Problem: the main reason startups fail is a lack of market need. 42% of startups built solutions that didn't solve real problems. Solution: we manually find people with unresolved problems they are willing to pay to solve.
1. So, how did I come up with the idea for this product?
It's simple: first, I failed 3-4 startups in a row. The main reason was that I was building products that people didn't need. Then I stepped back to reflect and learn from my mistakes. During this reflection, I came across a series of essays by Paul Graham (the founder of Y Combinator) about how to build startups, starting with the search for ideas. I realized that the entire focus should not be on «startup ideas», but on the problems that can become the foundation for a startup. And that's how the idea for ProblemHunt came about — a place to find unsolved problems that people are willing to pay to have solved.
2. How much time passed from the idea to the first user?
I launched the first version of the product about two months ago, and the first user came right after the launch.
3. What was the most difficult moment and how did you overcome it?
In the process, we found that the most difficult thing is precisely to find people's problems. Most people perceive their difficulties as «normal» and simply put up with them for years, without even looking for a solution.
We have to manually search for and write to different people to draw out their problems. Out of 100 personal requests asking them to share a problem, only 2-3 people react positively. But even among them, we filter out about half — those whose problem has almost no market or is a one-time «wish».
Guys, if you have any questions — please ask them in the comments. I'll be happy to answer all of them. 😊
I suggest that you motivate ProblemHunt site visitors to submit startup ideas. Automate search for things similar that already exist before making them live.
Great product! Of course every start up will face the problem that building something no one need it! But I think it would better to add a new feature that allows users to vote the problems, it's necessary to find the high value problems.😁
Congratulations on the launch and I upvoted!
I wonder how you put together the list of these problems - is this a UGC product where people can submit problems they encounter? Or, are you crawling/indexing these problems from the internet?
Also, I wonder what would be the incentives for people who submit these problems. Is the goal to launch a new startup and the problem sharers become part of the new startups?
Overall, a great concept and something that the world definitely needs!
Congratulations on the launch and I upvoted!
I wonder how you put together the list of these problems - is this a UGC product where people can submit problems they encounter? Or, are you crawling/indexing these problems from the internet?
Also, I wonder what would be the incentives for people who submit these problems. Is the goal to launch a new startup and the problem sharers become part of the new startups?
Overall, a great concept and something that the world definitely needs!
Problem Hunt is basically flipping the startup script instead of guessing what to build, they start by finding real problems people already want solved. It’s like a reality check for founders before they waste months building something no one needs. Simple idea but super smart.
That's a great idea with lots of potential. However, it seems like you're going to face another issue - how are you going to differentiate whether it's a huge and serious issue, and that it will be worth building something, or if it's a rather small issue, and it's just not worth building a solution, even if people try to convince you that they'd pay for it? Anyway, good luck!
What's the future of this product? What features are you going to innovate for monetization?
Looks solid. I would recommend adding $ for adding a problem. If someone is invested enough to pay to state their problem then the solver can get the money.
I loved seeing this problem on ProblemHunt. Yesterday we just launched something to solve this. I'd love to know how you want users to engage on your platform!
Love the focus on real problems, Boris. Your story resonates, I’ve also built things no one needed. Manually hunting for pain points is hard but valuable. Curious how you qualify willingness to pay and segment by market size. Congrats on the launch!
Hi everyone, I'm Victoria, co-founder of ProblemHunt. I wanted to thank you for your support. We truly appreciate it, and it really helps not only our project, but also the people who need it.
I hope more people will become successful with their startups, making the world a better and easier place to live.
Hey guys! 👋 I'm Boris, founder of ProblemHunt.pro
1. So, how did I come up with the idea for this product?
It's simple: first, I failed 3-4 startups in a row. The main reason was that I was building products that people didn't need. Then I stepped back to reflect and learn from my mistakes. During this reflection, I came across a series of essays by Paul Graham (the founder of Y Combinator) about how to build startups, starting with the search for ideas. I realized that the entire focus should not be on «startup ideas», but on the problems that can become the foundation for a startup. And that's how the idea for ProblemHunt came about — a place to find unsolved problems that people are willing to pay to have solved.
2. How much time passed from the idea to the first user?
I launched the first version of the product about two months ago, and the first user came right after the launch.
3. What was the most difficult moment and how did you overcome it?
In the process, we found that the most difficult thing is precisely to find people's problems. Most people perceive their difficulties as «normal» and simply put up with them for years, without even looking for a solution.
We have to manually search for and write to different people to draw out their problems. Out of 100 personal requests asking them to share a problem, only 2-3 people react positively. But even among them, we filter out about half — those whose problem has almost no market or is a one-time «wish».
Guys, if you have any questions — please ask them in the comments. I'll be happy to answer all of them. 😊