ideas Archives - Startup Economist

Startups Solving Founders’ Problems are Failing

Monday, 30 September 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Here’s a problem that you might address as a startup founder: other startup founders struggle to find problems to take on, to come up with ideas to address, and to expose issues in industries, so that they might launch a successful venture presenting a solution to that problem. How do I know this is a

Published in Industry, Insights / Research, Startups

25 Comments

“I have an Idea but lack Experience or Startup Capital…”

Monday, 09 September 2024 by Paul O'Brien

This is one of those frequently heard statements that helps a startup ecosystem recognize that gaps remain. Last week, I pushed founders and economists to recognize the distinction between innovation and technology (between startups and businesses), and from that, I was asked for advice too frequently asked, “How can I capitalize on an app idea

advice capital entrepreneurship funding ideas innovation Mentorship startups

Published in Raising Capital, Startups

27 Comments

Ideas Are Valuable; Stop Saying They’re Not!

Tuesday, 17 November 2020 by Paul O'Brien

Businesses without ideas are like people with matches trying to light a wet campfire. Striking, striking, and striking again. You have the stuff that's valued (wood, matches) but you can't do anything without a ton of work.

brainstorming entrepreneurship funding ideas ideation intellectual property startups

Published in Insights / Research, Startups

22 Comments

Maybe Starting with the Problem is the Problem

Tuesday, 06 October 2020 by Paul O'Brien

In a world wherein overwhelmingly most founders and startups fail as a result of a lack of product/market fit, and incubators, University startup programs, and mentors, are flush with “ideas” that genuinely warrant, “that’s already being done,” perhaps the advice to start with the problem (or solution, for that matter), is wrong. Think on it:

entrepreneurship ideas startups

Published in Startups

21 Comments

Founders, it’s time for “the Idea” to die.

Monday, 24 August 2020 by Paul O'Brien

It's time for the idea to die because the secret to success is that you should have another one before you finish reading this sentence.

ideas intellectual property mission nda patents values vision

Published in Startups

40 Comments

Online Marketing Heroes

Wednesday, 05 March 2008 by Paul O'Brien

Certainly, one has to have a degree of ego involved with starting one’s own blog, after all, these are my thoughts; thoughts I presume are of interest to someone. Sure, perhaps it isn’t really “ego” but, needless to say, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t hope someone cared and derived a modicum of