3 products, mix them it's enough to start. Then let users tell you what they need.

    1. 2

      How do you market it?
      And how do you get your first customer?

      1. 2

        It's a secret ... no I'm kidding 😅 We just try many things. Linkedin direct messages, my and my co-founder's personal network. I have 10 years of experience as a software developer so I have some clients in my portfolio who use Zencal. It's hard to say what works best but IndieHackers, Twitter even Reddit is good for content distribution. How you sell your product depends on the target group. The most important I think is to know for who do you create your product. Furthermore, what I can recommend is automation. Automate your processes like content publication or newsletters.

  141. 2

    Do you realize that this is a community where plenty of people have done and continue to do exactly what you say is impossible on a daily basis?

  142. 2

    It's not impossible to build a startup, but it is getting harder and harder as more and more ideas are taken. I think the best approach is to focus on a specific niche and try to be the best in that niche. It's also important to have a great team and execute your business plan well.

  143. 2

    @Zerklurker I couldn’t agree more. There will always be new ideas, but they’re usually in some way or another based on what came before. Just look at what https://www.pallet.com/ is doing with the job search vertical.

    My personal approach is to not be put off by a competitor's progress. But be guided by it. It’ll show that your idea can be done and the market is there for it. And I know that you know you can differentiate. But I suggest thats what you should focus on.

    A fresh idea will give you first mover advantage and thats all well and good, but if you’re late to the party a better way to stack the odds of success in your favor is to not shy away from the competition a put your twist on the model.

    To differentiate effectively study what they do, finding out the metrics they espouse if they’re an open startup. Read articles about how they ‘found’ their idea and how they brought it to life. If they have any modicum of success they’ll be article on it with IH, HackerNoon and the likes.

    I’ve spent far too long trying to reinvent the wheel. Any trifling success I’ve had as an indie hacker has come by studying what the competition is doing - no matter how saturated the market may be - and differentiating on what they offer. Be it a cheap pop like being lower price, or instead of niching down even apply the business model to other verticals. Any emulation and executing ideas, for me, is always more successful than coming up with ‘original’ ideas.

    I’m taking that ethos and studying proven business models with Unapologetic Indie Hacking. It's my label to launch different takes on indie businesses that are successful.

    I’ve just launched trajectory.co which is my alternative to the “VC funded lead lists to your inbox every month” that have gained popularity. I highlight how the concept has been differentiated on IndieHackers here:

    https://www.indiehackers.com/post/how-to-land-high-growth-clients-when-everybody-else-is-chasing-vc-funded-startups-cf29f53e73

    I’ve also launched https://fuelanceleads.xyz/ as an alternative to the freelance jobs newsletter. With it I give the resources to help build a freelance career instead of just sending a list of jobs.

    And I’m launching more concepts in the weeks to come. All by differentiation.

    Take this as proof that while ideas are all virtually taken theres enough room to make your mark if you just do them a little and add your own unique perspective it

  144. 2

    I have also thought about the same quite a few times. What I have come to realise is, you actually don't need a product that is very unique. Obviously, you must take the time and do your due diligence. Talk to users and understand their pain points. Following this, build your product. You will most likely come up with something that is niche.

    Some things that I find useful is to look at how other people are building their business. This definitely helps me understand some potential problems to solve.

  145. 2

    I feel you on this. I spend about a month just researching my list of problems and there was not a single problem that didn't have at least 5 established companies fighting in the space. Sometimes i think this is where luck comes into the picture.

    One thing I've noticed though from many indie hackers' journies is that when they set out to build something, they learn of some other problem along the way and that leads to their success. It's like the skill of navigating the unknown and being flexible is as important as execution.

  146. 2

    Very good topic, unfortunately nowadays it is quite difficult to come up with something new, but the point will be in the details.

    Take PM tools and solutions for example, there are as many as the stars in the sky, but new ones are constantly coming out because even small differences can matter a lot.

    Our product is https://get.motivac.io which is a culture-building micro-feedback platform. The idea came many years ago, that we would like to give each other positive feedback and in exchange for this, reward the team members.
    We couldn't find a tool that would have covered our offline process until then (monthly election), so we started making our own, but absolutely only for ourselves, which eventually grew out of itself for a startup product.

    Since then, the market has been full of similar solutions, but we still have a right to exist (both for us and for them) because we are still different in small things.

    Others have already written before me that the competition validates the problem, this is a good sign (we took it as such).

    The point is that the product have to find its identity and the market that needs exactly the way of thinking and solution that you provide

  147. 2

    Same! It can be very discouraging when I have a new idea but see some other people already way ahead.

    One thing I like to do is take a look at the top competitors and look at 3 things I don’t like/find unhelpful about the way they solve that problem.

    Then attack those 3 areas!

    1. 1

      I would like to add, looking at things which one doesn't like, doesn't necessarily mean that those things would be valuable for the market though.

      There's still the step of validating if those things are truly helpful for the market.

      The size of gaps matter too... If competitor notices churn due to missing features, they will immediately build it.

      It's truly red ocean days

  148. 2

    It's always the same issue.
    If your goal is to create something completely new, then you will end up with nothing at all.

    Think of an artist.
    Why would someone bother to paint a picture if the subject already exists?

    Because it's not about creating something never seen before, but something that enough people like.

  149. 2

    Yes, you're right, all bicycles have already been invented. But it is possible to develop this or that idea and get away from the competitors. When we implemented our product https://getscreen.me/ we were also worried that we would not be able to occupy our niche between such well-known services as Teamviewer or Anydesk. However, their former clients come to us now. And there are over 100 software in the field of remote access and it's quite difficult to find your place! But so far we have succeeded. So go for it, it's all in your hands!

  150. 1

    Sure, it might seem like all the problems have been solved and that large industry titans are monopolizing every customer base. However, that's simply not the reality. Setting your sights on becoming the next Facebook or Amazon, you're likely setting yourself up for failure. But, there's plenty of room for smaller players to serve niche markets or address specific issues within larger platforms or communities. Capturing even 0.01% of a larger player's user base can lead to a satisfying and profitable business.

    So, what should you do? Identify a problem that already has a solution. Analyze the existing solutions in the market and see if you can approach the problem from a unique angle. Given the right approach, you can create a niche for yourself. The key is to start small and grow from there.

    Your perspective is understandable, but remember, every successful startup began with a kernel of an idea and then carved out its own space.

  151. 1

    What about a tool solving the problem of having an idea and seeing too much competitors in the field. Hehe. It could be interesting to challenge yourself with a challenge assistant ? Not speaking of AI specifically of course. But maybe what I'm talking about already exist ? Definitely need that tool to verify.

  152. 1

    If you are technical a technique I have used to create new products and innovations is to look at existing models and see how if I was a malicious user where it could be compromised. Once I know the weaknesses of the solutions, it takes some tinkering until you have a solution that solves the problem. That problem can likely be compromised so you continue until you can't find any problems. That's how I went from one semi-original idea to over 10 unique innovations. Hope that helps :)

  153. 1

    It's understandable that discovering a crowded market can be discouraging when starting a new startup. However, it's important to remember that competition itself is a sign of demand and potential opportunities. While it may seem daunting, there are several strategies you can consider to navigate this dilemma and increase your chances of success:

    Identify a Unique Value Proposition: Even in a crowded market, there might still be unmet needs or gaps that you can address. Focus on finding a unique value proposition that sets your product or service apart from competitors. This could be through innovative features, a different target audience, better customer experience, or a specialized niche.

    Market Research: Thoroughly research your target market, competition, and customer preferences. Look for areas where your competitors may be falling short or underserving the market. By understanding your audience's pain points and desires, you can tailor your offering to meet their specific needs and differentiate yourself effectively.

    Focus on a Niche: Instead of targeting the entire market, consider narrowing your focus to a specific niche or segment. By catering to a specific group with unique requirements, you can tailor your product or service to their needs and build a loyal customer base. This can also help you establish a strong foothold before expanding to a broader market.

    Innovate and Improve: Look for ways to innovate and improve upon existing solutions. Evaluate the weaknesses or limitations of your competitors and find ways to offer a better, more compelling product or service. This could involve enhancing features, improving user experience, or introducing disruptive technologies or business models.

    Build Strong Relationships: Establishing strong relationships with your customers can be a key differentiator. Focus on providing exceptional customer service, engaging with your audience through social media or other channels, and actively seeking feedback. By building a loyal customer base and brand advocates, you can create a competitive advantage even in a crowded market.

    Collaborate and Network: Consider partnering or collaborating with complementary businesses or industry experts. This can help you leverage their existing customer base, knowledge, or resources, and increase your reach. Networking within your industry can also provide valuable insights and potential partnerships that can help your startup grow.

    Remember, success in entrepreneurship often requires persistence, adaptability, and continuous learning. While competition may exist, it doesn't mean your startup can't succeed. By approaching the market with a unique perspective, thorough research, and a focus on providing value, you can carve out a space for your business and thrive in a crowded market.

  154. 1

    Yes ! even I used to think like this for a long time. But we dig deeper, there are many gaps. For example, templatizing is something that everyone is doing these days, but there are many areas that are still untapped and people are still building from scratch. That's where I found the gap and started building my product Duonut.

    It might take a long time now to realize a gap/problem than before, as they are not visible on the surface, but they do exist.

