The Secret to Finding Profitable Software Ideas

[@HealthyDev]

Are you trying to find a profitable software product idea to start a solo tech company? Have you validated the idea is a true pain point for your customer? What's holding you back from talking to real customers?

[@muammarajohnson5336]

i had a great idea. it worked it was really nice and i wanted to continue building it. but i couldnt figure out how to monetize it. that really was the end of it for me.I was wondering about maybe making it a nonprofit thing.

[@bobbycrosby9765]

I think the 1 thing that's missing here is looking at what solutions to the problem already exists. Most of my company's ideas aren't unique. We see existing solutions out there that are just not very good. We streamline them and compete directly with them. The nice thing about this is someone else has already validated that the market exists.

[@HealthyDev]

Competitive analysis is absolutely part of starting a company. This episode aims to avoid the (deadly) mistake of trying to create a unique idea for your first product without input from customers. If I got into that, it would be too long. I appreciate your feedback though, it's a great suggestion for a future episode! Thank you. 👍

[@_tnk_]

fantastic point

[@abdallahayyad]

I watched tens of KZbin videos discussing how to find profitable software ideas. I can guarantee that your video is one of the best. Your ideas and questions are organized in an amazing way. Thank you for this video!

[@HealthyDev]

Really? I'm flattered. Thank you!

[@LeoPlaw]

Yes, you have to be careful that you don't lead yourself down the wrong path with your product or service idea, but many times I've also been led down the garden path by those businesses I've asked for input. As negotiator Chris Voss puts it, you always have to ask who else has input, as there are often others in the decision making process that can sink what looks like a sure thing. You might be talking to people who have a real problem or need that requires a solution, but higher ups, have other requirements or motivations and the final say on whether money would ever be spent on just such a thing. So perhaps a smart question to ask first up is, why has no money or resources already been allocated to solving it.

[@purdysanchez]

These problems are easy to identify when talking to other startups or efficient businesses, they're harder when you're talking to large companies with completely disconnected employees.

[@HealthyDev]

Absolutely. I talked about this in one of the episodes linked to this one in the cards. I suggest people find a problem with a market that is nowhere near the complexity of their day job.

[@remek712]

I’m in a situation at work where I’ve been working as a Java Developer for about 7 years across various corporations. In each company, I’ve worked in the Scrum methodology with sprints. I’ve noticed a recurring pattern, and in my current job, it’s the same: managers use sprints as a tool for excessive control and apply pressure to deliver everything within the sprint. They often talk about deadlines and due dates. The atmosphere is such that I always feel behind and like I’m not doing enough. I struggle with working under pressure in sprints, and because of this, I’m considering changing to a position where I wouldn’t have to work in sprints.

[@camgere]

It has to pass "The Mom Test" "How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you."

[@MongoLolz]

For reals. Tried all my cool ideas and they bombed. Did a site where women could complain about people and it's profitable.

[@julioherrera3663]

One of the problems in reaching out to people in organizations is understanding the position in the corporate hierarchy that they hold. If you end up talking to someone too high in the organization they may only have a high level understanding of the problem and may not have a good grasp of the details. They are however usually in a good position to provide a good indication of how much the company might be willing to pay for the solution based on the pain the problem presents to the bottom line. If on the other hand if you speak to someone who is too low in the organization you can get better details on the actual problem but might not get much information on what the company might be willing to pay to solve that problem. So there probably might the need to have multiple conversations within a single organization. Aim high and ask for a recommendation to whom one can have further conversations for further details.

[@HealthyDev]

Good point! Personally, if it were my first startup I'd go with something consumers or small orgs want versus one with a significant hierarchy for exactly this reason. The person you're selling to, and the ultimate buyer (a spouse in b2c customers, procurement often in b2b customers) can often complicate things when they're separate.

[@iamacoder8331]

Great content. This is exactly the situation I'm in - speaking and chatting with people before I write a single line of code.

[@SimGunther]

The secret: let the guitar tell you whether your ideas are profitable. If a sour note occurs, it's not a profitable idea.

[@HealthyDev]

🤣🤣🤣

[@danielclaire882]

That was one of the best videos we'll see on KZbin.

[@d.g4357]

This is one of the best videos I’ve ever watched on turning an idea into a real IT product / brand that generates revenue while addressing user pain points. Absolute gold content. Amazing episode! Cheers! - Dale

[@HealthyDev]

Wow, thanks!

[@dreamdrifter]

I got the idea for my current project in a meeting with a colleague, he told my team he'd tried 5+ different software solutions and none of quite fit. So I'm building it myself (I didn't tell him or anyone about it yet though, waiting until I have something worth showing) For now it's just a uni project so I'm just building it for an AWS assignment. Before spending more time trying to build it into a real SaaS, I'll definitely come back to this video and review these techniques. I believe I succeeded in identifying a solution for my colleagues pain points, the question is whether anyone else is suffering with the same problem.

