# How to get a startup idea?

By [Bayka](https://paragraph.com/@bayka) · 2023-01-09

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There are two main approaches to sourcing startup ideas: bottom-up and top-down.

Bottom Up
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This approach involves identifying **personal problems** that you or your company face daily that are not being adequately addressed. You can then try to find a solution to these problems by researching their root causes and looking for innovative insights. This approach is often fueled by passion, as it requires a lot of energy and dedication to work on a problem for several years.

Alternatively, you can follow a more **professional approach** by listing the problems you encounter at work and trying to find a solution to them. Many successful companies were started by employees who couldn't convince their bosses to fix a particular problem.

Top Down
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The top-down approach involves starting with an industry that you are familiar with and using expert knowledge and industry research to identify problems that need to be solved. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed some systemic issues in the aviation industry, such as high fixed costs. You can then brainstorm how new technology could solve these problems more efficiently.:

1.  **A list of ideas** can be sourced from industry analysts’ reports or YCombinator’s [Request for Startups](https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs/). By the way, for those thinking about web3 space: Balaji Srinivasan from a16z has a [wonderful talk](https://youtu.be/YWsweuMRsNU) on the relevant & pressing issues in the space.
    
2.  Lists of **emerging technologies**, such as those from [Gartner Hype Cycle](https://www.gartner.com/en/articles/what-s-new-in-the-2022-gartner-hype-cycle-for-emerging-technologies) or lists compiled by tech magazines, e.g. [MIT Technology Review](https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/02/23/1045416/10-breakthrough-technologies-2022/)
    
    In my experience, it is often best to combine these two approaches, starting with a bottom-up approach and using top-down research to validate and justify it.
    

Advice to my younger self
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Take time to carefully consider your idea options, don’t rush into action. And make sure you are well rested & your mind is open to new.

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*Originally published on [Bayka](https://paragraph.com/@bayka/how-to-get-a-startup-idea)*