The first step is always the hardest. The same goes for starting a business.
Do you ever wonder how Elon Musk came up with the idea of PayPal? How Larry Page came up with Google? Or Evan Spiegel with Snapchat?
It might seem like magic (or complete luck), but there’s actually a specific approach to coming up with good business ideas.
In today’s post and episode of Noah Kagan Presents, I break down my formula for creating new business ideas.
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Let’s dive into the exact way I’ve built my own businesses.
Common Mistakes Made by Wantrepreneurs
Know anyone who’s a wantrepreneur?
Maybe it’s you, or maybe it’s a friend who’s always talking about being “sooooo close” to creating that 7-figure affiliate business and only working 3 hours per week.
These wantrepreneurs are people who play business and dream about starting a business “someday”… but mostly end up doing nothing.
Here’s what goes through the minds of wantrepreneurs trying to come up with a business idea:
- “Digital products are the trend now! It’s low cost, high margin. What a no brainer! I’m going to make a lot of money, travel the world, and work from the beach.”
- “Developers make lots of money! I’m going to take a course on Udemy and learn how to code. Then I’ll get my business idea and start building my million dollar app.”
- “SaaS is the future! Subscription and recurring revenue is the best business model. I’m going to be super rich in a few months!”
See the pattern?
All wantrepreneurs want is to make money and get rich; full stop. And they want to do it as quickly as possible.
Their logic in generating a business idea is working in the wrong direction. They’re always looking for the most trendy business model first in hopes of becoming rich.
When their plan doesn’t work out at the end of the day, wantrepreneurs blame everything else except their half-assed business ideas or lazy action plan.
How I Came Up With an 8-figure Business Idea
Not to brag, but my old boss told me AppSumo would never work.
7 years later, AppSumo reaches nearly 1 million people a week, SumoMe helps over 150k sites a day, and the Sumo Group as a whole is an 8-figure business.
How did I come up with these ideas?
Your first step is to recognize what you truly want. Before getting into market research, building a business plan, or setting up a LLC, there’s an easier solution…
Figure out your own pain point where you desperately need a solution. Then, build the solution.
I’ve used this approach myself. For example, here’s how I came up with the parts of Sumo Group, which have become an 8-figure business collectively:
- AppSumo: Daily deal site, getting discounts of the best digital tools for entrepreneurs. Why? Because I love free stuff!
- SumoMe: Free tool to increase website traffic and build your email list. We made it because we want to grow traffic and sales of AppSumo.
- Monthly 1K: Our previous digital course on starting your own business. It was created because I was tired of answering questions about how I build successful businesses one by one.
I’m building something I want, so at worst, I’ll have one customer…
ME!
And in most cases, there will be lots of people like me who have the same problem and want a solution.
Solve a Problem for Yourself
Here’s another big difference between entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs: entrepreneurs solve actual problems (not just come up with random ideas). And the best way to start is to solve a problem for yourself.
Entrepreneurs don’t start a business wanting to get rich quick, wantrepreneurs do. Entrepreneurs find a pain-point and create a solution, while wantrepreneurs find the most up-to-date market trend, jump in and hope to make money from it.
These are some great examples of businesses that solve a problem for themselves:
- Spanx. An innerwear brand is invented because Sara Blakely couldn’t find a comfortable innerwear to pair with her cream-colored pants.
- MistoBox. A subscription service of fresh coffee beans is created because the team wanted to try out coffee beans from different roasters around the country.
- Barbell Apparel. A denim wear for athletic people is built because the founder can’t get a denim to fit his lower body without compromising the style and comfort.
If you’re thinking, “Wait, Noah… How do I know the idea is going to make me tons of money?”
Here’s my answer: You don’t for now.
You’re in the very first step, and your ONLY focus right now is coming up with a valid business idea.
Focus just on finding ideas you want. Validating your ideas, marketing your products, and branding your website? It comes later.
Start with Your Shower Thoughts
What are all the problems you have where you can’t find a solution?
