Post: #1

Hey guys,

Currently I'm working as a software developer for a company. I'm tired of working for others and want to do my own thing. The problem for me is that I don't know what to do. I do know that I don't want to do consulting, and that I want to have some kind of product/service that I can sell online. But where would I start to get inspiration on what to do?! I know that I could pull through and make it once I have an idea that I can be committed to, but not even having an idea on what to do is kind of a stumbling block for me..

Post: #2

1) Who would you like to help? What sort of person would you like to sell your products to?
What industries do you have experience/ interest in; what businesses could you build a software product for?

2) Read Running Lean (...and then about 20 other great books on business, marketing, sales, systems... but start with that one!).

Post: #3

Generally if you can find a problem that needs solved and create a solution you're onto a winner.

Post: #4

(05-29-2013 03:22 PM)RichieP Wrote:  1) Who would you like to help? What sort of person would you like to sell your products to?
What industries do you have experience/ interest in; what businesses could you build a software product for?

2) Read Running Lean (...and then about 20 other great books on business, marketing, sales, systems... but start with that one!).

could you suggest the entire list?

Post: #5

(05-29-2013 04:06 PM)Kristian Wrote:  

(05-29-2013 03:22 PM)RichieP Wrote:  1) Who would you like to help? What sort of person would you like to sell your products to?
What industries do you have experience/ interest in; what businesses could you build a software product for?

2) Read Running Lean (...and then about 20 other great books on business, marketing, sales, systems... but start with that one!).

could you suggest the entire list?

I dont think there is one... I just read the best books I can find (according to amazon reviews, reco's from friends/ successful people) on the subject I need to learn at the time.

It depends on where you need to fill in gaps in your business knowledge. For me alot of that was Marketing, Freelancing and Copywriting so thats what I got stuck into..

'Personal MBA', 'Work The System', and '22 Laws Of Marketing' are three universally awesome ones though. I think most people would benefit from those.

Post: #6

Quote:Generally if you can find a problem that needs solved and create a solution you're onto a winner.

Well that's the problem.. I can't think of a specific problem at this moment that is worth pursuing.

(05-29-2013 03:22 PM)RichieP Wrote:  1) Who would you like to help? What sort of person would you like to sell your products to?
What industries do you have experience/ interest in; what businesses could you build a software product for?

Good questions, I'll have to get back on those. I've been working in advertising and in consulting for the last couple of years.

I'm going to try the method outlined here.

(05-29-2013 03:22 PM)RichieP Wrote:  2) Read Running Lean (...and then about 20 other great books on business, marketing, sales, systems... but start with that one!).

Thanks, I just ordered that book!

Post: #7

Keep your job. You most likely have health insurance, a 401K, and paid time vacation? You get to sit in a chair with air conditioning on??

Find something you want to do as a freelancer and tip toe into it part time, and when you can make enough to live make the jump. Don't quit cold turkey, this economy has still not recovered.

Post: #8

http://www.tropicalmba.com

http://www.lifestylebusinesspodcast.com

Millionaire Fastlane:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Millionaire-Fa...e+fastlane

Post: #9

The best actionable advice I can give is to "emulate and innovate"

Don't try and reinvent the wheel but instead go into the market and see what is successful already and has proven itself to have a demand.

You don't want to be a trailblazer trying to create your own niche ... copy the ideas of the people before you and improve on it. Put your own spin on it....or just fill in the holes where they fall short e.g. advertising, customer service

Do your marketplace research and learn to spot ideas that make money and reverse engineer the reason why that is. See if you can improve on what they are doing.

Let me give you 2 examples which you could put to work straight away

Lets say you wanted to build apps for the apps store...most people would want to create something that noone else has ever done or thought of before.

The smarter way to do it is to look in the app store and see what apps there is always demand for. You'll spot trends which show where the demand in the market is. For instance you'll see alot of gaming and camera apps which are always in the top 10.

In these niches there is room for many players...dont assume you cant compete.

If you wanted to build a camera app the best thing to do would be to research what apps are consistently in the top 10 or 20 on the app store. Research there marketing, understand there product, and read the reviews on the app.

See if you can spot any negative reviews ... use these as ideas of how you can make a better product and improve on what is already working.

Another example is if you wanted to get into affiliate marketing.

Why start from scratch?

Analyse the market. See what ads and offers other affiliates are promoting and how they are doing this to understand what is in demand and what works

For instance use a competitive tool like whatrunswhere.com and see what affiliate ads are consistently showing up in volume for months on end. Hone in on these campaigns to see there processes....where they are buying traffic...and reverese engineer there success.

I've given these 2 examples as they are both location independent niches. Lets say you wanted to do something in the software industry...you can go through the same process.

Research to see where there is demand for software already....what software is popular atm that you can improve on?

Or another idea....read a site like techcrunch to spot new ideas and see if you can port an idea that is working already and proven to a different niche or country

Here is an example..."A spanish version of taskrabbit"

http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/29/etece-series-a/

Focus on building upon the ideas of others. Hope that helps

Post: #10

I wrote something in the past that may help.

/thread-20832-...73639.html

Post: #11

If you want to boot strap a computer startup company...check out

"start ups for the rest of us".

http://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/

Podcast from 2 developers who are doing/have done what you want to do.

Although it sounds like developing software isn't a "set it and forget it" type of business because you have to provide support, or manage the people providing the support.

WIA