[aaron987]

This story has another lesson buried inside it, and it is one that I first learned not long ago in a video (unfortunately I can't find a link to it).

The lesson was: "The best way to get into business is to be in business". In other words, the best way to build a successful business is to get started. Do something, anything to get started. You have to do that to get into contact with people and start getting feedback to see what other problems they have.

I noticed the same lesson in this post. Initially, the author was making money from freelancing. But as clients began asking questions and providing feedback, a more profitable idea came to the surface.

Do something. Just get started.

Great post.

[soneca]

Woody Allen later wrote in a letter: "My observation was that once a person actually completed a play or a novel, he was well on his way to getting it produced or published, as opposed to a vast majority of people who tell me their ambition is to write, but who strike out on the very first level and indeed never write the play or book. In the midst of the conversation, as I’m now trying to recall, I did say that 80 percent of success is showing up."

- 1989 August 13, New York Times, On Language: The Elysian Fields by William Safire

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Woody_Allen

[aaron987]

Wow. I didn't realize this would get so many upvotes, so I decided to put a little more effort into finding that video. I finally found it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2m6JkJvv4w

[BorisMelnik]

thanks for this, I would normally skip over a video with a title like this on looks alone but my bad for being so judgmental :)

[weaponofchoice]

"The best way to get into business is to be in business". That's inspirational.

I'd like to add that maybe one doesn't need to be obsessed with inventing something new or fulfilling an unmet need.

Sometimes you can just copy and do better. For ref: http://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/2d51zq/why_do_...

Great book about beginning with 'inspiration': http://www.amazon.com/Copycats-Smart-Companies-Imitation-Str...

[digifire]

Great Point, I guess that is what YC and other accelerators enable. They give you enough money to be in business and start talking to your customers. Then you pivot and find your actual business,

e.g. amplitude, justin.tv

This is the iterative path which helps you converge on a product/market fit.