Even if the product exists somewhere, that’s OK. If you haven’t heard of it, it means there’s room in the market — or you can beat any competitors doing better marketing down the line.
These business ideas are what I call “shower thoughts.” Write down any idea that comes to mind, even the dumb ones.
Seriously, go off-the-wall crazy. After all, Facebook began as a website names and faces. Dumb ideas are not necessarily bad.
You’re not trying to come up with the most brilliant idea worth billions right now. Step one is: look for a problem you’re facing yourself, create a solution.
The Challenge: Spend today thinking of, and writing down, all your shower thoughts. Even the dumb ones.
My 10 business idea shower thoughts shared on my podcast:
- Someone to sell all your stuff at home.
- Different colored socks make you happy.
- Zoroastrian princess matchmaker.
- Website Sumo or other saas product optimizer.
- Help me spend my money. Right hand person.
- Clothing shopper.
- Trip planner.
- Home automation expert.
- Mountain bike chooser.
- Free new food samples.
Leave a comment and tell me how you did on this week’s challenge!
Links discussed in this podcast episode:
74 responses to “How to Come up With a Business Idea”
I want my luggage to be ported to the vacation part met or airport or train station, bus station, upon arrival at my destination and prior leaving my destination.
I want to see if I’ve perfectly shaved my head from the back
I want my beers to be ice cold in a matter of few minutes at home or when I’m outdoors
a reputable tiler, plumber, painter, roofer, handyman hassle free online
meal planner
Find possessions delivery van/truck instantly like uber
Car wheel/rim adviser
House and vehicle buying advisor
Simple and easy, like always.
Great ideas.I Like Your Blog Very Much. I see Daily Your Blog, is A Very Useful For me.
Wow, looking good. Good job!
Seems like I replied to the wrong comment, it was meant for @Dan Hill
Love the podcast and this article!
#7: Trip planner – I’ve given this a serious effort: https://mapaday.com – which is an itinerary builder & library.
Now I need content and marketing guru. Anyone want to give me a hand?? 🙂
Just listened to your podcast and you are so right. I have been looking at starting a new business for the longest time and approaching it all wrong. I appreciate your insight Noah! Time to be more aware of my everyday challenges!
It was amazing being on this blog!
I have read few ideas and interestingly all that one hidden desire in common – WHAT IF ALL MY WORKS WERE DONE BY SOMEBODY!!
HEHE i don’t know whether its possible or not… Any ways my idea ?
What if businesses helped other businesses grow?
Thank you very much, Noah.
I come up with business idea in 3 hours.
Can you give a link of the blog on how you validated your idea of coffee gums and built it in the kitchen?
Thanks I really enjoyed this.
I’m late to the game in responding to this, and I found it helpful although, I feel after years and years I’m still stuck not really knowing how to pursue my “good” ideas.
Btw, I actually am a closet auditor and personal shopper in my spare time. (nofrlls.com) I would love to talk to you about what you are thinking in that area. Also, I’m a geek to the core, being centered in UX and IT, you tell me how smart you want your home and I can map that all out for you. This is why I feel we should have met and been best friends over tacos long ago…
But everything happens for a reason.
Here are my shower ideas:
1. People who hate packing for vacations – you go to the hotel, and there are local stores who have their clothes in the closet, you pay for what you want, or leave what you don’t. Less luggage, and support local biz.
2. Saying how you feel on a t-shirt/interchangeable – so many shirts, but why can’t we just have a couple with a changing message (and not LCD screens on the shirts either…)
3. Migraine relief without pills – I’m working on this currently, stay tuned for SWIPE
4. Matchmaker for Dogs – a way for purebreds to find each other, or doggie dates which could lead to more human interaction.
5. Clothing Auditor/Shopping/Concierge – nofrlls.com
6. Medical Discovery Consultant – I have been sick for most of my life, and have helped others find things about their genetics, and other disorders that are not commonly picked up by Western Medicine.. Trying to figure out how to do this without having to go to med school.
7. Home Automation Expert – I’m just really good at this, and have been since I owned a Macintosh Plus in 1987.
8. Neurohacking – I follow TimF, so you already know. But how we do get someone to look at our composition and actually GIVE us a plan?
