So here are 7 key points for brainstorming startup ideas that offer a great deal of help:

Use Cases
To simplify the complexities of a startup, it is important to ask yourself certain questions pertaining to the product or service you wish to offer. For instance, questions like “How will the product be used by the customer?” Or “Which are the different categories of people involved in the process of distribution & consumption (e.g. customers, vendors, advertisers, etc.)?” This question- raising session gets you thinking in a clear & specified manner and thus, eases the rough patches with regard to the usability of the product/ service.

Risk and Failure Points
Assumption is generally the ‘silent culprit’ that is responsible for many illogical decisions & thus, failed ventures. To clear the air of assumptions, you need to assess the risk & failure points which enable you to get to the underlying assumptions being made. Normally, it so happens that an entrepreneur doesn’t even realize when he makes assumptions. However, he generally is vigilant about the failure points. This makes it easy once you have asked yourself those critical questions (as explained in point 1) because you now have clearer, step-by-step processes in relation to the product use. So, if an entrepreneur responds, “Well, if no one puts any content into the system, it won’t work”, it becomes vivid that the entrepreneur, here, is making an illogical assumption that people will put content into the system. The next logical question is “Why??”

Incentives and Motivation
Incentives & motivation are a significant component of every activity. Humans are driven by rewards which give them a purpose to put their best foot forward. This basic need has to be acknowledged in order that everything else falls in place. Always remember, the clearer the incentives, the better! It is now time that we give a thought to the question “Why would someone do something that you want them to do?” So, the sooner you realize this, the better. Besides, brainstorming around incentives and motivations is fun.

The One Feature
One important to-do is to look out for the one feature inside the ‘use cases’ and driving the incentives and motivation. It is a general practice to throw features into the products that would make the product stand out. Although the drawback, here, is entrepreneurs tend to assume that one more feature will seal the deal for them, which by the way, is false. It’s just not about a bulk of features, rather it is more about one feature- the one that is the driving force. Brainstorming around this can be very fascinating as it enables the division of a big chunk into manageable pieces. When you go by one piece at a time, it allows you to direct a lot of focus on one small piece of the master plan and test it methodically with the customers before the ‘go-ahead’. Brainstorming, taking one feature at a time really gets to the core of ideas quickly and ensures better concentration.

Target Market
Most of the time, entrepreneurs know what market they’re going after. But, it might not be the right one always. When you look at something from the outside in, it’s much easier to think of other applications and target markets for a startup idea. Brainstorming around this often leads to interesting ideas on product features, but more importantly on go-to-market strategy and whether the customer (that’s in the entrepreneur’s head) is really the right one. For example, there are fairly simple and interesting ways of taking a B2C web application and targeting it at businesses. The reverse is true as well; take a B2B application and steer it towards a B2C adoption model.

Monetization
It’s interesting to brainstorm ideas on monetization, as well as acknowledge its importance at an early stage for startups. However, it depends on the nature of the idea as in some cases; it makes sense to monetize right away while at other times, it’s better to wait. There are no set rules for every startup. Monetization definitely carries weight, but there are other aspects related to the idea which are as important and help to evaluate the overall idea thoroughly. The point is, a single idea cannot be the focal point, however, all startups start with the idea.

References and Referrals
Last, but not the least, looking out for references & referrals for help do make a difference. A reference might be as simple as an article that you can share. A referral might be a potential customer, business partner, or a fellow entrepreneur with familiarity on the turf. If the idea is promising and the entrepreneur is capable, and well, the timing is right, then extending support is a good thought. It is generally advisable to help provided the associations you’re making are meaningful and it doesn’t waste anyone’s time.

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The best team has always been talked about. Also, the value- addition through A- players who are considered more viable and productive, as compared to B-players or even C- players is stressed upon too often. However, keep room for the support staff- accountants, bookkeepers, janitorial staff, etc. This section of the staff is capable of bringing about a massive variation to the way your business operates, and one should also remember that they prove their worth at the time of startup milestones like financings and acquisitions.

Give your comfort zone a miss:
One of the most important lessons of startup entrepreneurs is leaving the comfort space and treading a new path. Rather than doing what one is good at, entrepreneurship advocates doing something that has not been done by the entrepreneur before. Break free from the cosy comfort levels of the mind and try doing the untried! Even, more important, make it a habit !!

Decide on your values & beliefs
Determining the basic values and ideological framework at the very start is an essential step so as to strike a fine balance amongst the viewpoints amongst the co- founders. A startup culture requires conditioning and maintenance.

