Find problems worth solving

Start with the problem, not the idea

A good SaaS idea solves a problem. Not just any problem: one that's painful, comes up often, and that people want gone.

A rare or minor annoyance won't get many people to pay. A daily, frustrating one might.

Where to look

Your own experience

Think about your job, past or present, and your hobbies. Which tasks waste your time? What do you still do by hand, in a spreadsheet, or with copy-paste? You already know these people and how they talk. That's a real advantage.

Forums and communities

Go where your audience hangs out: industry forums, online groups, niche communities. Look for phrases like:

• "how do you all handle…"
• "I waste so much time on…"
• "is there a tool for…?"

When the same question comes from several people, write it down.

Reviews of existing tools

Read reviews of the tools your audience already uses. Repeated complaints are gold: too expensive, too complicated, missing a specific feature. Each complaint is a lead.

Tasks in job postings

Job postings describe tasks. If lots of companies are hiring someone to do the same repetitive work, a tool might be able to help.