9. Legal help for the little guy – there are so many lawyers complaining about being broke, and so many people who need help, I’m uncertain as to why they don’t get together, especially startups, and Angellist just sits there in the dust.
10. “Everybody can tell you how to do it but they never did it” – Collective Consciousness – Jay Z came up with this quote. I think people like you and others who have “made it” should be apart of a new Quora, or have some sort of mentor matchmaker program. I know you guys are busy, but I think it would be another awesome attempt to restore connection.
11. Having an app that can look at data and populate calendar or contacts – I wireframed this out, just need a developer, but I get tired of manually entering in events, contacts and all of that, when the technology has been there for a LONG TIME.
I hope something comes soon as I am deep in debt, a grad school drop out, unemployed and wondering how did I get here.
I like this strategy as it indicates to me that my current project has potential as it was a solve for me. I come up with ideas like this often yet don’t know how to make the solution a tangible thing. But who know maybe later I will have the skills or connections to get it going…. note to self WRITE EVER SiLLy iDEA Down!!! Or put in the cloud!! I’m sure their is some real genius from the ideas I get while driving (that is more effective than the shower for me)
On a side note- I could be your solve on having someone shop for you ( or even create) fashion. I have helped men feel for confadent… sexy even with my style advice or creations. My goal is to help men peacock it out! I often work with introverted dorkish males who want to get noticed when they go out to party/socialize. Once your superhero self is able Wear the gear that expresses your now hidden super powers any social fears are crushed. As the life of the party my clients give themselves permission and courage to laugh, dance and play!
So basically if you want a fashion consultant/designer for social senerios, parties or festivals in your girl!
I’d add one more thing… something your’e passionate about. During a long car ride when I picked up the crushed dirty cardboard tissue box from the floor I had the idea of soft packaging for full size tissues that could easily fit in car door storage. I searched Amazon and could not find this. I spent about a half hour brainstorming with my family and then realized that although I’d like to have this I have zero interest in pursuing it. Lo and behold I found this in a store about a year later.
Hey Noah, long time wantrepreneur here, wasted some money on some things before knowing if anyone wanted them. Was looking for a silver bullet when I came across your content recently.
Come from your blogpost on Tim Ferriss’s website. First, thanks for that awesome guide and second, your podcast is now on my list 🙂
I once had a great “shower idea” for a line of baby bedding based on an opera. We sold 2 million dollars worth. 🙂 I am a great believer in shower inspiration!
Do you have a website ?!
Article write by an experienced person. All share it. Very good advice.
First look/listen, after your interview on art of manliness. Thanks!
I had a break because of a car that upset me and I hope someone finds a solution that warns you when there is a car coming towards you…if you found it contact me in my facebook: aube dorée
Love the podcast Noah! I wanted to help with your business idea number 6: clothes shopping for you. I wrote a style case study for you here: http://howtobedapper.com/style-case-study-noah-kagan/
For a long time I heard “find the problem and solve it with software”. I know you have done it and I’ve heard Dane from The Foundation speak about it over & over again.
I decided to think about it a little bit differently and turn it into a coaching service. Learn about someones business, find the problems, and help them discover just the right software that is already in the marketplace. The Software Junkie was born.
When I heard you mention #4 in your list of business ideas, I had to come on and comment.
The podcast is amazing so far and I can’t wait to hear more!
absolutely agree. often people cannot define and communicate their problems and business requirements clearly. and have no idea which existing tools to pick out of the software tool jungle –>dfy-service to identify & pick & implement the right components/modules which fit to YOUR biz.
No need to reinvent the wheel even – take a look at local businesses, then do it better (e.g. better service, better marketing, added value).
I agree with Noah business is not more than solving problems at a granular level. There are dozens of problems around us right now that need to be solved that we don’t even see.
Another great thought provoking article. I like your point about not to just look at trends and go there. We all need to pick ideas that resonate with our values and personality, otherwise when the going get tough -which it will – our dedication could waver.
