This is a really good idea - my last semester of college I tried to get a sorority to let me do this for them (bc of something PG mentioned once that seemed like a good idea), but none of them actually could identify a problem they had. It was weird - hanging around them they obviously had all sorts of social friction that technology could help with, but when asking them to identify a real problem they tried to be too smart about it, like coming up with the most interesting idea was what I wanted.
Anyway, businesses are a bit better at identifying their problems so hopefully you won't have any trouble here!
I think this is a really awesome idea and I have a follow-up idea.
I'm kind of in the same boat as the poster: I'm a developer who wants to do a SaaS but I lack a worthy idea (ie one that is actually wanted by the market). I find it very frustrating to be told that "ideas are useless" and that execution is everything, when all I'm yearning to do is to get started executing.
I was writing a book called "How to find SaaS ideas" (obviously I failed to solve that problem) and I managed to get around 230 sign-ups from just a few random comments on HN alone, so that tells me that there is probably lots of other people in the same boat as me.
Anyway, I think there should be a kind of online marketplace for this type of arrangement. Ie developers can go and say "I want to build your solution for free in exchange for SaaS distribution rights" and people with a business in need of software improvement can go and find free code labor. Win-win.
Anyone think there's any merit to my idea here? :)
Love the idea and will be watching the comments/follow up.
I think a lot of developers are in a similar boat. I know https://assemblymade.com has gone at this a bit differently, but still - finding a problem that you can get paying customers day 1.
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[ 2.1 ms ] story [ 16.1 ms ] threadAnyway, businesses are a bit better at identifying their problems so hopefully you won't have any trouble here!
I'm kind of in the same boat as the poster: I'm a developer who wants to do a SaaS but I lack a worthy idea (ie one that is actually wanted by the market). I find it very frustrating to be told that "ideas are useless" and that execution is everything, when all I'm yearning to do is to get started executing.
I was writing a book called "How to find SaaS ideas" (obviously I failed to solve that problem) and I managed to get around 230 sign-ups from just a few random comments on HN alone, so that tells me that there is probably lots of other people in the same boat as me.
Anyway, I think there should be a kind of online marketplace for this type of arrangement. Ie developers can go and say "I want to build your solution for free in exchange for SaaS distribution rights" and people with a business in need of software improvement can go and find free code labor. Win-win.
Anyone think there's any merit to my idea here? :)
I think a lot of developers are in a similar boat. I know https://assemblymade.com has gone at this a bit differently, but still - finding a problem that you can get paying customers day 1.
Good Luck!