How Do I Find Good Ideas? - Startup Tips

Gideon Greenspan - Startup Tips

Here are three common approaches to coming up with new ideas:

Solve your own problem. If you need something which doesn't exist yet, you're probably not alone. Just make sure you're not too focused on a tiny niche you happen to be in. For example, the world of people who research online is big enough, but the world of Web 2.0 developers is probably not.
Listen to user feedback. If you offer one product for a particular market, its users will often suggest the need for something related. This will only happen if the first product works well and invites user feedback. If you don't yet have a product, create something simple and see where its users take it.
Spot emerging markets. New markets lack hefty established players, so there's a lower barrier to entry. You can learn about breaking trends from tons of free online sources. But it's also worth subscribing to top international publications such as The Economist, BusinessWeek and The Wall Street Journal.

The key is to listen carefully and objectively to what the market and your users are telling you.