This one has my wheels spinning! Never thought of it that simply. In a future episode maybe you can dive deeper into the development of the idea especially for example, if you want to create an app but you’re not a programmer, or a fashion idea but you’re not a designer, etc. How do we source the people who can make it happen would be great to explore. I’m also sending this podcast to a personal shopper I know who can rock your world! Recently, he dressed a lot of guys on the Funnel Hacks stage.
Noah, brand new to your podcast and enjoyed this episode. My wife crushes it at trip planning. Check out her instagram @oceanswept. We just came back from an awesome 8 day trek through Florida: beautiful springs, manatees, snorkeling through tunnels, paddle boards, camping, sushi, sake, italian, etc. I bet you she’d plan your trip to CO and it could be borderline a good use of her time for the money, and I’m sure it would greatly benefit you. I know it benefited me last week. I never thought about this trip even once, had no expectations, and for me that is the recipe for a trip that will possibly blow my mind, as long as it’s planned well and caters to at least some of my interests. but if it doesn’t knock my socks off and it’s just a great escape from our daily lives, it doesn’t matter so much. I didn’t invest my personal energy in it, so I’m with you on that trip planning idea. Let me know!
I’d love it if someone could send me a meal planner, recipe cards and a shopping list like every two weeks so I’m always eating clean. I do really well through the week but as soon as the weekend comes and I’m relaxing it’s McDonalds, Krispy Kremes, Pizzas and anything else which is crammed with hydrogenated fats!!!! Mmmmmm hydrogenated fat………
I’m pretty sure other people have the same problem
That’s what exactly this does. https://paleomealplans.com/
Noah, these are awesome! Please keep them coming! Every other week on my three hour commute to Austin for Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training I listen to podcasts by you and Tim Ferriss to amp me up and inspire me in how to build a successful business out of teaching yoga.
This episode even helped me to encourage friends with their own entrepreneurial ventures, one friend who is quitting her job dog sits, so we’re talking about what add-on services she can offer with that, and another is now considering doing a New Orleans based kids’ book club. So thank you, and please keep posting!
I took a new job several months ago, and after being a total HR badbutt (TF word) I felt like a total novice and failure in my new role, so much so that I began to feel depressed. I used my yoga practice to get out of that mindset, then recently lost my (coolest ever in the world) dog, and now it’s in teaching yoga that I am finding my way out.
My plan is to record quality video sets of 40-day kriyas (yoga practices) to help people with things like depression, grief, fitness, heartbreak, mountain biking? But in the meantime, to master the art of teaching, I am learning by taking action in the form of setting a goal of recording 1,000 lessons on YouTube. Every video even if only a few minutes long teaches me so much about how to help people with this practice, and how to make it easy to understand and apply.
Not sure how long the 1,000 will take, but in the first few days alone I recorded 8, and this weekend my white-bearded, yoga master/teacher even told me I was a great teacher, so it is definitely sharpening my skills. YAY!
I stopped waiting to get everything perfect, or have video equipment, or to feel like a teacher, and just started doing it. Thanks for always inspiring ACTION!
What is your channel? I’d love to take a peek at it!
