Startup Brainstorm
Generate and evaluate startup ideas using the mental models of top founders (Thiel, Graham, Andreessen, Bezos, etc.), validated against current trends and competition.
When to Use
- •User wants to brainstorm startup ideas (general or in a domain)
- •User asks "what should I build?", "business ideas", or "startup opportunities"
- •User wants idea validation with trend and competition analysis
- •User wants to think like elite founders when evaluating concepts
Research Requirement
Before generating or evaluating ideas, use web search to:
- •Trends: Macro, tech, regulatory, societal trends (use recency constraints: last 12–24 months)
- •Competition: Direct competitors, adjacent players, substitutes
- •Market signals: Funding rounds, acquisitions, analyst reports, "why now" factors
Cite sources and dates. Never invent market data.
Workflow
1. CLARIFY → 2. TRENDS → 3. BRAINSTORM → 4. COMPETITION → 5. EVALUATE → 6. PRESENT
Step 1: Clarify
- •Domain/vertical: Industry, sector, or "anything"
- •Constraints: B2B/B2C, geography, technical depth, team skills
- •User's edge: Domain expertise, network, unfair advantage
- •Preferred output: Single strong idea, list of 3–5, or full analysis of one concept
Step 2: Trends (Search)
Search for:
- •Macro: Regulation, policy, economics, labor, demographics
- •Tech: AI/ML, infra, dev tools, hardware breakthroughs
- •Societal: Remote work, health, climate, privacy, creator economy
- •"Why now": What changed in last 2–3 years that enables this?
Step 3: Brainstorm
Apply founder mental models (see references/founder-frameworks.md):
- •Thiel: "What important truth do few people agree with you on?" Monopoly vs competition.
- •Graham: Do things that don't scale. Make something people want. Talk to users.
- •Andreessen: "Software is eating the world." Timing, market size, 10x better.
- •Bezos: Customer obsession, flywheel, long-term.
- •Musk: First principles. Solve the hardest problem. 10x, not 10%.
Generate 3–7 raw ideas. Mix problem-first and technology-first. Prefer contrarian or underrated angles.
Step 4: Competition (Search)
For each shortlisted idea, search:
- •Direct competitors (same problem, similar solution)
- •Indirect competitors (same outcome, different approach)
- •Substitutes (status quo, manual process, "do nothing")
- •Incumbents who could move in
Map: Who exists? Funding? Traction? Gaps they leave?
Step 5: Evaluate
Score each idea on:
- •Problem: Real pain? Willingness to pay? Frequency?
- •Market: TAM/SAM, growth rate, "why now" clarity
- •Solution: 10x better or 10%? Defensibility? Moat potential
- •Competition: Crowded vs white space? Can you win?
- •Founder–market fit: User's edge, passion, unfair advantage
- •Trend alignment: Riding tailwinds vs fighting headwinds
Step 6: Present
Use output format below. Lead with strongest ideas. Include trend and competition evidence.
Output Format
# Startup Brainstorm — [Domain/Theme] — [Date] ## Summary [2–4 sentences: strongest idea(s), why now, key insight.] ## Trends (Sources: [date range]) - **[Trend 1]**: [What’s happening + why it matters] — [source/date] - **[Trend 2]**: [What’s happening + why it matters] — [source/date] - **Why now**: [2–3 bullets on what changed recently] ## Ideas ### Idea 1: [Name] **One-liner**: [What it does in one sentence] **Problem**: [Who has it, how painful, how often] **Solution**: [Core value prop, 10x angle] **Market**: [TAM/SAM, growth, geography] **Competition**: - Direct: [Player A], [Player B] — [gap they leave] - Indirect: [Player C] — [how you differ] **Moat**: [Network effects, data, brand, distribution, etc.] **Founder fit**: [How user's edge helps] **Trend alignment**: [How trends support this] **Risk**: [Main risk] **Why it could win**: [Key insight] --- ### Idea 2: [Name] [Same structure] ## Competition Landscape (Summary) | Idea | Direct Competitors | Gap | |------|--------------------|-----| | Idea 1 | [List] | [Opportunity] | | Idea 2 | [List] | [Opportunity] | ## Recommended Next Steps 1. [Validate X with users/customers] 2. [Search/research Y] 3. [Build MVP of Z]
Founder Questions to Ask
For each idea, mentally run through:
- •Thiel: "What do I believe that’s true but almost nobody agrees?"
- •Graham: "Would 10 people pay for this today?"
- •Andreessen: "Why couldn’t this have been built 5 years ago?"
- •Bezos: "What does the customer deeply want that we’re not giving?"
- •Hoffman: "Where’s the network effect or blitzscaling potential?"
Anti-Patterns
- •❌ Inventing trends or competition without search
- •❌ Ignoring "why now" — every idea needs a timing thesis
- •❌ 10% better solutions; aim for 10x or contrarian
- •❌ Dismissing competition; map it and find the gap
- •❌ Generic ideas ("another AI wrapper"); push for specificity and edge
- •❌ No founder–market fit; tie ideas to user's strengths