Any advice on dealing with idea fatigue?
How do folks deal with Idea fatigue? I have tried quite a few ideas over the past year to no avail. Pretty much have tried to learn and implement the process -
- Find an idea - check
- Create a landing page - check
- Create Google, Reddit ads - check
- Find prospective users - check
- Email prospective users - check
- Wait for replies - check
- If no replies / no leads, go back to Step 1
Having tried the above for a few ideas, I have started to experience idea fatigue. How do other folks deal with this? Am I the only one experiencing this? What has helped other folks? How many 'failed' ideas did folks experience before finding an idea that got them paying users?
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Stop looking for "ideas". Rather, find problems and come up with solutions.
You should probably start with:
Once you have a validated market problem to solve, you will be more motivated to solve those problems and make money off of those problems.
You have idea fatigue because you are consistently finding new cool ideas INSTEAD of MARKET PROBLEMS to solve.
STEP 1: FIND MARKET PROBLEMS to SOLVE
Take a break. Get outside your comfort zone - try new activities, travel, etc.. Collaborate with others. Revisit your old ideas. + write down any and all ideas that come to mind, even if they seem trivial or unrealistic.
Read books, articles, or watch documentaries on subjects outside your field of work to stay inspired.
:) Thanks for tips @nellypo
don't just look for ideas, look for problems or solution requests for problems
Check the section: "where to find ideas", we wrote a bout some ready-to-use ideas resources / Alternatives / Micro-SaaS Marketplaces. https://friendsofsaas.substack.com/p/where-to-find-ideas
I hope you'll find it helpful
Thanks @Manaayed I will check out the resources listed in the article.
Check this out
It is a proper framework for biz ideas, not just ideas;
The difference is that biz ideas are set in hard cold reality as opposed to a fuzzy dreamy mind imagination.
Thanks for the link @ArkSzklar
There is a big trend in testing and validating ideas as soon as possible with just a landing page. Personally, I am not sure that it's always effective.
To validate with only a landing page, you need to find a great and unique idea and be able to express the value with only a few sentences. It's pretty hard!
I prefer to develop an MVP in a few days or even weeks (if I really like the idea). It's more risky but at least I am sure about the validation ;-)
Can you tell me about the tools you use for developing an MVP in a few days or weeks? Can you share some of your MVPs that got paid users? I would love to see how "complete" an MVP needs to be that get paid users onboard. @JulianRenard
Idea validation vs Idea fatigue are two separate issues.
Idea fatigue = can't get enough good ideas, or stuck at same idea without progress
Idea validation = can't get enough users to a meeting, or purchase my product to test for market entry.
It sounds like you have idea validation issues. For this, you need to make sure you are targeting the right audience, and engaging at scale. You also need the right tools such as a basic CRM. I use Hubspot.
You need to make sure you have the right contact emails and phone numbers as well. I use Apollo.
Here is a link:
https://apollo.grsm.io/plazasource
To deal with idea fatigue, try taking breaks, practicing self-care, seeking inspiration from outside sources, collaborating with others, setting aside dedicated time for generating ideas, and reframing your perspective to see challenges as opportunities. Remember that it's okay to experience idea fatigue and taking steps to manage it can help you stay creative and productive.
Stop thinking ideas and start thinking problems. It is step 0. Ideas are cool and easy-to-find. But you need to ask the question that what problem am I solving and them propose a solution(idea) to that. Now once you have found a problem and validated it. Finding solutions is the easy part.
Give me the leads! DM me on Twitter and let’s partner
Stay aware my friend. You're probably facing challenges in your life and that could be leading to your next solution aka idea
Hi Vivek, I understand this can be frustrating. What are you interested in? And have you done brainstorming chats with others in those fields to see how they came up with their ideas?
@SnehaSaigal So far, I have worked on ideas to address my pain points. I have spoken to few folks on how they came up with ideas.
Ok that is good to know. Are you interested in SaaS products or B2C or is there a specific domain you are keen to explore?
At this point, I am open to any ideas in the SaaS space. My previous ideas have been more in B2B space, Developer productivity space.
That's awesome. If you're interested in doing some quick idea brainstorming or validating new ideas, feel free to reach out. I would be happy to introduce you to some experienced SaaS founders who would be happy to share their knowledge.
