[summerlunch]

This is good stuff. Most people know by now that they should "solve business problems" in order to create a decently successful product/service. But most beginning entrepreneurs are struggling to find out exactly what those "business problems" are.

I think the issue for most young entrepreneurs is that we don't have much business-related domain knowledge. Most teens and young adults have domain knowledge related to recreational activities such as skateboarding or playing guitar, but no business knowledge whatsoever.

Maybe we should encourage younger people to participate in business at a younger age so that we can use their fresh creativity towards coming up with new solutions.

[purplelobster]

I'm starting to wonder if I'm completely doomed selling to consumers. Consumers seems so fickle, they won't pay for anything software related it seems, even if it helps them a lot. Like they'll put down hundreds of dollars for a language class, but they'll sweat over a $5 app that would help their learning in said class.

Here's an example of a common attitude. Some guy launching his app on reddit (not me):

"Just use this: https://ankiweb.net

It is free and is better than OP's crap app.

you want money for your crap = keep you shit. i dont need it."

[zavulon]

The only reason selling to businesses is better, is that by buying your product, businesses will make more money - that's why they don't have a problem forking over $X, since it will help them make $X*Y, resulting in a net $ gain.

If you find a similar niche for consumers - i.e. sell something to consumers that will help them make more money they will pay for it. Alternatively, if it will help them get laid more, they will pay for it as well. If your consumer oriented software does anything else other than helping users make more money / get more/better sex, then your consumers will definitely be fickle.

[purplelobster]

Or perhaps something that can clearly save them money?

[mindcrime]

Alternatively, if it will help them get laid more, they will pay for it as well. If your consumer oriented software does anything else other than helping users make more money / get more/better sex, then your consumers will definitely be fickle.

Apropos:

http://www.jwz.org/doc/groupware.html

"Your "use case" should be, there's a 22 year old college student living in the dorms. How will this software get him laid?"

[victorf]

My opinion, and I think I got this from Patrick indirectly if not directly, is that you need to be selling something to people that will cause them to receive more money than your product costs. So you cannot target language learners (especially the relative immaturity of Reddit) because it's a hobby, but you can target businesses and professionals because they routinely spend money on tools and services. Sadly that's all I know about it, so I couldn't tell you who that guy should have targeted with the app. Doctors? Lawyers?

[pnathan]

Agreed. I would love to build a small business offering software/saas and live quietly with that, but I don't have a fine grasp of what people want to pay for.

So I'm building a mobile game, as entertainment will get paid for.

[thenomad]

By contrast, I would LOVE to see an article like this about entertainment.

A solid, testable method of building entertainment people will pay for would be extremely valuable - to me and many other people.

(Patio11, any ideas?)

[summerlunch]

I'm sure this has been researched intensively by the media giants. A lot of pop music and rehashes of classic movies are a product of this I think.

[IlPeach]

good point. I do believe one of the biggest problems is the disconnection between the studies and the actual world. some are mitigating it by doing stages in industries at the end, but far from making it a good solution.

This aside, I found the article particularly well structured and most of the stuff he talks about are common pitfalls I've seen throughout my career in IT.