How to Get Startup Ideas
Author: Paul Graham Published: November 2012 URL: https://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html
Summary
Graham’s definitive essay on finding startup ideas. Core thesis: don’t brainstorm ideas, instead “live in the future and build what’s missing.” Introduces key frameworks: the Well vs Sitcom test, Schlep Blindness, the Unsexy Filter, and organic vs manufactured ideas. Argues that the best ideas come from noticing problems you personally have, not from deliberate ideation.
Key Claims
- The best ideas are noticed, not invented — organic beats manufactured
- “Live in the future, then build what’s missing”
- The Well test: “Who wants this so badly they’ll use a rough version from unknown founders?”
- Schlep Blindness makes people avoid tedious-but-valuable opportunities (Stripe)
- A crowded market signals real demand, not reason to avoid
- Domain clashes (crossing fields) generate the best insights
- The question is not “what should I build?” but “what do I notice is missing?”