I have an idea for a class that I know would be beneficial to (me) business people … I would need a short, easy, stress relief and relaxation mini session that could work in the middle of a busy day…
I want a website where creative people can share ideas that they have…but that they have no intention or desire to follow thru with…pretty much giving out their great ideas and letting others run with it if others want to…see I have lots of ideas but I dont think I will ever develop them. Some are book ideas…like a guy gets injured and is in a coma for 10 years and when he wakes up he finds out the Jesus Christ has returned( but this would not be a religous book and JC would be very different then what people were expecting) Other book idea..Ii have thought about how back in medieval times the court jester was kind of the Jimmy Fallon of his day, yet are there any good books fiction or nonfiction on court jesters? in my novel (fiction) the CJ would be a very funny guy( I am not that funny so the person who wrote this book would have to be funny) and the plot would be somehow the CJ becomes some kind of hero and of course there would be a love story involved with the princess( this could possible be a YA novel, court jesters cold be the new Vampires) My big non literary idea is to develop holograms that could be used for military use…such as an army of holograms…these armies could fight along side our regular army, however the enemy would not know which was the real troops and which were holograms….they would waste ammunition firing every which way and also they would be retreating because they would think the army was 10 times bigger than it actually is. This could also be holographic fighter jets…really holographic anything that the mind could come up with…then holograms could also be used to draw enemy fire so that we could find their location. My other idea is a duct tape wart removal bandage…it has been know for a long time that duct tape removes warts( when my son was young we took him to several doctors and spent a ton of time and money trying to get rid of some stubborn warts, after about 2 years and no luck, our pediatrician pulled out a printout of an article in a medical journal that told about how some trials had shown that Duct tape could remove warts( Duct tape really is a miracle product it can do anything!) I tried it and it worked! However wearing Duct tape is not that attractive…and if you are wearing Duct tape it draws questions such as “hey! why are you putting Duct tape all over your fingers? Embarrasing to answer”it’s because they are covered with warts” however an attractive bandage would not be noticed and you could always just say you cut your finger….plus if the Duct tape wart bandage was next to the other wart removal products( none of which work as good as Duct tape) then everyone would know about it! So anyway these are my ideas…I have no intention of following thru and would love it if someone else did…the site could be called Where Dreams DONT go to Die.com or something like that. Perhaps there could be something worked out on a it where if someone did take and idea and did make a ton of money on it they could compensate the person who had the idea…or perhaps people it could be a place where people could help others realize their dreams. For instance I would like to develop the Duct tape bandage, but I do not know how…I did look into it( even talked to the doctor who did the trials and he said he had also tried to patent the idea but ran into lots of roadblocks because it is using another already patented product, Duct tape, it is already common knowledge etc.)but that was 15 years ago…I know there is GoFundMe, but that seems to be for raising money for things that the person is pursuing. This would be different. I just wonder sometimes how many great ideas there are out there that will never be realized, or ideas that could be realized sooner rather than later. I personally have had many ideas that Have been developer by others…wet wipes, google and I there must be others out there. If the website became popular it could be some kind of marketing tool also…like people could put there ideas up and then the community could comment on it…good idea, bad idea, great, stupid etc. They could also add ideas….like for my Court Jester book they could give ideas on the story line or character development or sources where one could find out about court jesters etc. Oh wow this is funny I just scrolled down and it looks like someone else might be having the same kind of idea!
I have tons of shower thoughts constantly flowing, but the one that has been percolating the most lately is… don’t laugh, “Hella Energy”. I think it’s high time for a drink/energy product that represents this generation. Monster/Rockstar/RedBull still have the smell of dirtbike exhaust on them and I don’t know if they will ever shake the EXTREME SPORTS vibe (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Plus it tastes acrid and you feel like poop after drinking that stuff.
I’m experimenting with a nice blend of Yerba Mate + green coffee beans and other organic ingredients. Think hella fun, hella organic and tastes hella good. Would be ideal to launch at Coachella, SXSW, etc. Bringing mass quantities of the California vibe to the masses.
I know the beverage market is crowded, but if I can at minimum get it to be the official office drink of Sumo.com or get those guys at Product Hunt to drop their La Croix habit, then it will be a success for me… 🙂
Noah, listening to you talk about your energy gum idea, made me think I might be on the right track. Only one way to find out.