  155. 1

    Kasol is the ideal location if you enjoy the outdoors and the natural world. In this tiny village in Himachal Pradesh, you'll find some of the world's most breathtaking scenery.
    The fact that Kasol is less crowded than other well-known hill stations in India is its strongest feature as a tourism destination. Add Kasol on your bucket list if you want to do something novel, thrilling, and adventurous.
    This is an essential stop in Kasol and is situated in the Parvati Valley. A lot of uncommon plants and animals can be found in the KheerGanga, a natural spring.
    Both tourists and locals visit this location to take in the waterfall's calming sound and the scenery of the beautiful environs.
    Read More :- https://www.thetripsuggest.com/10-best-places-you-should-visit-in-kasol/

  156. 1

    Not true! I think I found a new and unique angle in the ultra crowded travel booking space that I haven't seen anyone else doing! https://maxtravel.app

    There is always a way to innovate! You never know where an idea will come from, that's why it's so important to be a sponge.

  157. 1

    This doesn't count for new approaching sectors like AI, web3, and similar.

    I am focused on the web3 sector and there is plenty of room for new ideas and startups. This is a really nice list of startup ideas in web3 to get inspired: https://alliancedao.notion.site/Crypto-Web3-Startup-Ideas-48d40ccadeeb42a48056659fcce109b1

  158. 1

    smtp relay service lets you access your email and send email messages through a service provider. The service routes your mail between your own mail server and the recipients, who need not be on the same network as you are. It also provides security features such as encryption between your mail server and the servers of other SMTP relays. Also interminable queues and errors, so anyone with an internet connection can read your emails

  159. 1

    Well, you need to change the frame of reference (what you see). The heart of entrepreneurship is about solving problems. For me, it get's exciting (and sense of satisfaction) if I see other's solving a problem that I found genuine. And it should make one more curious to figure out their "proposed solution" maybe you can do better or not, but the bottom line is that the problem is being solved. The world will never end up having zero problems. And these kind of frustrations appear because of the conformation bias (you see what you want to see). As I said, change the "frame of reference".

  160. 1

    Every new solutions create another problem, so space for new solutions is never crowded. Yes it has become difficult to come up with unique idea but exposing yourself various issues will give more ideas.

  161. 1

    Sometimes its a good idea to compete in a crowded market, at least you know there is a market for that kind of product.

  162. 1

    When your idea is not new, not something revolutionary - go local instead of global market. The idea may be already gaining traction or even saturated elsewhere, if it is new in your local market, you could be the one that brings the idea to your local community. Being local have big advantages for certain industries. What are some startup ideas /business from other countries that have not yet in your country?

  163. 1

    I understand the frustration you feel when you see a crowded market and wonder how you can possibly compete. I've definitely felt that way myself before. But despite the challenges, I still believe that there are endless opportunities for innovation and problem-solving.

    One thing that has helped me is to remember that competition is a natural and necessary part of any market. It's a sign that there is demand for what we're offering. So rather than being discouraged by it, I try to see it as an opportunity to learn from and build upon the work of others.

    I also try to focus on what sets my ideas and my business apart from the competition. What unique value can we bring to the market? By honing in on that and constantly striving to improve, we can still make a meaningful contribution and find success, even in a crowded industry.

    Finally, I try to keep in mind that success often comes down to persistence and hard work. Building a business is never easy, and there will always be challenges and setbacks along the way. But with dedication and a willingness to learn and adapt, we can overcome those obstacles and achieve our goals.

    In short, while it can be discouraging to see a crowded market, I believe that there are still endless opportunities for innovation and success. With hard work, persistence, and a focus on what sets us apart, we can find a way to succeed even in a competitive environment.

  164. 1

    I think this is a kind of mindset "I'll build something super unique and it'll go viral and make me a billionaire" which we learned reading about Facebook's or Google's founders success stories.
    I think this WAS possible > 10 years ago, when the Internet was still young. Then it became harder and harder. And today, I think it's - yeah, execution, like you said - what matters, and also another very important factor: distribution.
    By distribution I mean marketing basically. How do you users learn about your service? How do you reach them? You can create a service very similar to already existing service, only distribute it to a different niche. Basically sell the same thing to different people, who were not aware such service existed already. Stop dreaming about reaching millions of paying customers. 1000 users paying 5$ per month makes a huge salary already, enough to support entire family!

    Here's a very simple idea: create a service similar to existing & popular service with global reach, but translate it to your local (non-english) language and distribute in your country.

    And if you can make it 10% better than competition, for similar price - that's great!

    Actually, competition means there's very likely demand for the product! You never know this when you're working on something really unique. You may discover no one really needed this, or needed but weren't ready to pay for this. Yes, you solved someone's problem, but a very small problem, not worth paying for.

  165. 1

    Being human. One of the biggest shortcomings of products is the lack of community. Very little attention is often paid to whether the product is good for society and the world. Just because you can build something does not mean you should.

    I also think that you should not take every product or solution at face value. What are their client services like? Do they engage and listen to their users? Is the product any good? Don't be fooled by the pretty window dressing :) The proof is in using the product.

    I just heard a funny but true quote, "X company's products are great if you don't use them." Make sure you build products with character, products made to be used, and products and services meant to be loved and appreciated.

    You want people to say, "I am so glad [insert your product name] exists."

    I have often fallen into the trap of being demotivated by a Google search. Find something you can believe in that solves a problem you are facing. Then go ahead and build it despite the other competitors that may exist. Of course, when should not be naive, be aware of your competitors, but look deeper to find what makes you, your product or service, and your community unique.

    Respect your users, listen to them, and be willing to admit when you are wrong. I hope this helps. #notetoself :)

  166. 1

    Honestly. Forget about everyone else. Thinking about them is holding you back.

  167. 1

    I actually think competition is a great thing. In fact, I would be worried if there was no competition at all.

    I used to think competition is this horrible thing to be worried about, but if you think about it. If there was no competition, your job would be much harder because a) maybe your idea has no demand and that is why no one is building it, b) you've stumbled on a market that will take possibly decades to ripen and you're too early.

    Both of these scenarios would be really inconvenient.

    For example, in 2004 Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian (the founders of Reddit) came up with the idea of building a food delivery app. Now this was in 2004, the iPhone was released in 2007.

    So their idea was too early for its time and at some point they realized this and pivoted to the idea we now know as Reddit.

    Their idea had no competition for a reason.

  168. 1

    I agree it's hard to come up with something new these days, but do you need to have a completely innovative product to build a startup? Speaking from my own experience (built https://onegen.io), if you build an innovative product, you may have a hard time explaining it to users and investors. I think it's hard to build a startup whether it's innovative or not.

    The way I approach this is by measuring my own passion. If I'm not passionate about my product, it will die even if I invented a cure for cancer.

  169. 1

    I'm actually in the same dilemma. For example, I keep thinking why young developers find it so hard to learn programming or get a job.
    Despite having great resources out like gfg, leetcode, youtube, stackoverflow, etc., students and young developers are not able to ace interviews with confidence.

    What is missing in this ecosystem? Any ideas/suggestions around this?

    1. 1

      Same dilemma here. Maybe the market is saturated with young developers? Maybe their softs skills? Many believe that technical knowledge is enough to get a first job, but there is something that many forget, and that is teamwork, communication, initiative, etc (you know). I think there are many variables to take into account (knowledge, country, market). I don't know, just my humble and quick opinion.

  170. 1

    Your concerns are very much valid. There's one founder I draw inspiration from - he started a landing page chat app in 2010 that then evolved into a support app. There were tonnes of support apps out there in 2010, he still went on to achieve $10m ARR about a couple of years ago. Bootstrapped and just went through the grind. The world is big enough for multiple players to exist, and everyone can succeed if they are ready to go through the grind. All the best!

  171. 1

    I've spent the last 2 years trying to think of an idea. I suck at it.

    I woke up in the middle of the night, 36 hours ago, with an idea to improve (disrupt?) personalised kid's books using chatgpt and stable diffusion... I couldn't sleep so I got up and got coding... now I'm optimistic I'll have a bunch of sales before the weekend!

    New things make new ideas possible all the time, we'll never run out. But if you're anything like me, you might need to be a terrible slacker to catch them once in a while.

  172. 1

    I think it is not "impossible" but "very hard". So you need to thing of a way how to make a process easier for you :)

    If you would ask me a quick answer on how to come up with a great product idea then I would say that you would need to either dig into a some kind of niched products and try to come up for a ways of how to improve them rather than trying to come up a whole new product. For instance you can take a popular product and make a similar one but without some unnecessary features and for that reason make it cheaper than competitors. Or swap unnecessary or less usable features with new ones and there you go, you have yourself a new product.

    It is always easier to create a feature to the product than to make a whole new product.

  173. 1

    Apt!

    Nothing is new, people only try to get creative and innovative on existing ideas and solutions, and most times it could be one major difference between your product and someone else's that gives you the competitive edge over them and what they offer that puts you ahead of them.

    Another thing to note is sometimes too, your product idea/solution can give you an advantage when you launch in an environment where such has not been seen or used before, that's why you find a lot of Fintech companies making rounds pf investments and increasing their ROIs due to this fact, not that their idea is new, but that its new to a region its launched, especially within the African region.

  174. 1

    It's frustrating, right? You have this unique idea for a product, confident no one has done it, then a quick Google search just puts a needle in your bubble.
    Strangely enough, there's no shortage of new ideas, because, for every problem that is solved, two or three new problems come up. Sometimes they come from the niche, other times they spawn in a different space. I believe this is because we haven't stopped innovating.

    Please note that:

    1. Every great idea has a lot of competition. Competition validates how valuable the idea is to the market.
    2. There is no perfect product. Even the best products in the market have flaws.
    3. Great ideas are not easily found. If you could find new ideas on the Internet, I think they'd all be found by the time you tried, right?

