Stage 1 · Lesson 1 of 7
Start from problems, not ideas
Most first products fail because nobody wanted them badly enough. Weak code is rarely the reason. So start from a problem, not an idea.
Look for a : something that hurts, happens often and already costs people time or money. A good sign is a workaround. People keep a messy spreadsheet, repeat the same copy-paste routine every week or pay someone to do the job by hand.
Write the problem down as a with three parts: who has it, how they deal with it today and what it costs them. You test that statement in the next stage, so make it specific.
Common trapfalling for a technology first, such as an AI feature or a new , and then hunting for a problem it could solve. That gives you a product still looking for customers.
A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 2 cheat sheet entries come with the full roadmap. Unlock
Resources for this stage
Start with
- CourseFreeStartup School
Y Combinator · Beginner
Free lessons on how good ideas come from real problems; watch the ideas and talking to users sections first
Keep handy
Also worth your time
The classic essay on noticing problems instead of inventing ideas
- Product Manager Roadmap (roadmap.sh)Go deeper
A map of the non-coding product skills you will need, from research to pricing and metrics