Having a Business Idea
Where business ideas come from; spotting everyday problems and thinking of solutions; the difference between inventing something new and improving something that exists
What a learner can do afterwards
- Identify a simple everyday problem and suggest a product or service that could solve it
- Explain the difference between an invention (something new) and an innovation (making something better)
- Describe where one real entrepreneur got their business idea from
The lesson
Every business starts with one idea. Most ideas come from noticing a problem, something that bugs you or is hard to do. Maybe your backpack always falls over, or your little brother cannot reach the sink. That annoying problem is where a business idea can begin.
A boy named Chester Greenwood loved ice skating, but his ears always got painfully cold. He wrapped wire and fur into two pads and tied them over his ears. His ears stayed warm, and soon other skaters wanted a pair too. That cold-ears problem turned into a real business making earmuffs.
Not every business idea has to be something brand new. An invention is something nobody has made before, like the first earmuffs. An innovation is taking something that already exists and making it better, like adding wheels to a suitcase so it is easier to carry.
Suitcases already existed for many years. Someone noticed they were heavy to carry and added wheels and a handle. Nobody invented a brand new object, but the suitcase became much easier to use. That is an innovation.
To find your own business idea, look around for something that bugs you. Ask yourself, how could this be easier? Then decide if you want to invent something new or make something better.
Look for a problem, then decide whether to invent something brand new or improve something that already exists.
Watch it
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.