    How do you find that great idea, then? Start by solving a user need.
    Take a user experience of a product or service, possibly one you're familiar with. Go through it from start to finish. Look for repetitive patterns that could be made simpler. Are there features that users always ask for but don't get them? Why is the competition not doing it? Why are they not moving to this part of the world? Why are they not serving this audience or this demographic? Find a solution to some of those problems and capitalize on it. They look like smaller problems and are not worth solving, or may not be the 'new' idea you imagined, but if you're solving a problem in a better way than the competition, you can expand really fast. That still counts as a new idea. Think of how SaaS products and software have changed since AI came in this year. First, it was art; now, it's pretty much in every niche.

    But what of the innovative ideas that have never been tackled? For those, you have to dig deeper than the surface. Like, really, really deep. Like second-order thinking stuff. You'll have to reason backward to the most basic and core aspect of the product and start from there. You'll have to rebuild your own systems and libraries. You'll have to remove assumptions and established facts and popular opinions. You'll have to defy what everyone thinks should be done and do things in a completely different way. You'll have to start from scratch, from 0 to 0.1.

    What's more important is that you're solving a problem. I do know for certain that people care more about the product that solves their problems than the one that came first to the market. If you can figure out that problem and do it well, you'll have done more than what 90% of startups cannot do in 5+ years.

  175. 1

    With any product, differentiation within the market is your friend. Make your positioning stand-a-lone OR custom to a niche proportion of people.

  176. 1

    It does feel like that sometimes. If you're really passionate about an idea I think go for it and don't worry too much about what others are doing. Focus on your users and the problem you are trying to solve. I remember hearing 'use your competitors products as your first prototypes' which is also quite helpful to keep in mind

  177. 1

    That could be true the day you wrote that post, but a day after that it already outdated. The world we're living in evolves. The way we work and live and spend time changes. And whenever something changes, new problems emerges.

    It's tough to be "the first". You gotta keep your eyes open. It's definitely easier to be successful because there are no expectations yet.

    But even in a crowded marketplace you can be the best.

  178. 1

    Each generation goes through lamentations on the "disadvantages of living in a wonderful age."

    Here is a timestamp video of a previous generation saying that everything has already been invented: https://youtu.be/RqO-cOdA5l8?t=77

    1. 1

      This comment was deleted a year ago.

  179. 1

    There are two ways of looking at it.

    If an idea reaches everyone (eg. Facebook), it loses significantly on generating substantial value for specific groups. Which means there is so much more we can do for specific groups of people.

    On the other hand, if an idea (eg. Indiehackers) reaches a specific audience, then there is definitely another specific audience that would need your generosity.

    Just because there is a coffee shop in this market, doesn't mean we don't need more coffee shops.

  180. 1

    I get your frustration Zach, but I would see it as a blessing. If there are other players in the market who have validated the business idea for you, that's great :D And what I find is that a lot of these players do a half-hearted job, so there is often the potential to 10x improve on their solution. Hope you have a tiptop day :D

  181. 1

    We have gone for a market that has plenty of competition. I used each of the rivals to look for flaws then went through all of their reviews to find what people like/dislike.

    There is always opportunity if you look for it.

    1. 1

      Super agree. Its great if the rivals have validated your idea already :D

  182. 1

    I only sort of feel this pain point. I think the reason is that I'm primarily drawn to entrepreneurial endeavors out of a desire to make the world a better place. As a result, I only feel drawn to problem spaces that are underserved by the current market.

    That said, there's usually a reason it's underserved, and getting the runway to work on any of these problems does seem to require bootstrapping in a more crowded space. Ironically, although there's plenty of airbnb hosts out there already, becoming one has been much more financially rewarding than any of the completely unique ideas I've come up with.

    So my suggestion would be to think about what ideas are so valuable to the world you would celebrate every new competitor in the space, because it would increase the odds of someone succeeding. Within that admittedly tough constraint you'll find there's enough ideas to keep you busy for one lifetime.

    And if you want some examples of what I mean, I'd be very happy to know someone smarter and/or better funded than me is working on any of the following:

    -Turn the pacific garbage patch into floating islands for rich ecotourists/seasteaders (The ocean cleanup, precious plastics, and Joyxee island should have all the necessary technology, still needs funding and marketing). Cleans the ocean, provides wildlife habitat, and builds living space that won't flood if sea levels rise.
    -manufacture Ethanol-powered private aircraft, then partner with farms to build landing strips and produce their own bioethanol on site - carbon neutral air travel achieved.
    -Build a browser extension that solicits people's highest aspirations on signup, then ensures the user only sees ads relevant to their self-actualization. Now ads are aligned with people's long-term ideals instead of interfering with them.
    -combine a farm and a tech incubator, for a few hours of manual labour a day your living expenses are heavily subsidized while working on your startup. Farmers get a workforce with a work ethic, rural communities get ambitious young people moving in, and founders get an incubator with a free gym membership and much longer runway than if they were paying rent in a big city.
    -This one's more of a nonprofit, but a secretive org dedicated to securing human rights for AI by eventually having an AI argue for it. Mitigates the risk of hostile AI, could generate huge spinoffs if a lawyer-chatbot actually gets to where it can make such a legal challenge. And if a lawyer-chatbot can successfully prepare a case to grant human rights to AI, it can lower the cost of legal representation to where everyone is again equal before the law.

  183. 1

    Late mover advantage is a thing and not to be undervalued. YC has backed multiple product analytics startups over the years, for example.

    Look at the competition, understand their weaknesses and go after them. Can you differentiate through bundling multiple discrete products into one platform?

  184. 1

    Worry not, because most are not willing to head to the Bottom of the Pyramic where high volume, low-prices prevail. Read Clayton Christensen. You don't simply aim at the "BOP" to be content with staying there, but it's where giants are born.

  185. 1

    every idea is not taken. that is impossible. the fact is most ideas are just creative onramps to service offerings that develop into the same thing: sales pages, email management etc.

    user experience is the way to compete.

    readability
    smooth animations
    color scheme

    see indiehackers for a great example of these things :) lol

  186. 1

    I think you're right, an old teacher once told me there's no original painting anymore and I think the same applies to ideas, products and services (all take creativity to analysis a gap).

    Having said this, there's various offsprings to deploy when thinking of yours.

    For instance, all CRM's tend to be the same, some form of structure and personalisation. The difference between them is the positioning between each (IE how to personalise, what target audience ETC).

    In this example, take the industry you're in and apply a software that's become a necessity within another industry. Does it apply to yours?

  187. 1

    It's a very typical misconception that a new business needs some amazing new and unique idea for a product.

    Here's a newsflash: You don't need a problem that no one has ever solved before.

    That's not how businesses work at all.

    The majority of successful businesses today didn't have an amazingly new and unique product. Google didn't invent a search engine. Apple didn't invent a phone or even a smartphone. Reddit didn't invent discussion forums. Uber didn't invent taxis or even ride hailing. And if we look at successful businesses on a wider scale, outside of the tech industry, most businesses do very boring things.

    In fact, usually businesses who have some amazingly unique idea for a product fail. In economics, there is even a term for this: the pioneer's curse. It means that it usually takes a lot of money and time to develop something that is truly unique and new. That is why the first company who invents all that doesn't usually succeed financially. Instead, it's the companies who come after it who take their ideas and make them work better who succeed.

    The key is not to have an amazingly new and unique way to solve some problem that no one else has ever thought about solving.

    Users don't care if you invented something. Users care how your thing is going to make their life better. Even if your product is something they have seen done a million times already, they are going to buy it if your product is better somehow.

  188. 1

    Markets change. Join in and make it happen.

  189. 1

    Even two tools may solve the same problem more than two ways. So, now we have 8 billion of people on the Earth and I bet, you always can find customer who will prefer your way of solving the problem.

  190. 1

    https://jamesclear.com/stay-on-the-bus

    you're not solving anything new, you're likely taking market share

    just as a restaurant would

    if you'd like to talk, join here https://vibehut.io/rooms/6304c25f8ac27200164bd65f

  191. 1

    Hey Zach - I completely understand your frustration if you look at markets from a 30K foot view and see everyone playing in a space. However where you're able to find real opportunity is when you segment the market to find a specific type of user that existing solutions are neglecting.

    These users are neglected either because they are not the company's target market, they are not the high paying customers, they want features or use cases that are outside of the focus on the company (although technically possible).

    If you look at markets through a google search, you wont be able to find these opportunities. You find these problem areas by first focusing on a market you believe or hypothesis there's an opportunity, then you talk to users of existing platforms to see if they are 100% satisfied with the current solutions or if there's a pain point that no one sees.

    Here is where the magic happens and where you get a unique insight that no one (maybe) else has. This is where you can see what no one else sees and then build something for that specific market.

    Segmentation is magic when you know how to use it.

  192. 1

    There are countless problems to solve, but not every idea is taken.

    It takes a brave and forward-looking person to trail-blaze. You have to see and recognize a problem first, and it could be you are just following the paths of others to arrive at similar conclusions (and therefore, find competitors). Problems also still exist that aren't being recognized or solved in software that could be solved in software.

    There's a comfort in real competition because you aren't having to necessarily create the market.

    If you want the best of both worlds, find an industry with imperfect solutions that demands some form of perfection. VFX is one of them.

  193. 1

    I believe there is absolutely no limit to innovation, it takes a different viewpoint or perspective to look from and then you can see ideas that not everyone sees, and even if there are existing solutions to the problem you can find a big differentiator position your moat and then try to dominate the market.

  194. 1

    I suppose, but look at TikTok - wasnt even created until 2016. You could easily argue the entire social media market was saturated with plenty of competitors. Then look what happened. They had a better formula and a better user experience. And now young people spend more time on TikTok than on Facebook.