programs/products to solve:
-feeling to shy to speak to others in social events for dating purposes-
-lack of improvement and consistency in work out routines
-getting over or through the feeling of intense pain needed to work out your muscles
-a system that actually works to start making you some side money when you’re not an entrepreneur and don’t want to be and don’t have the talent for it
-a proven system to actually make money if you work hard
-a nonshitty way to meet quality women and not have to compete against a million guys online or offline
I came here when searching for marketing strategies online and then came across this article and I decided to drop my 5 cents. Overall a great site and I think the person behind it is a talented marketer. Having said that, this way of coming up with business ideas is possibly the most ineffective and frustrating way of coming across a business opportunity. There is a huge difference between business ideas and business opportunities. Business opportunities usually arise by noticing something somewhere – even the Y Combinator guy (forgot his name) says that much. Closing yourself in the shower or in the room trying to think of things rarely yields good results. Sure, there are cases where people started off by making something to solve their own problems but this is rare and highly situational. Also, you will discover there are multiple solutions to your problems out there but they cost money. If something isn’t there, then there is a good chance you cant make a business out it. For instance, couple of years ago we had this idea with a friend who works at YouTube to convert blog posts into videos. Unfortunately the cost to doing something like that with an acceptable level of quality will be too expensive for most people to afford. With costs as high as several hundred dollars per min of quality video, very few businesses will be willing to pay for that. I have been able to find more success by employing the following strategies:
1. Cut steps. Take a process and try to eliminate steps. Make sure the existing process is already successful and makes money. (Mark Evans, co-founder twitter and medium)
2. Do something for a group of people. Say, junior students in their first in collage looking for girlfriends.
3. Copy and/or twist. Copy something that works in one place and make it work in another place. Rocket Internet made billions by copying successful US startups to other parts of the world. It is difficult to go from 0-1 but much easier to go from 1 to 2 or more. Twist can also help. Take something that works in one industry and change it to work in another. I looked at AppSumo and it seems to have copied the Groupon concept and apply it to software.
4. Notice things and connect the dots. This is probably one of the most powerful methods and yet the most difficult to do because it is largely not under your control. It depends on how your brain is wired. There might some ways to “rewire” your brain to notice more things and connect more dots, but this is more in the realm of high science or pseudo-science.
Most successful businesses have noticed something or come across an opportunity. Talent is crucial, a little luck is good and hard work is given but will not guarantee results!
Chao.
Two morning ideas I thought I’d post.
1- Do case studies for companies. Every company MEANS to do it but not everyone does. I’d pay monthly to have videos and or text of that.
2- Take peoples blog post and make them YouTube videos. Again, I’d pay for this 🙂
Hey Noah, listened to this ep of your podcast this morning. I’ve been wanting to learn Adobe After Effects, so I messed around with it and made a video of your 10 ideas. Enjoy. https://youtu.be/w8WfOfYTkQg
dude this is super good. want to get paid for it?
Thank man. This was my first go at doing something like this. Really just did it to challenge myself after seeing your comment about taking blog posts and making them YouTube videos. Definitely be down to get paid for it. What are you thinking?
Hey Noah, this time of year, I always check to see who’s got their copyright date updated (some surprisingly major players do not). Glad to see you’re way ahead of the game, at ©2020. Awesome!
Lots of good ideas here! Great episode Noah, thank you.
Noah, Thank you for putting this out there, appreciated.
Here are two of my shower ideas that would meet a need I have;
1. An app people could buy into that would tell them the last ten (20,30,100) cars (motorcycles, trucks) sold that match the vehicle they are selling. This could help clarify the buyers/ sellers dilemma which is trying to find the market price. Most people will guess what the market is doing, but trolling through 1000’s of results to get an idea of the current market price takes a lot of time and would easily be automated. This will also help both the buyers and sellers to ensure they get a fair price for their vehicle.
2. Dictaphone app that will appear on your dash when you pair your phone with your vehicle. Rather than having to scroll through apps while you are driving, a simple one touch button on the screen on your vehicle that you can press and record your thoughts. While I am driving I am constantly driving and coming up with things I would like to note so I can add to my journal when I have time later, yet trying to get to my voice memo app on my phone is a pain.
I hope those are clearly explained, if anyone has seen these apps on the market please let me know, I have done some searching but haven’t found any.
Again, Thanks Noah, keep the podcast rolling, passed a Taco Medic food truck in Queenstown, NZ a few weeks ago and thought it would be right up your alley 😉
Loved this episode. Really inspiring. But it highlights something I see all the time.
Almost all products and services already exist, but people who need them don’t know about them or don’t want to or know how to find them.
