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Re:Startups, Role Models, Risk, and Y Combinator by jw2013 on Tuesday March 25, 2014 @05:37PM (#7469154)
Why not start with making something you want? If you don't know what other people want, you know exactly what pains you and just fix that. Why not even stop thinking about starting a startup when you start solving your own problem? If your product solves your own problem, find your niches to see if it bugs them also.

Someone put it nicely - facebook is Mark's side project 6, probably? Of course not all startups start that way, if you don't know what others want, that is a good way to start and at worst it is a good way to sharpen your programming/non-programming skills.

Re:Startups, Role Models, Risk, and Y Combinator by gms on Tuesday March 25, 2014 @06:21PM (#7469626)
Yeah, you are right. I do continue to make things I want; it's just that so far they are yet to turn into something I (or anyone else) has a burning need for. In other words, the idea turns out to have less steam when it becomes reality.

Thanks for the advice though.

Re:Startups, Role Models, Risk, and Y Combinator by jw2013 on Tuesday March 25, 2014 @07:54PM (#7470281)
then the question is whether there are really no others want the product as bad as you do, or just simply you have not found a superfan yet. I don't know which one is your situation, but I found it work to go to your niche group (say you are developing product for lisp, then you probably. want to go to lisp meetup). For my experience one or two superfan is enough to at least push your product to moderate userbase. Idk if it helps.
Re:Startups, Role Models, Risk, and Y Combinator by carrotleads on Wednesday March 26, 2014 @07:34PM (#7477476)
The value of the first follower & the next few ones is huge. The need to treat them as a partner. This 3 min vid makes the point clearly http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a...

We have got our first follower and working feverishly to give them value...

Re:Startups, Role Models, Risk, and Y Combinator by gms on Tuesday March 25, 2014 @11:55PM (#7471485)
It does. Thanks.