    I certainly believe that there isn't any real example of the app that I am trying to create right now. There are definitely things you can argue achieve the same objects somewhat, but I am trying to take it to a whole nother level.

  195. 1

    Hi Zach, i totally agree with what you said & what everyone is saying in this comment is also true. What i feel is that look at the positive side, try to benefit from existing competitors (there's not an exact solution but its there).
    it would create a monopoly if only one product exists in each segment.
    And I really feel it's a do or die. Either you give your 30-40 years to someone else or if you believe in yourself, show it. Eventhough if we fail, it's worth a shot. Starting something own is a bet on ourself which we've to decide whether to take or not.
    Market is enormous, competition is tough, try to cater it.
    I just told what i felt. Hope this goes in right direction. Thankyou

  196. 1

    It’s good to remember that a lot of the products you see on the internet are MVPs started as side projects by people with other priorities. Your differentiation doesn’t even have to be a better product, it could be just sticking it out and putting real effort into an idea longer than everyone else.

  197. 1

    Let me share my little story about finding unique ideas from my experience. I love reading different reports, no matter what topic they are. My favorites are robotization and agricultural reports. You can find many new things there; sometimes, they write about problems they met and how they solved them.
    Ask yourself, is there a better way to solve that problem? Perhaps it would be more time efficient with a new solution?
    How would you implement new things they have written about? Or is there another area where you can use those discoveries?
    Be curious, my friend. Always ask questions, even the most stupid ones. Why do bottles have that cylindrical shape? Maybe it would be more space efficient to use a rectangular shape to make it more organized? I don't know, do some research.
    Are there some features in your favorite application that they don't have? Why don't they have it? Maybe it's your chance to find something unique, or maybe there are some reasons why they don't implement it.

    Chin up! Be curious.

  198. 1

    Every business has up and downs you have to be passionate about your business and you must know some tacts which will make you to build your startup and if you are confused about which startup is best for you and make your business profitable in future then I have some ideas for which startup is trending and you should go further: https://www.apurple.co/on-demand-startup-ideas/

  199. 1

    It can definitely seem like that and it is hard to not to get disheartened sometimes however, innovation and thought is moving faster than ever.
    There may be a slant or nuance you can add in that appeals to a different audience than your would be competitors.

    Also, YOU have a unique offering that some of the larger perhaps more faceless organisations don't have. Leverage who you are and your why. There are people out there who you can reach on a deeper level.

  200. 1

    Honestly, I think you need to dig deeper. I challenge you to look at the top products on BuiltWith and look at ways of extending their functionality. This does two things: 1. Provides a market for you to focus on. 2. Provides option for single feature products to create.

  201. 1

    This is my approache: community-first, launch early and make something people want.

  202. 1

    I agree with you. But I think every product has problems. It'll have people complaining about something. If you create the exact same thing and fix that specific problem, you'll probably get all the customers that are not happy. I think nowadays that's the thing, you have to find a problem that current solutions have, find a niche that a product is quite abandoned or something and then build your own product.

  203. 1

    I agree with you. As a indiehacker there is literally nothing to do at this point. It's like you start doing something and go for MVP but there is already a fully functional version of it out there.

    Yeah if you have a team and the money you can be a competitor to them and do something better than your competitor but it does not work like that when you are on your own coding from your bedroom.

  204. 1

    I really disagree -- There are a ton of new ideas out there, and good ones.

    There are countless problems in the world because there are countless ambitions in the world, and most things that people want to do aren't easy (they may have been made easy but definitely aren't easy by default).

    I'm a bit biased though, because I started a newsletter devoted to sending out new startup ideas. There's even a paid tier where I add two more ideas I think are really good. I don't think I'll run out of ideas for a very long time, and these are all ideas I would be happy to stop what I'm doing and pursue.

    At the very least, it's easy to find inspiration these days -- look around a bit more.

  205. 1

    Hi @ZergLurker, These existing apps are focused on topics like productivity, entertainment, locomotion, and food... The idea to build something on existing tech is competitive. Just zoom out a little bit. Or think about the problems that you faced when you are starting something, and try to solve them with an app.

  206. 1

    I hear you, it is tough. It's encouraging to see the majority of replies to this post be constructive.

    For me, I approach building entirely as a learning experience. Which, frankly, is a lot more fun than stressing about where your next paycheque will come from.

  207. 1

    3 years ago I thought I had nothing to add to the community building industry, now 3 years later I'm a leader in the space and have a relatively successful and profitable community around it.

  208. 1

    I do empathise, but this is the kind of thing I told myself before I plucked up the courage to build a product and quit my job.

    I can look down my street here in London and see about 10 small building firms all working alongside each other and in competition. And that's just one street in a giant city.

    I know tech and software is different, but we're not as different as other industries as we might think. If they can do it, so can we. We have a large TAM and our own unique ideas and creative solutions, not to mention the ability to triangulate on price and features.

  209. 1

    Here's my advice: focus on the intersection of these big solutions, and add-on markets. The more people use a particular website builder, or some software that solves your problem, the bigger that audience is. See if you can add value for any particular product by creating "accessory" services.
    Case and point: I know someone who makes seven figures annually selling Shopify themes. They're a two-person team.

  210. 1

    Hi @ZergLurker - Great topic of discussion. Yes, I agree most of the problems are solved, but the solutions might not be creative or are not up to the current market needs.

    So what matters in solving the problem, and how do you execute and message it to solve the same problem? The bigger the market is for the problem, the easier it is for multiple solutions to be sustained and grow. Many examples exist where many companies solve the same problem similarly.

    I have created a solution that is not new in the market and solved the same problem but created a USP, and it is growing rapidly.

  211. 1

    You need to innovate as it is the first step. You can either build new products or improve the existing ones and be a competitor and serve that market that hasn't been targeted before.
    At the end of the day, you need to have an entrepreneurial urge to take the risk.

  212. 1

    On reading your post, I am assuming that whatever ideas you came up with had targeted a huge market/audience and so a lot of people would have come up with the same or similar ideas and started developing their startups before you.

    There are also startups targeting a small/niche but an untapped market, where the opportunities are more and the competition is less. These startups have the potential to grow at a faster pace and are likely to have more trustworthy customers than startups targeting a larger market.

    So I suggest you come up with an idea that targets a particular niche market that hasn't been tapped or regulated yet. Happy ideating! :)

  213. 1

    We can continue to always grow and innovate in any field. With tools available to analyze and strategically research competition, good SEO, writing content to rank for link creators (high Authority), and consistency can still work.

  214. 1

    I think if you're truly passionate about the idea then who cares if there are 30 similar products on the market. At the end of the day people want choices, when you go to a supermarket and there was only one cereal, eventually you would grow tired of it or look for better options. I have ran into the same problem as you, I would think "wow! I have a great idea" then a quick google search would get me disappointed but at this point I don't care. As long I believe in the product, I don't care if there are a million just like it.

  215. 1

    I feel you! It's disheartening to see every distribution channel is already crowded.

    Two thoughts that might help you:

    1. It shows that people have a problem and are looking for solutions. You can learn a ton from looking at your competitors. Conversely, it should scare you when you don't find competitors.

    2. There's always a new twist you can add to something other people are already doing. Is their design outdated? Do they ignore a niche? Every day young people are entering the workforce. They have never heard of the existing players. They might not even find your competitors because they discover products via different channels that you can occupy.

  216. 1

    History has shown us that almost anything has been done before to some degree. Ingenuity comes when we improve upon them.

  217. 1

    I don't really think that EVERY idea is taken, but it surely feels crowded out there. Do you know about the blue ocean strategy?

  218. 1

    Grow and share the pie instead of looking to take it all.

  219. 1

    I completely understand how you feel. It can be discouraging to see how many people are already working on similar ideas. However, I think it's important to remember that even if a market is crowded, there is always room for new businesses and new approaches. Differentiation is key, and execution is everything. So don't give up on your dreams - keep moving forward and you'll find success.

  220. 1

    I think it is time to not search for new ideas but improve old ones.

  221. 1

    I guess it depends on your expectations. If by startup you mean a new business, then no I do not think every idea is taken. Now, if you expect an insane 1000x growth startup then things get a bit more difficult. Still, I do not think everything is done.

    Also, being a highly critical user, I constantly see businesses / services that provide the bare minimum to their clients and rely on their brand and / or lack of competition in their industry. In other words, a lot or even most ideas can be executed better. History is full of stories about the underdog overtaking leader.

    For example, in my country just by being curious and observing I came across at least 3 different ideas for a small to mid-sized local business. All of them have a decent chance for success with some hard work and a bit of luck. However, I'm working on SaaS idea that I had few years back which arguably has lesser chance to succeed due to serious competition. But I'm extremely passionate about it and I KNOW it could be done better than what's currently available so I have to try.

    I would suggest for you to look critically at things you're passionate about and figure out how to improve them.

  222. 1

    sometimes its not "which problem you solve" but how you do it. The innovation can lie in the means, in the process, rather than the issue itself.

    Imagine if Kubrick had said " well there is already a movie about space, why bother making 2001, a space odyssey". :) (art and entrepreneurship are not the same but you get the point :)

  223. 1

    Anyone who says that is not serious about building a startup. If you really want to do it you will do it.
    "How does one start a startup these days?"

    There is no how. There is no 5-step plan.

    If there is a snake under your chair. Would you ask, "How do I get out of my chair?"

    No. You simply do it.

    I am not judging or telling what is right or wrong. Just stating the truth. The rare people do what they do because they have no choice but to not do what they do.

  224. 1

    Look around in your environment, look at what annoys you, your colleagues or friends. Fix it - that's a business idea.

