I
Global·13d ago
Startup Guides
Free
What Makes a Good Startup Idea?
What you'll learn The 4 traits that separate a fundable idea from a hobby project, and why 'great idea' is the wrong question to ask. Why it matters 90% of failed startups had 'good ideas' — they failed because the idea didn't have the 4 traits below. Understanding this saves you 6 months of building the wrong thing. The playbook 1) Painful problem — users would pay to make it go away, not just enjoy the solution. 2) Frequent occurrence — the problem hits at least weekly (daily is better). 3) Fragmented market — no dominant player owns >30% share. 4) Distribution advantage — you can reach the first 1,000 users cheaper than anyone else. Score your idea 0-10 on each. If you're below 25/40, keep hunting. Common mistakes Falling in love with the solution before validating the problem. Confusing 'cool' with 'profitable'. Ignoring distribution because 'we'll figure it out later'. Next action Write your idea as a sentence: 'For [who], who suffers from [problem], we offer [solution] that [key benefit].' If you can't fill every blank, you don't have an idea yet.