Yes, I know what you're talking about. Idea fatigue is a common challenge faced by many entrepreneurs, especially when they've tried multiple ideas with no success.
It's great to see that you've put in the effort to implement the process, but sometimes the road to success can be long and challenging. You're not alone in experiencing this, and it's important to remember that finding a successful idea often requires trying and failing multiple times. To deal with idea fatigue, consider taking a break and finding new sources of inspiration, or seek feedback from others in your network to validate your ideas. Don't be discouraged by your failures, instead use them as opportunities to learn and grow. Keep pushing forward, and eventually you'll find an idea that resonates with your target audience and leads to paying users.
Great post on dealing with idea fatigue! The advice on taking breaks and seeking inspiration from other sources is so important for maintaining creativity.
I also appreciate the emphasis on validating ideas and surrounding oneself with a supportive community. Thanks for sharing these practical tips and helpful reminders!
That is a really important point. Idea fatigue is a common challenge that many entrepreneurs and innovators face. Here are some steps you can take to deal with it:
Explore the franchise directory
If you are wondering how to work for yourself and where to start, but nothing comes to mind, take a closer look at franchises. In this business model, you can use the brand and processes of a successful company in exchange for regular royalties. So do many. For example, if a McDonald's restaurant operates in your city, then it was probably not an American office that opened it, but a local franchise entrepreneur.
However, when working with a famous brand, large investments will be required. Cheap franchises that promise a quick payback often turn out to be “empty”: they don’t sell you a ready-made business model, but a marketing textbook and contract templates. You will have to work hard to find a well-known franchise that has not yet captured your city and at the same time costs money acceptable to a novice entrepreneur.
Here are two sources of proven franchises:
Franchise ratings in business media, such as RBC or Forbes. There are statistics on open points and the overall growth of the network's revenue. If the financial statements of the franchisee are carefully concealed, it is worth considering.
Franchise catalogs. This is on the Sberbank website. For buyers of some franchises from the catalog, the bank offers special conditions.
Take an Existing Idea
At the beginning of the journey, do not hesitate to adopt best practices and create competition. At the start, it is not necessary to come up with something new.
To find successful business concepts, browse the business media: for example, RBC, Kommersant, Forbes, Bloomberg, Harvard Business Review and Inc often talk about trends. Study the ratings of companies with the highest turnover growth. Or go and see for yourself how the organization you like works.
The cycle is exhausting isn't it?
The only advice I can give is to be more patient, even though that's not great advice to hear.
Lately I just build stupid stuff for myself and it's a lot easier than worrying about finding users.
Indeed @zchry :)
A notebook, anytime you have a thought jot it down, then look to see if you're the only one.
Read a book
Don't start with an idea, but build something businesses need. Don't scratch your own itch!
And so on.
The “build a landing page, do ads, capture emails” is a relic from the past (probably should write an article about this).
It's literally in my comment?
Personally, I believe the best ideas arrive naturally rather than when you intend to come up with them.
How about research competitors ? After research and finding your idea, did not not see any competitors at all ? Wondering if that should be step no 2.
You are right. Step 1 does include doing some research on the idea. It includes - Is there a problem to solve? Are there others solving it? Would I like to solve this problem?
Hey Vivek, how effective are the Reddit ads?
@SaaS_with_San Found them to be better than Google Ads in terms of attracting prospective users for my users. This maybe because most of my ideas were targetted for technical folks and I was able to target specific subreddits.
Is there any need for eligibility, I mean the Reddit Karma score to run ads in Reddit?
I did not run into any restriction on posting ads. Minimum is $5.
Hi Vivek, I documented my idea generating process. Hope it helps. Phil… https://abitgamey.substack.com/p/my-5-step-idea-generating-process
Thanks @PhilMartin Your process seems interesting. I will give it a try.
Feeling you, idea overload is a real thing! But success isn't an overnight sensation, it's a marathon not a sprint. The secret sauce of success is a steady grind and consistency, baby! Just like building those gains in the gym, it takes time, patience and consistency.
I struggle with that too, always starting projects but never following through for the long haul. But I'm learning and growing', one rep at a time!
Thanks @RippedRich :)