[@HealthyDev]

My suggestion would be to talk to other people before you build it. If you watched through to the end, it's important not to start a business on one person's input (most of the time).

[@chrvberg]

Seemingly simple but often overlooked basics. Thank you for sharing! Reminds a bit of "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek - plus some actionable points.

[@HealthyDev]

He’s great! I’ve learned an incredible amount from him.

[@Fierydice]

Henry Ford: if I had asked people what they wanted, they would have asked for a faster horse.

[@hanswoast7]

Yep. The point is not to ask for solutions, but for the biggest problem. Then you know, that you will be working towards the right goal. Ideas on solutions from customer POV might help, but you need to come up with the best solution yourself.

[@agaray002]

@@hanswoast7true, they asked for a faster horse. Ford created cars. Solves the problem.

[@jasonsimpson1609]

This is exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I needed to hear it, from exactly the person I needed to hear it from. Thanks Jayme!

[@HealthyDev]

You're so welcome. Hope your efforts are going in the right direction!

[@JohnMcclaned]

4:50 - don't do that. Read the book "the moms test" and learn how to ask proper questions. Don't put the responsibility on them to know what their problems are, they probably don't even realize they have them.

[@jerrid1816]

I'm working on a simplified RPA solution for the non-tech to be able to use as a side hustle opportunity. Designing is not an issue but Marketing ugh! I am excited to get all the required pieces in place.

[@tobeqz7065]

Wow this is incredibly valuable information, thank you for making this!

[@HealthyDev]

You're very welcome! I was really thrilled when I stumbled on Dane's approach to interviewing potential customers 6 years ago.

[@juan_salvador_gaviota]

The software I’m building will solve my own problem, hopefully others will benefit from it as well 🤞🏻thoughts on this approach?

[@iliyaisd]

This is really cool. I was hesitant about watching this video, because I've seen quite a bit and there is a lot of bad information out there which leads into what feels unethical, or just too hard for someone with eng mindset and not a sales/marketing mindset. But this is understandable, totally ethical, step by step and cuts through the chase to such an extent that I'm feeling like I might even do it exactly this way.

[@Najibway]

This is valuable content.

[@ProjectAbdo]

Great video! I love the idea of letting the market reveal their pain points through conversation instead of guessing. Quick question-does it have to be a call, or do you think text-based outreach (like email or Reddit) could work just as well? I’m curious about the difference in depth and honesty of responses. Calls can feel like a chore, and people might feel ‘on the spot,’ whereas with text, they might take more time to craft thoughtful replies. Do you think written responses could be just as valuable for real insights? Thank you :)

[@HealthyDev]

I believe a voice to voice conversation is essential. People's initial answers can often overlook the question (no matter how well you've stated it) and need clarification. And often it's a good idea to keep asking "and what else?" to dig deeper. You can't really do this effectively with social media posts.

[@Олексій-г1в]

Thanks, I needed this exactly today.

[@ecofriend93]

Good advice! Thanks for sharing.

[@alexmen95kn]

Thank you for your advices! Your videos are awesome!

[@TylerKehne]

Another banger from Mr. Edwards

[@dazzaondmic]

Thanks for the video. You mentioned having talked about your failed businesses or perhaps your successful ones in earlier videos. Can you please direct us to those videos?

[@HealthyDev]

I have over 160 videos so it's hard to find all the occurrences, sorry! I do remember for sure talking about it in the 3 videos where I shared my story (up to 7 years ago). These are really long episodes from way back. kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXaUnqhvlrJ1fNU&pp=gAQBiAQB kzbin.info/www/bejne/p6CqYqWha6uohNU&pp=gAQBiAQB

[@paulXmbingu]

Design thinking is also a great framework for exploring problems and coming up with customer/user-centric solutions.

In general it's a good piece of advice. Maybe it's not so streamlined as described. Anyway, a general principle is to understand what problems customer is facing. And try to come with solutions for them. And this is a "must have".

[@jorgesantamaria7131]

After watching your video I've been wondering what would happen if you identify a problem and build a software solution but when the project is ready, the problem mutated to something different. Is part of the process to recheck what the current problem is in order to be sure you're creating a profitable solution? Great content, thanks! 🤘

[@HealthyDev]

Great question. This is a regular part of product development. That's why it's so important to only build a minimum viable product and be totally open to changing things once customers use it. The idea that the first version of any product won't require changes, is really kind of unreasonable.

[@RafalAndHisThoughts]

We all went though the same type of journey, huh? :D Nice video mate!

[@6957-c5k]

I like listening to this guy because he keeps it real.

[@santonsh2]

It's a shame you didn't tell the story of the companies that didn't work for you. You did state your point, of course. It's just that could add some color to the story

[@HealthyDev]

For sure. I've talked about them in earlier episodes, but I wanted to keep this one actionable and clear since it does have a lot for someone new to this topic to take in. Appreciate the suggestion!