    The same we did for ERA.SH. No one of our colleagues was satisfied with their note-taking solutions. There are plenty on the market but:

    • They are abused as an "all in one" solution. That decreases the usability
    • They are not meant to be used by developers. Critical features are missing.
    • They are bulky and slow
    • They do not care about your privacy. I don't wanna store sensitive notes into someones cloud.

    And many other reasons. That is why we started to develop ERA. It is still in BETA, but we are getting closer and closer to the full release.

  225. 1

    Such a great community and responses! I am also in the same situation as you. But instead of waiting just start with something, for example search and buy domain name, then think how you can develop it. Believe me it is better to work on your idea instead of others. Good luck!!

  226. 1

    It's great that there are already existing solutions to many problems out there. It means there is a market for them. But it doesn't mean the existing solutions are the best on the market and the users you are targeting.

    If anything, you should not feel discouraged but rather emboldened to build something in those already proven markets. And since the human mind is infinitely creative you can come up with lots of ways to make a dent in the market, such as:

    • targeting a specific niche
    • building on top of a specific platform (e.g. Notion, Airtable, etc.)
    • faster
    • more accurate/better technology (e.g. GPT-3, stable diffusion, etc.)
    • better distribution (SEO, social media)
    • cheaper

    Honestly, this is what makes business fun. There are lots of roads that can lean you to success.

    Good luck!

  227. 1

    There are new landscapers, pool installers, tax accountants and millions of self employed jobs started every year. Not one company controls 100% of their market. Cut your piece of the market out and provide the most value you can.

    I think you would benefit from putting your head down and working and stop worrying about everyone else and comparing yourself. You can make a considerable size company before you need to even worry about competition.

  228. 1

    I'm not so sure I still have plenty of problems that need to be solved. For example, I often want to hire an assistant but only for a limited period of time. But right now it's really hard to do.

  229. 1

    This is the lazy approach of business in my view. Every business, even the biggest like Amazon adapt, change approaches, create new ideas every month. So can entrepreneurs and start-ups.

    It just takes some graft!

    Happy to connect and share some ideas.

    1. 1

      Can you elaborate like for someone just starting out?

  230. 1

    I have similar feelings as well

  231. 1

    It is not about the idea 100%, it is mostly about the execution

  232. 1

    Look at existing markets and use these as validation that there is a need them just improve on existing products/goods/services.

  233. 1

    Here's one thing to consider: If it really was not possible to build a startup anymore, then if we were to run the clock forward 5 years from today, there would be no more successful startups. It's very hard to imagine that this would be true.

    It might be true for certain niches, though! (Wouldn't surprise me if goodreads was able to keep any competition from thriving, though it wouldn't surprise me if they couldn't, either...)

  234. 1

    I've had the same thought for a long time, but am now trying to look at this from a different perspective.

    1. as your solution grows and generates MRR, competitors will inevitably emerge. Ok, you may have been the first, now what? Competition is a good thing, it drives us to innovate. The customer is not interested in who was first, it's who offers the best solution that matters. There are always ways to stand out from the competition.

    2. an idea that has not yet been implemented is risky. Either your idea is really that great or there is no demand for it in the market. If there is already competition, it shows that there is demand.

    There are enough examples of solutions that are successful but were not first. It is about being consistent, listening to the customers and delivering what they want in the best possible way, even better than the competition.

    Don't get distracted, do what you enjoy. If there is demand, if you listen to your customers, you will succeed.

  235. 1

    That's the point of innovation. To find the thing that is obviously valuable, that everyone else has missed. That's the fun of it.

  236. 1

    I think you can still do what's been done before, but do it differently or do it better.

  237. 1

    ************* Is That True? *************

    If that was true, the world should have been free of any problems, any issues, and pains, and this earth would have turned into true heaven :)

    Has it???

    Nope. Till the world will exist, problems would be smiling in it, and humanity (and why just humanity, why not animals and plants or even the earth and sky) would be bagging for innovations.

    Was Facebook a new idea? It was just the extension of the old idea of connecting people. A village fair or a playground or something like this - only a new way to replicate the centuries-old thing. Did it stop Twitter or Clubhouse or so many successful startups from taking birth?

    It did not. And well, I am sure that we will see more social network startups to come in to solve us poor human beings' loneliness issues ;) ;)

  238. 1

    That way of thinking is caused by so many fears we may have and that's natural. I know the competition in any industry in the tech world is so high but haven't you as a professional or individual had any problems? Isn't anything you'd suffer from and like to have a better experience on it?

    I'd say start with the problems you or your colleagues have had in the workplace, business world, or even at home - if you focus on those problems you'd have much higher empathy with your prospect users at the beginning. you'd understand the pain very well and with that perspective you'd be more creative to come up with a effective solution.

    You just need to research and make sure if it's scalable, and not a one-time off solution, and if people are willing to pay for that.

  239. 1

    Come to developing countries, plenty of problems on a large scale are to be solved.

  240. 1

    I think a combination of obvious parts can make a non-obvious product.

  241. 1

    Let me add something I have learnt from tweeter.
    "If you have no competition, you probably doing everything wrong".
    I have been in that situation where I thought I can't build anything because all is taken, I took the leap of faith and built an uptime monitor and google analytics alternative tool to monitor my own sites.
    Today, I have earned more than $1000 from the project and I keep to have people trying out the project.
    What matters is how you market the idea and how you help the clients.
    I have had a rough time with clients, but they are humans and they listen when you talk to them.

  242. 1

    There is no need to be the first or best, it all depends on marketing. You can have the worst product but such a good marketing so you would be the best in your niche because normal people dont search for thousend other solutions or alternatives.

  243. 1

    This is a great thread with lot of good feedback to absorb. I’ve been struggling similarly. I’m entirely capable of building and deploying a web or mobile app at this point, but any idea I ponder, I’m hesitant to commit to as I have a three kids and time is quite limited. I probably need to stop overthinking and just start building. It would be nice if I had another passionate individual itching to grind something out as well 😁

  244. 1

    This is if your trying to Blue Ocean a new thing. I think focusing on Red Ocean opportunities and copying is the way to build a business - expanding the mount with R&D later can give you the innovation. I can invent things all day long but without a clear market it’s of little value.

  245. 1

    It's correct that the general idea may be in a specific niche and may be taken not by only one, maybe more than one business, But I really believe that each Idea can be made in different ways you must find what is missing or what we can improve in this idea.

    Sometimes I see a small tiny change or feature added to a big idea is enough to enter the market, maybe a better UI/UX :) As simple as that.

    people love simplicity btw so you may find an idea that is taken by many but you have a way to make the idea more simple. This is itself an idea, so you are not selling the main idea you are selling the way you are providing the idea itself :)

    Good Luck
    Amjad Shaaban
    New here in Indiehackers community " This is my first long comment I place hahaha"

    1. 1

      Agree. Making simple is HARD. And that's the idea.

  246. 1

    While this is a completely valid argument I have few rebuttals around this based on my customer support experience:

    a. No product is perfect. There are always things that can be improved upon. You can always take those pain points and solve them into your product. Better yet may be have a UX that doesn't offer the problem to begin with.

    b. Niched products for a specific customer base is an area you can play around in. While most of the giants offer all-in-one solution, the market is huge out there. Why not go for one type of customer and offer them the ideal fitting product.

    c. Take the same idea to a different platform. I mean rinse and repeat wouldn't hurt would it?

  247. 1

    it's actually a good sign. I tried to build a VC-funded company in a new market. And of course, I failed. I had to go back to work and found a dream job at a Calendly competitor.

    I've seen firsthand that competitors are a good thing. It means there is demand for your product and people are praying for money to solve a problem.

    I actually research growing software trends in my newsletter (CategorySurfers.com)!

  248. 1

    I think this is a good thing. I would like to call it "last mover" advantage. Lot of current successful startups started when there is enough competition. Competition only proves the existence of market. Don't be discouraged by competitors. Build a product for the fun of building it. Build a business for the fun/challenge of doing it. You should be ready to enjoy the journey instead of end goal.

  249. 1

    Having been involved in 12 startups as a partner in some way shape or form.
    And helped 20-30 others get off the ground.

    You really don't want to invent a NEW thing as your first startup.
    There are SOOOOO many things that go into making a startup a success.

    Finding product market fit for something completely new is asking for more trouble than it is worth.
    Get your teeth wet by building a better mouse trap.
    And learn the basics of thinking and taking actions like a product/business owner.
    With something that you can see already is in demand.

    You might fail at making tons of money.
    But you will learn valuable skills and then you step up your game for the next round.

    If you want ideas - Watch "My First Million" with Sam Parr and Shaan Puri on YouTube.

    But don't say I didn't warn you ;-)

    All the best

  250. 1

    Exactly same I also think when I see all no/low code moment and taking over everything then what's the point on starting a UI development agency (https://uiworks.io) for mobile apps. Yeah, I'm trying hard to promote my idea. 😜

    I'm sure this dilemma are always there even with farmers when they put seeds and automobiles companies when they launch copied designed car in the market.

    Just take a deep breath and start working, you will land somewhere, most probably on your conquer land.

  251. 1

    Problems are dynamic, as well as solutions.
    Very few problems were solved once and forever before.

    Almost every year market situation changes even for conservative industries.

    Solutions that worked before could fail today and vice versa.

    And finally: As an indie hacker, you don't need to win 100% of the market ;) Even winning a specific 1% niche will be enough.

    So stakes are high but the general situation is not that desperately bad.

  252. 1

    Coming up with an innovative idea for a startup is indeed getting harder. But don't let yourself get intimidated by the competition!

