Clear Image of an Idea
Idea has a set of vast definition. But in any form, you can relate it to the mind or as a product of the mind. Thus Ideation is the creative process in which an Idea born and depart from a personal entity of mind and make its way to the outer world. StartUp Ideas are no exception as well.
There are some semantic list of different well-defined methods of Ideation. In any major text about the design process, you would eventually face such methods—the likes of Brainstorming, Sketching, SCAMPER and etc.
Rather than focusing on worn out explanation of these methods, here I take on the “Idea” itself and an abstraction of it which would be found in any of these given methods.
If we agree that Idea is a property of mind and again consider the fact of responsiveness of human mind; therefore Idea is a “response” of mind in form of an answer to a “question, problem or challenge”.
Mapping
Regarding what has expressed above, we can assign StartUps to Ideas and do a little trick with mapping mechanism. So in short, StartUps are the responsive answers to problems we face during our lifetime.
Since via this mapping, we consider any answer—to a human life problem— a StartUp; We are less under pressure of restrictive notions that disable us to create a StartUp.
Therefore, through this passages, your attention has been drawn to the terms “Response” and “Problem”. With such modeling, now we can guide you on how to Ideation in order to construct great businesses and StartUps.
How to Come Up with StartUp Ideas
As a result of using Response and Problem model as a pillar to our objective, we break the StartUp Ideation in the following steps:
- Observe: Take a step back and observe the ordinary life you have. Each and every moment in your life worth a second thought. If anything is unclear, challenge it with a “why” or “how”.
- Care: Do not compromise too much. Let yourself be odd. If it was always the same, it doesn’t indicate that it should stay the same. Unless you don’t find it logically legit, you don’t have to accept it.
- Recognize and Address: When you spot a problematic issue, do not hesitate to recognize and address it. Get load and deliberate with others. Bring forward your questions and hear other voices.
- Inspire yourself: Read, listen and watch anything that would inspire you. Solution-Maker icons can be good cases to study. Their biographies and lifetime narratives can excite you keep yourself hopeful.
- Out of the computer: Do not limit yourself to computers. Computers are only execution tools. There are other possible tools to execute your answer to your question.
- Design and check the algorithm: Inject and order to your answer and design a system where every step is followed by the next one till it gets to the answer. Check it’s logic. See if it’s consistent.