How To Pick A Startup Idea

Founders often struggle with "idea paralysis," waiting for the perfect startup concept before committing. Meaningful progress requires abandoning the search for perfection and instead selecting one idea to pursue with singular focus. "Going deep" involves immersing oneself in the domain until one can effectively run the customer's business, a process that often reveals the true, structural problems worth solving. In the AI era, successful startups increasingly verticalize by selling outcomes rather than just software, as seen with companies like Corgi Insurance. While fear of failure often leads to hedging across multiple ideas, this approach produces poor data. Instead, committing to a single path—even if it ultimately fails—generates the necessary customer feedback and conviction to pivot toward more viable opportunities. Ambition is critical, as the effort required to build a modest startup is identical to that of a sector-rewriting one.