Sam Altman on how to generate and evaluate startup ideas
The most common question prospective startup founders ask is how to get ideas for startups. The second most common question is if you have any ideas for their startup.
Good founders have lots of ideas
Having ideas is among the most important qualities for a startup founder to have. You will need to generate lots of new ideas in the course of running a startup.
How do you do that? It’s important to be in the right kind of environment, and around the right kinds of people.
Good founders tend to think without the constraints most people have, not have a lot of filters, and not care too much what other people think
What’s one good test of an idea?
Finally, a good test for an idea is if you can articulate why most people think it’s a bad idea, but you understand what makes it good.
Stay away from people who are world-weary and belittle your ambitions
Think about the most important tectonic shifts happening right now. How is the world changing in fundamental ways? Can you identify a leading edge of change and an opportunity that it unlocks?
Test an idea by asking “could this be huge if it worked?”
The best ideas are fragile
Most people don’t even start talking about them at all because they sound silly.
Perhaps most of all, you want to be around people who don’t make you feel stupid for mentioning a bad idea, and who certainly never feel stupid for doing so themselves.
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