Do your homework:
One can never really figure out what it is like starting a company till he attempts to do so. However, one can never afford to miss doing the groundwork that offers safety and security for a whole lot of obvious reasons. And the good news is there are a wide variety of resources available which include books, blogs, advisors, other successful entrepreneurs. And then again, the homework about the industry, market, competitors, etc. forms the other half of the homework. The key is to get out ‘there’ and interact with the to-be customers even before you actually develop an offering. Do your homework please or else you land up being an example of a failed start-up.

Iterate quickly and pivot nearly as fast:
One of the very critical aspects of working on a startup is to accept the case when what you have been working on tirelessly doesn’t really seem to be working. You have to gather the courage to keep it all aside and begin afresh when you know something just isn’t worth the effort. And, if you still continue with it, it is as good as banging your head against the wall and the evident show of immaturity to accept and change.

Understand metrics and how to optimize them:
The key metrics are a critical tool to assess success or failure for your startup. It could a little thing or even a combination of small & big things, depending on the startup. It might be repeat visitors. It might be some form of engagement. It might be lifetime value of the customer. It might be all of those things. In any case, you need to know them specifically to measure them constantly and work on optimizing them. You would be in for a surprise to see how small things can influence the impact of your overall offering & brand image!

Know what milestones you need to hit:
Focus is an inseparable aspect of a startup. You just need it anywhere & everywhere. And while being focused, you need everyone in your team to be as focused as they need to be. This is needed as milestones are ‘gates’, if you put it simply. You either go through these gates because of your accomplishments or gates that are just closed to you. If they are closed, you give it another shot or stop. This warrants an entirely separate post…

Build a personal brand:
In many varied situations, having one’s own strong personal brand works wonders! The point- in- question is it provides future social leverage in your life, irrespective of the success or failure of your startup. Not only this, but it can also help drive your existing startup in many ways.

Get your ass out of X:
This world today has become a global village. The era of globalization has brought up the concept of knowing the real customer and thus giving a personal touch to the services on offer and also make sure that you reach them effectively. The message is: Get out of there & discover the world! It is you who needs to expand your markets and to ensure effective reach to the customers spread far and wide.

Don’t raise money … until you’re ready:
Raising money requires an unsaid understanding about the ‘ends’ and also lowering the risk enough to the point that you’ll be able to raise more money at a better valuation. The longer it takes to raise funds as you’re making progress on your offering and acquiring customers, etc. the better.

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The catchy phrase from the cricket lingo ‘Second Innings’ got an entirely different meaning when an ambitious student- teacher duo from The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara launched a website called ‘Second Innings’ exclusively for the very hardworking and sincere crop of the elderlies for whom retirement did not mean an end to working and taking up responsibilities.

Being founded by Dr. Avani Maniar & Shivani Mehta, the now well- established website started out as a college project. Besides being the ‘first-of-its-kind’, it has also been well- received by the senior citizens and has already gained the ‘umero uno’ position among the competitors in the market.

The object with which the website was launched was rather social in nature. As Shivani puts it, “The objective behind launching this website was unique as it was to contribute towards developing a healthy ageing society and helping elderly citizens to involve in community related activities.”

It was her masters studies that enabled the development of the website which now successfully caters to the fulfillment of the needs of the elderly citizens of the country, recounts Shivani, who holds a Masters degree from the Faculty of Family and Community Sciences.

A vivid characteristic of ‘Second Innings’ is the fact that it has been developed in a simple-to-use and extremely user-friendly manner. It enables the users to access the website with ease and provides a common platform for the employers and employees. It is just a matter of registering with the site and uploading your profile which includes your personal and professional details. This ensures establishment of a healthy network of the to- be employers and employees.

Within a limited timespan of approximately three years, the website has to its credit a userbase of 400 registered senior citizens. Apart from its core offering of providing jobs, the website also incorporates forums for interactions, messages, networking and other resources.

Dr. Maniar recollects that the most important aspect at the time of execution of the idea was to identify the elderly citizens who were interested in working even after retirement. This was taken care of by preparing a questionnaire and distributing them among the elderly citizens of Baroda who were interested in working after their retirement in order to collect their personal and professional details (Biodatas).

The idea finally saw the light of day with the website being developed with the help of Larsen and Toubro Limited (L&T) and registered with the help of T.V.S Central.

The biggest achievement in her endeavour, according to Shivani, is the over-whelming response from the elderly citizens and the accomplishment of their goals with Second Innings playing the mediator.

There is no end to the dedication and enthusiasm of this bubbling duo when it comes to creating a self-dependent, hardworking and a content Indian society.

Way to go, Second Innings!!

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