[@kebman]

Solid!

[@hyperborean72]

great insight

[@Rockyzach88]

Good vid. Thx

[@ArisAris-fs1ip]

Or just live in a poor technologicaly country, get ideas from solution that exist in the USA and Europe and bring them to that country as unique 😅

[@olaoluwadaniel8312]

The way he speak ✅✅✅

[@dennissdigitaldump8619]

So what happens when the pain point/problem is confirmed? And the solution is workable? And the solution has secondary financial effects, aka profit, BUT the issue cannot be discussed in public/recordable. How to get investors? I have a pitch deck, etc. but it's so stripped due to NDA's it's not enticing.

[@HealthyDev]

You may not have seen some of my other videos on the topic of working for yourself, but I advocate for solo product efforts that do not require investors or employees. VC funded startups are a totally different thing. I'm trying to help people escape the corporate grind by starting companies that can replace their corporate income and higher - but not build another giant mess for them to have to manage. Hope that makes sense.

[@aris13pat1]

The problem I find is that in order to find 15 interviews you will have to spend time and money for years alongside your current job. And in order to understand and build this solution it will take forever. By then some other guy may already have solved this problem cheaper and more effectively than you anyway. Time is the most precious commodity we have.

[@HealthyDev]

It shouldn't take years to find 15 interviews. It sounds like you're also looking at a product that is similar in complexity to an enterprise or established company. You want to find product opportunities to build simple, profitable solutions with low complexity.

[@aris13pat1]

@@HealthyDev Thank you very much for clarifying your point. It's a bit clearer now.

[@HealthyDev]

@@aris13pat1 no problem. I’m still always learning what should and shouldn’t be included in each episode. Your comment helps other people understand the episode better by requesting clarification, so thank you.

[@zeussuez240]

Other than computer research, all software engineers are writing business scripts.

[@Andrumen01]

Not true, scientific software for physics, biology, chemistry, engineering research is a HUUUUUUGE and barely explored area by corporations. Sure, there are a few popular ones: Matlab, Mathematica, Maple, etc., but there is still a TON of things that can be done beyond business!

[@Greedygoblingames]

TLDR; do your market research and establish your idea's viability before writing a single line of code.

[@thelostgeneration2000]

I have some ideas for software, with millions of people who have similar problems. The problem is I have zero knowledge and understanding of how and where to start...

[@HealthyDev]

You should watch the video. From what you're saying, it sounds like you're still operating under the assumption that your idea is where you should start. It can help you look at this problem another way.

[@GudLawdHammercy]

Spill the beans! What were the businesses that failed? Why couldn't you find customers / users that would have been willing to pay?

[@HealthyDev]

I provided links in another comment that asked the same thing if you'd like to know more about this.

[@florinpandele5205]

Yes this approach may give you some software needs that you could exploit but the really great ideeas are the things that not even the customers know or realize that would be necessary. Mobile phones for example, the first queries about them in US gave something like a 3% probability of buying, simply because people had a hard time imagining what they can be used for.. or so the story goes. The same thing happened with the computer GUI and mouse, they were invented by HP but put in practice by Microsoft and Apple.

[@HealthyDev]

You don't need to invent the iPhone to have a profitable business. I'm trying to help people who want to quit their day job and find some freedom from the tech grind as an employee. While you are correct that bigger, more profitable ideas arose this way, it's absolutely not necessary to stop being an employee. Hope that makes sense.

[@AndreyMakarov-i7h]

Jonathan Blow was right about web development.

[@abjee1602]

?

[@Zinthose]

TL;DR. See a need, fill a need.

[@megoingon]

@ThrivingTechnologist did anyone told you that you look like a younger brother of Bret Weinstein????

[@HealthyDev]

I've been told I look like all manner of other people since starting the channel. Can't say I remember him specifically.

[@hyperborean72]

@@HealthyDev and you look very handsome whoever they dare to compare you with

[@ferroalloys594]

Oh well, lists of consecutive prime numbers of arbitrary length, not pseudo-primes, actually exhaustively factorised primes ain't worth knowing then, Oh well, no problem!

[@kcrooks7]

🙏🙏🙏

[@whiletrue1-wb6xf]

listen , if you have successful company you don't have time to do coaching

[@6957-c5k]

It’s difficult to get 5 actual customers let alone 25😂

[@6Diego1Diego9]

I need money.

[@jayanthpatki7845]

Hr onboarding. Everything fucking hr. Software should replace hr first.

[@johnjohnes698]

I call this #bullshit

[@HealthyDev]

Thanks for the actionable #feedback

[@last.journey]

This is an insight i didn't hear it from anyone before This explain why programmers fails most of the time when making products But is this actually true 100% i mean customer are not always true and while we don't know nothing about their requirements trying to guess it they also don't know nothing about the capabilities of programmers and programmers might know better solutions for their problems