1. The document provides steps for coming up with an idea: identify a problem, brainstorm solutions, and identify potential customers. 2. It emphasizes starting with a problem rather than an idea, and ensuring the solution is superior to existing alternatives. 3. Examples are given of distilling an idea into 1-2 sentences by clarifying the problem, solution, and target customer.

1. Coming up with an idea
-Vidya Raman
I turn ideas into products

2. 3 Steps
1. Identify a problem that you or someone
else has
2. Come up with a (superior) solution
3. Identify who will use your product or
service

3. 1. Start with the problem
• Resist the temptation to dream up ideas. If your idea
doesn’t solve a problem, no one will use it
• An idea is just one of many possible solutions to a problem
- example 1: Many different shapes and sizes of torchlights
are in the market.Why?
- example 2:A number of stores sell clothes.Why do we
need so many?
• Start with problems you have instead
• At the very least, start with problems others have

4. 2. Brainstorm solutions
• Write down all ideas for solving the
problem better. Don’t eliminate anything just
yet...
• Write down other solutions that exist today
and why they suck.These are “Alternatives”.
• Identify why your solution is better than the
alternatives.This is your “UniqueValue
Proposition”.

5. 3. Identify customers
• Talk to people who have the problem that
you are trying to solve
• Clearly identify who they are - the goal is
to be very specific.
• Not specific: 15 years olds
• Specific: 15 year olds who play violin and
live in the US

6. Distill idea into 1 or 2 sentences
If you came up with multiple solutions, pick one that you like and is
superior to the rest. Clarify the problem, solution and who it is for.
Examples:
1. For people who forget to turn off lights in their houses, we will
create an app that will call their phones and remind them about it.
Target customers are families with kids living in urban areas in the
US.
2. For students who don’t speak English in other countries, we will
offer to teach them English in exchange for being taught a foreign
language.Target customers are French and American highschool
students studying in public schools.

7. Additional pointers

8. Trouble finding an idea (you
should really be thinking problem)
• Observe carefully.Watch yourself and
others.
• Problems are all around you.
• The world is not going to be the same 20
years from now..so, what problems will you
solve?

9. I don’t have a unique idea
• That’s ok. No, we’re not saying copy someone
else’s idea. Look harder to identify a “niche” - a
narrow application of the same idea.
• A cell phone was a similar idea to a landline,
correct?
• Look at things that adults use that you would
improve/change in order to suit kids your age?
• What are some expensive products that you think
you can make cheaper?

10. My idea is not big
• That’s perfectly alright!
• Even Facebook started as a site just for
students in Harvard.

11. My idea is not cool
• If you don’t have the passion for it, don’t
work on it
• If you have the passion but others say it is
uncool, then you should really consider the
idea seriously! Why? There’s a good chance
that others won’t compete with you!

12. I don’t quite know how to
solve the problem
• If you have no clue, well, that is a problem.
Look for a different problem then
• If you have some idea, say you know you
need an app for that or you need to open a
store, that is a good start
• Remember, you are not trying to build your
idea or business just yet. It is okay to not
know everything. It is actually better!

13. Last word
• In real life, people take years to come up
with good ideas.
• Most good ideas come to people when
they are working on bad or terrible ideas.
• The key is to work on an idea.
Get working on your idea!