This is both good and bad. Good since it means there’s room for many suppliers. Bad since suppliers don’t get all the customers they could have gotten and customers don’t find the stuff they want.
It’s basically a matchmaking process – match up customers who want to pay with suppliers who can deliver – but like most matchmaking, it’s easier than it sounds.
Humans probably are required to solve so that someone like you can call a human (assistant/middleman/broker) who can start looking around for what you need while you continue your life.
The first human probably don’t know more than you, so will probably have to start asking around until they find someone who knows.
A kind of “social search”. Perhaps Reddit and Quora can be used for this, but still a lot of work.
Google and search based ads might work, but also a lot of work.
Interesting one to crack… 🙂
I’ve been self-employed for several years and haven’t quite managed to get the right solution to a personal problem or challenge that’s resulted in major success (Although I’ve managed to avoid bankruptcy so far), but it did result in one non-profit idea taking off…
In the first few months of working alone at home, I’d started to go stir crazy and reached out to a couple of other freelancers in the same town to meet up. At the bar that night, we had about 40 people, and it’s turned into a monthly meetup and annual STEM festival in Peterborough, UK… The main difference for me was that it didn’t require a lot of investment to get going, or require developers etc, and it’s definitely something I keep coming back to, rather than trying to think about a weakness in Facebook or Google!
Noah, been following your for a few years now unfortunately just following you does not bring me success, damnit.
1. Looking for an accountability partner in growing/starting a business. No pay, you’ll have to stay on my arse constantly, harassing me to no end.
2. Building a business for the purpose of living abroad and/or traveling constantly.
3. I am what I call a “Kinky Christian”. there has to be groups, others like me that want to talk about the issues that “you just don’t talk about” in a religious setting. Being unpolitically correct yet following my faith
Keep up the work.
Kinky Christian, unique. I pastor a youth church. I understand talking about stuff that get get attended in the regular religious gatherings
Loved this episode. Really inspiring. But it highlights something I see all the time.
Almost all products and services already exist, but people who need them don’t know about them or don’t want to or know how to find them.
This is both good and bad. Good since it means there’s room for many suppliers. Bad since suppliers don’t get all the customers they could have gotten and customers don’t find the stuff they want.
It’s basically a matchmaking process – match up customers who want to pay with suppliers who can deliver – but like most matchmaking, it’s easier than it sounds.
Humans probably are required to solve so that someone like you can call a human (assistant/middleman/broker) who can start looking around for what you need while you continue your life.
The first human probably don’t know more than you, so will probably have to start asking around until they find someone who knows.
A kind of “social search”. Perhaps Reddit and Quora can be used for this, but still a lot of work.
Google and search based ads might work, but also a lot of work.
Interesting one to crack… 🙂
Pretty booty tickled this episode was only 10 mins :/ lol jk anyway, I wouldn’t mind any of these:
1) coffee infused oatmeal or oatmeal infused coffee. Not just the flavor though, gotta have caffeine
2) Wipe or disposable sleeve for public restroom door knobs. Hate washing my hands just to end up getting them germ infected on my way out. Sometimes I’ll use the paper towel used to dry my hands to open the door but usually I forget & throw it in the trash before I get to the door
3) heat powered placemats & coasters. My countertops are made of granite & it’s always freezing in the mornings so invariably my breakfast gets cold before I’m done eating
There’s a lot more but I can’t recall them all. If these products have already been produced, let me know! I’ll probably try them out
Oh shit, I forgot. My friends parents operate a taco truck business & I told him they need to create a taco delivery service, or contract a delivery service. There’s none where I live, Austin might be different. Thought you might enjoy that since you love tacos
Samuel, try making you oatmeal with coffee instead of water. I’ve heard its really good actually! Stir in a scoop of vanilla protein powder as well…
Seriously epic last name btw!
Ha thanks! It’s actually just the blog name, which is much cooler than http://www.ChuckFeerick.com.
