Read 1-star App Store reviews, mine industry-specific Reddit subs with operators like "I wish there was", scan G2 negative reviews, and read Upwork postings reposted 50+ times. Score each pain by frequency, severity, cost, awareness and competition.
Customer pain points are specific, recurring problems people would pay to remove. Six places: (1) App Store / Play Store 1-star reviews. (2) G2 / Capterra negative reviews. (3) Reddit industry subreddits with search operators. (4) Upwork / Fiverr repeated job posts. (5) Customer support tickets and Trustpilot complaints. (6) Competitor sales demos on YouTube — objections customers raise are pain gaps. Score each pain on five axes: frequency, severity, cost, awareness, existing solutions.
Linear founders read every Jira-hate thread before building
Beehiiv built from Substack monetization complaints
Pain causes financial loss or significant time loss; people pay. Annoyance is irritating but tolerable.
Anchor on value delivered: 10–20% of the dollar/hour value. If you save $40k/yr, charge $499/mo.
How do I come up with a startup idea?
Stop brainstorming. Read 50 negative reviews of products in an industry you understand. The complain...
How do I validate a startup idea?
In one weekend: post the idea on Reddit and ask for harsh feedback, set up a $50 landing page with a...
Where can I find startup ideas?
From real customer pain — Reddit industry subs, Upwork repeated jobs, G2 1-star reviews, App Store r...
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