Have A Product Idea?
Here is what to do first:
Step 1: Do Your Homework
Sit in front of the computer and read about the market until your eyes turn red and your back hurts. When getting ready to go out and fight you have to know as much as possible. As much as you know before going out, the chances of succeeding will rise.
Remember when you’re a kid. Coming to class with your homework done always felt better and made you feel more confident.
Step 2: Define the Product’s Purpose
Think really hard and deep about the purpose of the product. How is it supposed to help to people. Is it really necessary. Ask people around if they would need something like that. Try to change it a little bit until you get them excited.
Step 3: Define the User Profiles, Goals and Tasks
Think about a specific person that could use your product. Imagine him to the smallest details. Write it down. Think about the goals such user would have using your product and what tasks he could accomplish with it.
Step 4: Define your Product Principles
A product with a clear identity is more appealing to the user. Decide what principles you want your product to have and start designing it’s identity.
Step 5: Prototype and Test the Product Concept
Use great tools like balsamiq.com to quickly create mockups of your future product. Show it to your friends and family to get feedback about it. Listen to them but try to understand what they really mean (not what they say).
Step 6: Identify and Question Your Assumptions
Having an idea feels like your high. It’s really fun but not always good for business. Try to take everything your sure of (they need this prodcut because… this feature would be awsome because…) and question it as hard and realstic as you can get. Fall in love with your product but also try to be critical.
Step 7: Write It Down
You can discover so many little things and/or big ideas when you put your thoughts into paper. Write dozens of pages of stuff you think about. No amount of paper is too much for this phase. Write it all down and try to think about everything.
