Article · ~12 min read

How to Choose a Startup Idea

Mercedes Bent · Mercedes Bent, Lightspeed (Medium) Free Intermediate

A tight, investor's checklist for the exact decision you are making. Bent leads with choosing a burning idea you cannot stop thinking about, which is your obsession tie breaker in one line. She then adds practical filters like market and business model so the choice is not purely emotional.

  • Choose a burning problem you cannot stop thinking about
  • Many strong founders picked a market before they had an idea
  • Ideas do not win on their own, execution still decides
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The question it answers

  1. I have too many ideas. How do I pick which one to actually work on?

Read with it

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  2. The definitive essay on where good ideas come from: notice problems you personally have, don't force it. Use it as the lens for... paulgraham.com Essay · ~20 min read How to Get Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  3. Bridges the gap between 'I have an idea' and 'I have evidence.' Gives a concrete framework for cheap, fast tests so you stop... YC Startup Library Video · ~30 min How to Get and Test Startup Ideas YC
  4. A YC partner turns 'how do I get an idea' into a concrete checklist you can run today, plus the traps (tarpit ideas) that sink... YC Startup Library Video · ~50 min How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas Jared Friedman (Y Combinator)
  5. A short, pointed essay on why the best ideas grow organically out of the founder's own life and knowledge, the essence of... paulgraham.com Article · ~5 min read Organic Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  6. The definitive founder essay on why raw ideas are worth very little and why secrecy is the wrong instinct. Graham's argument... paulgraham.com Essay · ~15 min read Ideas for Startups Paul Graham
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