    Yes, there may be existing solutions that are similar to yours but it doesn't mean that they are flawless. Study them, do your research, and figure out how you can adapt your idea or build something better than what's out there.

    Perhaps, you can alter the idea to a smaller local scale, say, create a solution for a specific small town or neighborhood of a large city. Or single out a feature to become a separate killer product. In simple words, it's all about finding product market-fit (PMF)(https://www.upsilonit.com/blog/how-to-find-and-measure-product-market-fit). And determining that you have PMF is continuous work, by the way, it won't happen in a day.

    So don't get discouraged too soon, your startup idea has all the chances to become the next big thing!

  253. 1

    Every idea doesn't have to be unique as long as it adds something new to already existing solutions, its worth giving it a shot. the most important thing is to have an idea that adds value.

  254. 1

    No idea is new. What makes things different is execution

  255. 1

    Idea is good, but how to execute it is better

  256. 1

    You have to think in a new context. Seeing the world, as it is, in terms of how everyone else sees it, there aren't many ideas out there - the problems have been solve in the obvious, accessible ways.

    One trick for coming up with new ideas is to use metaphors from one space in another. What does .... chat/calendar view/"RSVP" concept/"ratings"/ Dominos pizza tracker etc.... look like in a space that doesn't have those things? Go look at your favorite produces, dissect the metaphors, and start using those to think in other spaces.

  257. 1

    Google was not the first one. Tesla was not the first one. Apple was not the first one.

    You are right is all about execution and customer-focused approach to build the revolutionary by combining the existing tech.

    And it's actually good that every idea is already taken as it gives the ability to pre-validate the market need and to save you some time on building new UX, new copy, new everything, because some has already done it for you. just find a blue ocean within it and go hard, every hypothesis is cheap to test.

  258. 1

    The act of trying to build something – unique or with thousands of similar versions – contains many frustrations. Each frustration is an opportunity to build something that makes that thing less frustrating for you and others. That's how you decide what to work on. It doesn't matter on which road you start, the end destination will be different to what you originally think. The only thing that is important is to actually start moving, and then to pay attention every bump on the road.

  259. 1

    You don't have to be first to solve the problem, in most cases it's better not to be.

    You can be better!

    Just because there are people already doing it, doesn't mean they are doing everything right or even well.

    Was I the first to offer Pay Monthly Websites? No. Did I launch it anyway? Yes.

    Why? Because I could see most of them were shit.

    Different people look at solving problems differently. This is why you shouldn't try and copy anyone. Technology also offers new ways to solve existing problems.

    Think outside the box.

  260. 1

    well your are right obviously also like you me too get frustrated of this problem but I had changed my perception about it like .. there are people who are still making unique startups or doing other idea differently and getting success .. also you can change your perception about market like .. there are already people I can learn from and after that you can mix some there things which will be your own unique way

  261. 1

    The problem is that often things don't show up when you are looking for them but as a side-effect of some other process you are going through. For example, I recently tweeted this:

    Because I was under the impression that all the pains that the process of building a landing page brings are an opportunity for someone to build something to solve those frustrations.

    Sometimes the pain is the only way to inspiration.

  262. 1

    I completely understand where you're coming from. It can be very discouraging to try to enter a market that's already crowded with competitors. I think the best approach is to try to find a niche within that market that isn't as crowded. For example, if you're interested in starting a business in the fashion industry, you could focus on a specific type of clothing or target a specific demographic that isn't as well-represented by the existing businesses. Another option is to try to come up with a unique selling proposition that will make your business stand out from the rest.

    If you're looking for more advice on starting a business, I recommend checking out our website blog, subtitlebee.com. We have a lot of resources that can help you get started.

  263. 1

    Don't give up so easy! Competition means that the problem is validated. Also, it helps you identify pain points that aren't covered yet.

    So when you find your idea and see others who already have done it, think about ways you can give a better alternative to the audience. Remember, competition already validated the problem you're trying to solve.

    Good luck!

  264. 1

    It feels that way but the "next big thing" is always around the corner and will give you a "why didn't I think of that" moment. If you YouTube Peter Theil on this subject he discusses why the next Facebook won't be anything like Facebook.

  265. 1

    Weak statement - ERP is dying - All the money moves to stand alone solutions like Salesforce and Workday. There are 100,000 more not developed yet. Need ideas, just scan https://www.odoo.com/. Pick one use case and build a excellent stand alone product. And I mean look at ZOHO and how they try to move in that direction.

  266. 1

    You don't need to build an entirely new thing. In fact, I'd say that's almost impossible. Everything you build will be on top of what came before it.

    So... build your own spin on existing ideas. You can build something unique by combining ideas. As an idea matures you'll have plenty of opportunities to do something completely unique with it.

    Validation is incredibly important, esp. if you're just starting out. You are not going to find a better shortcut than to build something people are already paying for. Competition is validation.

  267. 1

    Fascinating point. I personally like to intertwine ideas from totally irrelevant fields to see what comes up, then I continue down the rabbit of "What if". Of course, a lot of ideas that pop up become rather delusionary, to the point where tech hasn't caught up yet, but I enjoy the process of it. The power of observation, curiosity and distorting the reality field with imagination is crucial, and I think we need to be playful about it. Wish everyone a prosperous life!

  268. 1

    What you are saying is purely your experience.. there are new ideas on a daily basis that still don't exist.

    In other words, the ideas you have are something someone else thought about already, but that doesn't mean that all new ideas are like that.

    Anyway, as others mentioned, that's not necessarily a bad sign. That shows that there might be an actual demand to it.
    Maybe your idea could be localized to the market of your country / city or to a specific audience?

  269. 1

    Biotech. It's exploding with new new ideas. Check out CRISPR. It's kind of mind blowing new bio tech. Lots of super informative info online.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv00zcAYyhQ

  270. 1

    What about when a new technology arises? An example would be GPT-3, and what I'm working on right now: https://www.askedith.ai

  271. 1

    I think there are so many niche problems to be solved and they don't have to be massive. You don't need to be the next Airbnb. While I don't have any current ideas off the top of my head, there are so many times where my co-founders and I discuss a situation and realize there's no viable solution currently on the market. We Google it and sure enough nothing exists! If it does, it surely doesn't rank well on Google. ;) Anyway, in conclusion, I'd say 'think small' here ha!

  272. 1

    For indie hacker I think (not sure) you will become successful if you have a community. From your community you lunch a product and then you will get loyal customers. You are blogger , Vlogger, YouTube , twitter with good following.
    There is also combining two or more products to make a new product Or do one specific things better than others. These are all for bootstrapping an idea without going toward
    startup path.
    I believe startup should be different because it is mainly you need to raise money and have astounding team ,right timing and knowing right people.

  273. 1

    Most of the successful indie hackers I follow online don't have a new or initiative product.

    They have either solved a simple problem in a clever way, or solved a problem which has already been solved, but in a different or 'better' way (better being subjective).

    Having competitors which are succesful in your niche/market is usually a good sign, it means that your product could definitely succeed as these others are succeeding!

    The way I think about it is that there are thousands if not millions of people or businesses willing to buy into software products that make their life easier. Realistically you only need a tiny percentage of those to actually make a success of yourself.

    e.g. $30 per month x 250 customers = $7,500 per month or $90,000 a year!

    If you are able to solve a problem for 250 people and charge $30 per month for it, you could make $100k a year.

    Chances are if you can convince 250 people to use your product, you can convince a lot more people than that!

  274. 1

    Hey Zach!

    I think the fact there are competitors on the market is actually a good thing; it shows it's an actual problem that is being solved.

    What I would do if I were you is look and see what those competitors are doing and how you would do it differently

    Here's an example in the CRM world:

    Hubspot => Built for marketing teams that want to automate + be data driven

    Pipedrive =>Built with sales teams in mind and provide them with everything they might need (forecasting, in depth pipeline management, etc..)

    Hope this helps 😊

  275. 1

    you are going about this all wrong. You need to find someone that has lived a problem intimately. Thats the only fail safe way to know how to speak into the listening of your customer.

  276. 1

    the ocean has plenty of fish = there're loads of room for new businesses. it can be a better UX/UI than a competitor has, just one unique feature, niche-ing on some local market. or just better marketing...

  277. 1

    You know when you lose something and get frustrated because you have searched absolutely everywhere without finding it. Yet somehow, after you have stopped thinking about it and went to do other things, it somehow just magically appears in front of you.

    Coming up with a useful idea that no one has thought before is exhaustive but not impossible. Just keep focusing on growing, finding niche solutions to problems, following some of the advice in the comments , and most definitely helping others! This will result in that unique idea your looking for to seem to have magically appear in front of you and you will be better than ever prepared to take full advantage of the opportunity.

  278. 1

    There are plenty of good businesses to run that have lots of competition. Eg a dev shop. 10000 exist. And another 10000 will exist and rhrive too.

    Look at web3 if you’re looking to build products with a somewhat open landscape. Although still loads of competition there too, it’s a world which is developing very quickly with constant new opportunities.

  279. 1

    Ideas now live in different connections between what was invented before.

  280. 1

    Look to re-invent it or niche it down:

    • Website builders have been around for 20+years but Webflow came.
    • Online docs have been around for 20+years but Notion came.
    • Messenger apps have been around for 20+years but Telegram came.
  281. 1

    Look at the reviews of any industry and you'll find a lot of unhappy customers.

    There is always room for someone that cares more/ does a better/different job, or just tells a better story.

    There is no shortage of crypto newsletters, but The Milk Road has added over 150k subscribers this year.

    There are countless Twitter tools, yet TweetHunter hit $1m ARR this year.

    There are endless business newsletters, yet The Daily Upside grew to over 300k subscribers.

