The article “How to get startup ideas” tackles some very interesting points for those interested in creating their own startup. First is the idea of finding a problem. Not only do you need to find a problem, but you also have to have an open mind to notice that something is a problem in the first place.

Many times I have come up with ideas where the problem is so minute that no matter the solution, no one would be interested in my product. You have to come up with a problem that people have and that has the potential to affect many people. It has to be an idea that people can’t just see themselves maybe using in the future, but something that they would definitely use immediately “even when it’s a crappy version made by a two-person startup they’ve never heard of.”

Also, rather than taking a class on and learning about entrepreneurship, it’s best to actually create. The article talks about the fact that there’s no better teacher for entrepreneurs than experience. The more you create and collaborate with other people, the more prepared you’ll be to start your own startup. It is also important to draw inspiration from areas other than your specialty. By taking classes about topics outside of your major, you can find problems in areas of life that you may not have realized even affected you.

In the second article that I read, I found many things intriguing. My favorite quote from the article “Mastering the Art of disruptive innovation in journalism” was “The basic idea is that people don’t go around looking for products to buy. Instead, they take life as it comes and when they encounter a problem, they look for a solution—and at that point, they’ll hire a product or service.”

I found this point to be very relatable when it comes to starting a startup. It’s so relatable because once I started to think about the products that I buy or services that I pay for, my reason is never to just buy something, but instead to buy something that will solve a problem.

Another great example that was addressed in the article was the home store IKEA. IKEA happens to be my favorite store in existence and mainly because of the points talked about in the article. It is your one stop shop for everything. It’s super affordable and convenient. Food, furniture, daycare, it has it all, as should any product that is created.

I think that regardless of any start up idea, the main point of both articles is to look beyond a product and to instead keep an open mind to problems that we don’t notice on a daily basis.