Business idea: someone to migrate the content from my 2 websites into one and then make it into a much better looking website then give me back all the log-ins (yes, this is a consultant and they exist, but they keep flaking on me)
Ps. Make sure to mix the protein powder with water before putting it in something hot. Otherwise it clumps…
Nice! I’ve actually been mixing my protein & oatmeal then pouring coffee into it lol it’s delicious. Thanks Chuck & Noah!
Good call! My method is mixing the dry oatmeal and protein powder and only then adding the liquid and stirring it. Less things to clean!
Hey Noah,
Great episode! You are improving A LOT the content, audio and voice in each new episode.
I like this short and precise podcasts.
Keep it up Taco Man!
I need software for managing both volunteers and participants at events. In the past we’ve had to use two separate programs (Evite and Volunteerspot). A total pain! We’re working on a stupidly simple web app that covers both, countmein.today. It’s in “draft” mode right now. No clue how to monetize this one. One of our biggest pet peeves is that similar products are covered in advertisements, so we’d like not to go that route. Anyways, I’m rambling. That’s my problem and hopefully Countmein is the solution!
Hi Noah,
2 words dude…
YOU ROCK.
I have been checking your stuff out for months but just recently saw you on Jaime Master show and now listened to this… You are a genius!
My shower thoughts definitely need some substance. My best posts/guest posts or stuff like that have come from thoughts I have had when I am not trying to think of them… Thank god for evernote, or damn you Evernote, that could have been my business idea.
Also have to say that your ideas at end of show were awesome, was like “I can do that” at a lot of them.
Thanks for this insight!
Joe
See my long list of ideas here https://trello.com/b/PuQ7R8kt/thoughts I’d love feedback and to discuss these ideas with others interested in pursuing them.
Thanks Brian. Checking them out.
Noah, what do you think about sharing ideas en masse? Like I am doing with the Trello board. It seems to go against what Jessica Livingston has to say in her recent blog post https://trello.com/c/z8d301Rp/891-jessica-livingston-laments-that-successful-entrepreneurs-investors-and-other-industry-leaders-often-feel-that-the-risks-of-publi
Holy shit Brian, lot of cool ideas.
Awesome, thanks!
Hi Brian. I left a longer response to that post on your trello. I heard a quote that said True genius is improving upon the ideas of others”, this stuck with me because it can create a positive feedback loop. There are surely some solutions to the world’s major issues that are hiding somewhere because of a patent or their affect on a current business model that someone doesn’t want to disturb…(many conspiracy theories too).
Talking to others about your ideas not only reinforces the positive aspects of them, but also allows for others to point out weaknesses and perhaps add their ideas to make yours better.
Keep on with what you are doing. I think it’s great. I starred your board on trello to keep up to date.
be kind to my new website (I’m no web designer). Did you watch the webinar with Noah and Brian from Backlinko? They broke down the SEO, design and marketing of websites and had a great QnA afterwards. Noah had a $1000 challenge for a viewer to use sumome and show what changes they made to their site and how it helped them. Haven’t seen who won.
But there was a lot of great stuff there.
Thanks for the insight. No, I haven’t seen the webinar. Please comment on as many things in the Trello board as you’d like. Thanks for sharing!
Where can you find the webinar?
Yes, please share.
Hi Brian, impressive list! I love Trello and you’ve given me yet another idea on how to use it. I didn’t read everything but one idea stood out re: a tool to create postcards with social media posts. I have this coming! So wouldn’t be able to help you pursue it but if it’s a service you want for yourself, I’ll be in touch. Postcards will cost 39 cents plus postage. You can brand it, create a custom message and with one button take a social media post, like from FB, and load it onto the postcard. We’ll print, stamp and send for you. FYI – I have this capability in some form today but it’s not integrated with the platform. You need to take a screen shot and then upload it on the greeting card or post card. Very soon, it will integrate and auto load.
Awesome! Add a link to the trello card when it’s ready.
Hi Brian, I am not able to reach your ideas list. Can you please share your board with me
Hi Kaan, thanks for your interest. I happened to reorganize my ideas on another medium. Though, I’m still very interested in sharing them.
Anyone interested in discussing can send me an email. My email address is my first name at AngularJobs.com
Thanks,
Brian