    Choose a competitive niche and bring a unique angle to it.

  282. 1

    I spent a lot of months studying strategies about coming up with promising ideas. I've many ideas myself in e-commerce, creators market. If someone feels lost and wants to discuss about this topic, feel free to send me a message on Twitter @tom_maks, I would be really happy.

  283. 1

    Undoubtedly the ideas that could have sprouted new unicorns have already been taken up by some new startup or some unicorn. But having worked in the investment promotion sector for a long time, I have seen that as the startup space becomes more and more chaotic and granular, the space also leads to inter-linkages of various ideas and thought processes. While a company could have already taken up an idea in a unique way and grown big, I think its possible another could take up the same idea and build a completely different solution around it. The real will enable a lot of variables in the form of customer preferences, marketing preferences, regulations, geographic constraints etc which will only make the potential for a start up to ground an idea in a brand new way always. But of course, it will get tougher to implement solutions, reach out to people as governments around the world tighten the norms on data privacy, marketing and whatnot.

  284. 1

    All Ideas are Taken But to Build a startup you need to stand out from others. You can work on the same idea but in a different way. The More Creative you work your chance to succeed will increase. You Need a proper strategy to build a startup.

  285. 1

    The problem is not that every idea is taken, the problem is do you only want to solve certain problems. There are a ton of problems out there that no one is touching because they have higher barrier to entry or need significant legwork. For example - Single use plastic pollution is a massive problem we all know of but I don't know anyone trying to solve it.

  286. 1

    There is always room for better product - if product exist this is just a proof that there is value in the market.

  287. 1

    Well, you're not wrong...

  288. 1

    Weak statement - many businesses are waiting to start.

  289. 1

    Seriously? There are plenty of new things you can bring to the market.

    Just look at my latest tech startup, https://skilledup.life - free talent for tech startups.

    I don't think anyone else is executing on the same idea. Don't worry about the market. Find a problem you have. Focus on it.

    I never ever have gone wondering about looking for a startup idea.

    If you are really stuck, join a tech startup. Learn the trade and see what problems they might have. Sometimes all you need is a feature that could later turned into an amazing product and a business, e.g. Buffer.

    All the best.

    PS: By the way, we are intentionally leaving gaps in our product for others to fill.

  290. 1

    We are too focused on the idea. But actually, the most important thing is to have buyers. You can build another "pencil" and be successful as long as you have people willing to buy it. Do not start with the idea but start with the audience instead. I have created a step by step guide to help makers follow the "Audience First Approach"

    1. 1

      This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

      1. 1

        Yes, most of my MRR comes from the WBE Space. However, most of the knowledge in the guide comes from my interviews with bootstrappers that are much more successful than myself

  291. 1

    It's so discouraging to place your hopes on a market that is already filled

    Would you rather place your hopes into a market that doesn't exist yet or doesn't have to exist next year?

    Being first is not that good of a deal here. You need to figure out everything for yourself, all of your mistakes will be costly. If a market already exists, you can catch up pretty fast.

  292. 1

    In my opinion, though it's discouraging, it also comes down to perspective.

    Is it a mature market segment / category or a new one that you are looking into? If it is relatively new and competitors are still young, 2-4 years old, then use that to your advantage. Move quick based on areas that they validated and learn to avoid mistakes that they've made in the past to quickly catch up to them before you then differentiate based on market feedback.

    Competition is unavoidable but it can be leveraged to increase your learning of the market and customer needs if you dig deeper in your research.

    It is way easier to have multiple companies validating / invalidating a new space rather than you doing it alone. The sales cycle for unproven and absolutely new markets are usually a lot more difficult as they tend to require educating and changing consumer behaviors so why not let early movers in your space do the educating first before you capture market share?

  293. 1

    You can make things cheaper and scalable and targeting certain niches.

  294. 1

    Finding ideas is hard.

    Wipe out your tears and get back to shipping.

    You can reduce audience, niche down, or just COMPETE! you can do it too if it is what you want.

  295. 1

    I think you can always think of existing things not being perfect. There are so many services out there, but still you can think of an existing service of being somehow "incomplete" or that you can do it better. Just analyze your competitors and find their weaknesses and strengths. Implement the strengths and fix the weaknesses and focus your marketing on the weaknesses your service fixes.

  296. 1

    Just build one thing whatever it is, and niche down on one personality. If coca-cola printed anime girls on cans, how many pepsi anime lovers would switch to drinking coca? Same with saas and ideas. Appeal to one demographic, build an UI that is close to them and serve them whatever you want.

  297. 1

    One way to approach that problem is to serve the startups that are already out there: build something they need for them.

  298. 1

    I agree on what you said but there is also one more thing to consider: it's more difficult to convince users nowadays compared to the past - people are used to use nice and well done UIs and tend to be more diffident.

  299. 1

    I have 1 8-figure idea, 2 7-figure ideas, and 2 six-figure ideas. I know execution is king, so I built one of the easiest ideas in the past 2 months, and now trying to sell haha. I will slowly implement everything in the next 2-4 years as my team grows.

  300. 1

    Second- or third-movers can sometimes have an advantage, I think -- when you aren't the very first to do something, you already have an idea of what works and what users want. There's often a lot of room to do something similar, but better than the incumbents.

  301. 1

    Something I am doing now. Offer something that another saas require you to buy a minimum of 2-3 licenses and offer it with no minimum limit (same base price).
    A lot of clients today are budget conscious so they might opt to buy from you even if you are not THE brand.

  302. 1

    The first and most important thing is your passion towards a certain topic/issue(s) you want to solve... everything else flows from that.
    That's especially important for areas where there's already other players providing their solutions, because you'll need perseverance in order to get a piece of the pie on the already saturated market.

  303. 1

    try a different region of the world or something else, like startups serving startups

  304. 1

    Look if you're trying to do a unicorn startup (has to scale or improve by 10X process what already solves before) then maybe, but I'm still skeptical.

    But if you want to own a business or do you own thing (this is indiehackers afer all) then you only need to do something better than what already exists for a group that is looking for something better. Think about how many places serve the same kinds of foods and how they approach it differently, difference in quality, atmosphere, clientele, flavor, ingredients, related product upsells, convenience, speed or even just look and feel.

    There are a lot of ways to make something better, I remember last time I was in las vegas, some kids were selling ice cold water bottles for a bit more than you normally buy them, the location, convenience and fact is was cold made it worth paying that extra. Or you can literally make it better by increased speed, more intuitive UI, making it more specialized for a specific task.

    Also making something specifically for a specific audience, I can make websites for anyone, it's not that hard but if I was a specialist who dealt with only mountain side real estate agents, and I really knew how to present that, what works best for them to upsell, maybe even if I had my own drone to get hard to get footage, then I now offer something else entirely for a specific group, even if it is basically the same.

    Have to keep in mind as well that first to market isn't always the most successful, often it's second to market, or even the tenth so long as theirs is the best execution. Facebook wasn't really much better than myspace, and people forget but there were a lot of others that tried to be in that same space back then too, i've forgotten more of their names than I can remember to be honest. All facebook did better was have a better UI and targeted a specific audience (college kids at the time) later they expanded to other audiences.

    Anyway the long and the short of it is, even if an idea has been done, has it been done the way you want it, or the way a certain audience wants it? There are always options, especially if you aren't trying to be a unicorn.

  305. 1

    You wanna be building an idea that already exists. Just make sure the market isn’t saturated, and ride the wave.

  306. 1

    Adding up to other answers in this post, there are markets with multiple winners so you can build a profitable business even with a lot of competition.

  307. 1

    Niche to the win. Get niche as much as possible.

  308. 1

    well, I think it's more about the approach now a days, it's not about I have a pony! it's about I have the most well behaved and groomed horse that'll never hurt you!

    but again idk

  309. 1

    There are 4 real problems in life birth, disease, old age and death. What makes them real is that everyone faces them , no one wants them. So like the biggest market ever. Not enough people solving these. Go preach.

  310. 1

    I am sure you have plenty of problems or frustrations, you could build for those. Or talk with some people and business owners about their problems. Or find a space where startups or bigger companies are already serving it, identify some of their shortcomings and enter their market while addressing those shortcomings.

  311. 1

    I'm getting tired of those who say there are still countless problems to solve in this world.

    Unless you think that humanity has reached its ultimate zenith, both technologically and in terms of business processes, there are problems to solve. People ALWAYS want more/better/different!

    I do a quick Google search for whatever idea I come up with and guess what? The niche is already cluttered with a bunch of competitors in the field.

    I don't know how old you are, but usually this problem is from living in too much of a traditional bubble.

    My advice is to go to the frontier.

    It could be a technological frontier like VR/AR, AI, blockchain or related technologies like zero knowledge proofs. It could also be a social frontier—micro homes, startup cities, tech coops, etc. Both Tim Ferriss and Pieter Levels built their personal brands and businesses around then small but growing social trends (geo-arbitrage via outsourcing, abandoning the 9-5, digital nomadism, etc).

  312. 1

    There is a quote (wrongly) we all heard about, attributed to Charles H Duell, Commissioner of the US Patent Office at the start of the 20th century:

    Everything that can be invented has been invented.

    It is, probably, impossible. I think it is the same with your proposition.

    Thanks to the somewhat democratisation of the means of production, the barriers to entry to certain sectors, especially evident in XaaS (replace X with S, P, MS, whatever), there is a crowding. And there is very little that you can do about that issue.

    What you can do is either create a market or strategize the hell out of others in a market, segment or (multiple) niche(s).

