Up and Running Blog

Start with Needs–Here Are Some Lists

by Tim Berry on March 23, 2009

Somewhere in the foundation of business startups is the idea that one of the best foundations of a good startup is actual customer need. Somebody needs or wants something, and you figure out how to get it to them or do it for them. One of the strong principles of business success.

With that in mind, here are a couple lists of things people need or want.  One of them is for Web 2.0 offerings, the other for mobile tech offerings:

  1. Talk about great ideas. Starting with Rafe Needleman, who came up with this one on CNET. He asked the world for Web 2.0 ideas, offering a free pass to Web 2.0 2009 conference. And that produced a really interesting list. People wrote in suggesting things they’d like to see. And that’s a great way to start a business–with something somebody wants.
  2. The other is a collection of Windows Mobile ideas, posted here. They are presentations in video, nicely done. It gives me the impression that Microsoft has money to spend on this.

So if you’re in the tech world and have capabilities, here are some ideas. Offered to you free, which is, by the way, what an idea is worth. You add technology, management, capital, operations, marketing and getting it all done, and you have a business.

About Tim Berry

Tim Berry

Tim Berry is the founder of Palo Alto Software, a co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning. Tim is the originator of plan-as-you-go business planning. He has an MBA from Stanford and degrees with honors from the University of Oregon and the University of Notre Dame. Today, Tim dedicates most of his time to blogging, teaching, and evangelizing for business planning. His full biography is available on his blog.

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GoEverywhere Team March 23, 2009 at 1:43 pm

In our current environment and culture, I also believe that I another key concept that should drive entrepreneurs is that of simply connecting people that need to be connected for a common purpose. I think that the smaller niche you work this in, the better it will work out.

In this world where we are more connected and less “in touch” than we have ever been before, putting the platform in place to connect the should-connects is a no-lose situation.

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