Every business out there started with an idea, though, and here are 5 tips to help you turn your vision into action and bring your startup to life:
Clarify the Problem
What problem are you solving? Who is affected by the problem and what is the problem really costing people? Having a clear sense of the problem will help you stay focused as you work to bring your vision to life. Try writing the problem that your idea solves as a statement of 15 words or less.
Test Your Idea
When you can clearly articulate the problem—in just a few words—it’s time to do some research and test your idea. This will help you better understand your potential customers, the market, and what whether your idea is something people would value. Find five to seven people who you think might be affected by the problem you’ve identified. Share your problem statement and your idea with them. What kind of feedback do you get? What emotional response do you notice?
Don’t Get Attached
One of the most powerful tools in an entrepreneur’s world is called micro-experimentation. This is the process of testing out parts of an idea in different ways, with different people, on different days, to see what resonates and what doesn’t. Sometimes we fall in love with our idea, with the hard work we’ve done to identify the problem, and it’s hard to let go of parts of the idea that don’t or won’t work. If you find yourself clinging to an idea despite meh responses when you test it out, try out a variation of the idea and see if it gets a better response.
Don’t Overcomplicate
We love making things complicated for ourselves. When we complicate our idea it gives us the feeling that we’re differentiating ourselves, that we’re improving upon solutions that already exist, that we’re exercising creativity. Simple wins, though. Solve the problem. Do it well. Don’t overcomplicate.
Find Your Team
Despite the heroizing of the founders who launch billion-dollar companies in their garages, no one can bring a business vision into the world alone. Even if your business will always be small, or even just you, you still need a team! Find five people who will practice radical candor with you: honest, loving feedback that’s shared even if you don’t want to hear it. Some people hire this team to complement their strengths, while others find their team amongst family, friends, and their peer network. Bounce ideas off your team regularly, share wins and losses, celebrate with them, and, most importantly, always hear them.
Not every spark of an idea will make its way into the world as a business, and that’s probably for the best. But you’ll know if your idea has legs if you can clarify the problem and your solution in a way that resonates with potential customers. Keep this clarity as your guiding promise and you’re off to a great start in bringing your idea to life.