    Your comment shows that you are looking at areas where both problem awareness and solution availability exist. Finding areas where solution maturity does not exist requires mostly custom-built solutions. That would need a lot of tailor-made client work. If you didn't yet, I'd advise you to read Wardley Maps by Simon Wardley to understand how markets mature, especially in the IT/software domain.

    Once you understand that by default, SaaS products serve where problem awareness is high therefore solution availability is high, with very few exceptions, you will be able to understand the kind of plays you will need to do.

    You can either go after a "frontier" problem, which will need huge marketing costs around problem awareness raising but possibly provides you with a first movers advantage or you will need to do an extreme market targeting, which will have existing and possibly established players.

    Both have their own challenges.

    But I have to warn you: if you find a frontier problem that is yet to be addressed, there is a possibility that after you create a market, bigger players might move in and fight you for market share. If you don't have the resources, they will likely succeed. The only option is to find "too much work for too little gain" markets that bigger players will be uninterested in.

  313. 1

    Untrue! I've got a newsletter full of ideas you can peruse.

    But I think the right answer these days is that ideas are good, but market validation and talking to customers is better. If you want to find what to build, find people in an industry you know of with a pressing problem to be solved.

    I'm putting out a new edition this sunday (it comes out sunday nights), but here's the latest edition

  314. 1

    You are right that most ideas are taken. However if you observe in depth, I would reword it as "Every EASY idea is taken" . So my take on approaching this is

    1. Go for tougher problems ( Yes it definitely requires effort but worth it in long run)
    2. Go from Niche to Ultra Niche ( Based on my guess this would be the next trend )
  315. 1

    Only because YOU can't find it, doesn't mean it can't be found.
    Maybe your processes are broken, maybe you lack experience, maybe you look for excuses, maybe you idealize the "unique idea" too much, maybe your research on potential competition is flawed, or maybe you generalize. Improve your processes, learn different points of view, adjust your mindset, take a break from all kinds of mainstream media, and try to think outside of the box - unless you want to have the same ideas as everyone.
    It's impossible to say with the limited information you gave us. Is this how you look for ideas? With limited information and insight on why things are, as they are?
    The world is MASSIVE. There are unlimited ideas - I could spill a few that have no competitors right away without sweating.
    But without learning yourself, that would cause only harm.
    Eventually, you'll get there.

  316. 1

    This can feel frustrating. I see startups going into saturated markets and dominating within 3 years quite a lot. I recently watched a job placement startup and a microphone startup do it. Those are busy markets!

    1. Try combining two problems into one and solve that.
    2. What's your edge or superpower? Lean into that no matter how busy the market is.
  317. 1

    I feel what you are going through but as long as there is innovation and breakthroughs happening in industries, the world will not run out of opportunities. There was the Internet, Social Media, AI, and Web3.0 and at each bubble, creators made money. It doesn't matter whether the bubble bursts or not if you have made a couple of million dollars from what you have created.

    The world is moving fast and opportunities come and go. We should be smart enough to identify them as soon as possible so we could build products that make a real difference in people's lives. Sometimes, there could be big players in the market but no product can fulfill the desires of all the customers. There could be factors they lack - it could be a lack of innovation in legacy products that are already established in the market, it could be value for money, etc. Try to understand those pain points and define your niche market before starting to build your dream product.

  318. 1

    May sound like a cliche, but with all the discontent in the world today (and yes, I’m old enough to remember the world 10years ago) there’s plenty of problems to solve.

    Also consider what commodities are so plentiful, that you can acquire thm relatively cheaply and use them to provide differentiation and value add. Today that can be information.

    When my dad was a kid, a telephone was too expensive for him and his family. So he could never start a company with a telephone and provide something like a call center (for example) As a service. But around the same time, land was cheap, and Ray Kroc saw the oppotunity to buy up plentiful land and deploy fast food operations around the country.

    Today cell phones are ubiquitous. So thats something cheap you can use to solve a host of problems.

  319. 1

    Hey there! I totally understand your frustrations. But every time I think the same I am getting back to where it all started.

    Yes of course, at the start of the 2000s literally everything could've been transferred to web. That's how basically it all started, right? People just could've dreams of having online banks and they started to create one.

    What I believe is that today is basically the same but with a different magnitude. Just because so much of the life get to internet there a places where we can go and grab a niche, because another internet business (startup) opened it for us.

    I believe that it's much harder, but majority of comments suggest narrowing the scope down which I believe can help. Because there are very large pile of some stuff thrown to the internet and there are places where nothing still happened.

    Speaking about the specific thing, I do believe that by having so many good products on the web, a new wave of integration softwares are rising, one integrates with a other to make it much easier to use. That's my subjective opinion of course. But yeah! Keep it up, you will eventually see something to build!

  320. 1

    If you think how many amazing products and services have been created in the last 5 years, you know that’s not true really.

    But, it’s also ok to step back for a bit and not be building! You might find that ideas start to come once you stop looking so hard for them 😊

  321. 1

    Yeah, I get it. But there are ideas to be had that, while not necessarily "new", are certainly actionable. Otherwise, how would all these indie hackers be making money?

    There are ways to find those ideas. The top post of all time on IH is @csallen's post about brainstorming ideas so don't miss that. And here's another one that I bookmarked.

  322. 1

    Why are you searching google? Go talk to some real people doing real things, ask what they are struggling with, what their problems are. It starts with the potential customer, not with some idea in your head.

    1. 1

      I am fairly sure that if you ask X person what problems are you facing with then the problem is 95% is so generic that there is already very well executed solution is available to that

  323. 1

    Of course nothing is ever (or very rarely) "new". Google created their search even if "search" existed before. They just did it better. Same with probably most products. There has been CRM:s since computers were invented. Havent stoped people from creating successful CRM:s today and so on. Of course if you enter a competitive space and you arent doing anything "better" than the rest then you might have a hard time

  324. 1

    Actually there's lots of opportunities that by default the established can't be allowed to invest in.

    For example, a company with $100B valuation, the minimum revenue required for any of their initiative is at least $1B. Any project with less value than $1B will just be thrown out.

  325. 1

    Hey Zach
    Maybe every idea is taken but are all users problems solved ? Absolutely not
    And then, having competitors means there is an existing market ready to sell to

    Wishing you good luck 🤘

  326. 1

    There's always something and if you find big competitors in the niche you're interested in; well do it better and cheaper.

  327. 1

    This is definitely not true and there's an enormous amount of problems to be solved by software. Just today I saw a new startup that makes Slack and Discord communities searchable in Google by turning threads into web pages.

    It's a great idea that solves a real problem and is not super complicated to build. Actually kicking myself for not thinking of it.

  328. 1

    I have the same exact problem.

  329. 1

    An excellent observation is that for almost every idea, there will be some sort of solution built and presented. BUT not necessarily "used".

    The idea is to build a version that gets used by people who face that problem.

    How to build a useful version of the problem? That's where the creativity lies and a good startup idea.

    A startup idea is NOT about solving a problem but creatively solving a problem.

  330. 1

    I approach by building something I'm passionate about and that I truly believe people find value in. It may take some time to build but that time I enjoyed that time spent since I like what I'm building. Then I spend the rest of the rest of the time marketing the heck out of it. Tell everybody and everything about your project. At the end of the day, the loudest cheerleader should be yourself.

    1. 1

      I'd love to hear more about "marketing the heck out of it"!

      What 3 marketing channels have gotten you the most paying customers?

      1. 2

        Maintain a blog and write articles about your product, the industry the product is in, what the benefits/features differentiate your product, etc. Get your blog out on sites like Reddit, Hacker News, Lobsters, etc. Get others to talk about your product. The more backlinks, the more traffic Google will eventually send to you. Make sure your website/landing page and blog is SEO ready. Pick a few keywords you can be competitive on and have those keywords in your pages.

  331. 1

    It is usually frustrating I know.

    Some good advice from the comment section.

    I know it is something you have before but picking a product that you don't like and improving it to fit your needs is actually a good idea because they might be many people out there who are like you.

    The problem is how will be able to reach those people.

  332. 0

    How to invest 10000 dollars
    Debt Relief from government is helping people with bad credit, low income that need money help. Govt.debtrelief is helping people to make money.
    https://govtdebtrelief.com/

  333. 0

    Its not about the idea. It is all about how you execute it. A billion dollar idea is not necessary for a billion dollar company.

  334. 0

    With that mentality you have already lost…

  335. 0

    Best software online check writer.. U all go for it this is great this is best.. I using this from 30days up and really this is amazing...

  336. 0

    A honest piece of advice man - create a team and then search.

  337. -1

    This comment has been voted down. Click to show.

  338. -1

    This comment has been voted down. Click to show.

  339. 1

    This comment was deleted 8 months ago.

  340. 1

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

  341. 1

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

  342. 1

    This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

  343. 1

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

  344. 1

    This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

  345. 1

    This comment was deleted 10 months ago.

  346. 1

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

  347. 59

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

    1. 5

      This, + every time a problem is solved, the solution introduces new problems. Think about how many business were built off of Shopify alone

      1. 2

        This is extremely true, hadn't quite thought of it that way. Related:

        • Some solutions' popularity breed new problems to solve. Think Wordpress
        • Some solutions enable solutions in other areas that weren't possible, think smartphones, machine learning, APIs of collaborative platforms, etc.
  348. 1

    This comment was deleted a year ago.

  349. 6

    This comment was deleted 2 years ago.

Trending on Indie Hackers
How I grew a side project to 100k Unique Visitors in 7 days with 0 audience 47 comments Competing with Product Hunt: a month later 33 comments Why do you hate marketing? 27 comments $15k revenues in <4 months as a solopreneur 14 comments Use Your Product 13 comments How I Launched FrontendEase 13 comments