Why you already have your next business idea

I’m going to tell this one with an anecdote.

By the time you finish reading, I hope you find some inspiration for your next project.

Laid off

Yep, that’s right. I was laid off.

Not once, but twice.

First, from a corporate video technology company where I was working as a software engineer for a mere 2 months. Post-COVID cost cutting they called it.

Then, from a small startup I was working at for 8 months that simply ran out of funds.

For many people, being laid off means it’s time to take a break. Rest and recharge before going back into the job market.

Not for me.

In fact, the opposite.

It fueled me to fire up my engines and go even harder than before.

Failure #1: TechServia

Maybe a bit harsh. But it’s true.

I took a step back and looked at my skillset.

What was a high-income skill that I could monetise?

Software development.

So, I created a software development house with two close friends.

TechServia, it was called. Serve the people with tech!

Except, with no people to serve you don’t last long.

No client signed = business closed.

I was disappointed and questioning a lot.

But one thing I took away from it all was that connecting people was the hardest, and most important part. If we had clients, we would have stood a much better chance at succeeding.

This led to me reaching out to a friend who’s a coach. Which leads us on to failure #2.

Failure #2: CoachMiro

Just like TechServia needed clients, coaches do too.

So why not build a platform that connects coaches with coachees?

Sounds like a great idea, I thought. So I got building.

2 months later, CoachMiro was born.

Or at least, in concept.

It never saw the light of day, because it was simply moving too slowly. (Speed is key, and I’ll come back to that in a later edition)

But CoachMiro was also a first.

The first project that I was building in public.

It taught me the importance of sharing the journey of building with others, and the power of community.

Which led me to writing this tweet:

Compared to my normal reach, 3700 views was insane!

I knew I was onto something.

Stepping stone #3: Indiedex

• 100,000 views on X

• 2,000 site views

• 100+ user signups

• 4th Product of the Day

• $0 made

These are the stats for Indiedex’s launch day.

Since then, Indiedex has helped almost 250 indie hackers connect and share their growth.

But, we never monetized it.

Not yet, anyway.

$0 in the bank.

But one very important DM, and one promising idea.

Let’s do this #4: Pentest List

Indiedex caught the eye of my soon-to-become next business partner.

He had the eye for:

• An under-served target market.

• A hot problem.

• Potential to provide some serious value.

So let’s see what we can achieve, shall we?

Moral of the story

You discover problems to solve when you start creating.

One feeds on from the next, just like in my anecdote.

But how do you know what to create to get the ball rolling?

Look at the problems others have already solved.

And solve them better by:

• Providing more value

• Charging less

• Making more noise

Whatever you do, don’t stop trying.

You don’t know what’s right around the corner.

Now if you’re really struggling for ideas, give this startup ideas generator a go.

If you’re interested in building little internet startups and traveling the world, subscribe to my newsletter for a new edition every Saturday.

And start connecting with other likeminds on Indiedex. It’s free to claim your profile :)