summary ofHow I Built ThisBook by Guy Raz, Nils Parker

first KEY POINT

Every successful business started with a good idea

Entrepreneurs are crazy people who believe in creating products and services that make humanity better. If you're an entrepreneur or looking to become one in the future, then you have a lot of similarities with the explorers of old that you don't realize.In those earlier centuries, explorers were people who challenged the status quo. They believed there was more to the world than everyone around them knew and they were willing to prove it with their lives.Entrepreneurs possess such daring spirits.They don't mind maxing out their credit cards, eating junk, and having sleepless nights, just to deliver the best products to their market. If you say entrepreneurship is a 21st century buzzword for world and mind exploration, you wouldn't be wrong.To qualify for the entrepreneur title, however, you need to have a business… So what does it take to start one?Many things, of course. The business world is so complex that it requires many parts functioning together. But on a priority scale, the first thing you need is a good idea.Ideas are the seeds upon which a business is built. And there are several ways these ideas come. Some people are lucky enough to have ideas strike them when they are not even looking. But for the vast majority of us, you have to be working on something and actively seeking ideas before a good one locates you.If you'd like to get an idea for a groundbreaking, disruptive business, then your best bet isn't to just sit and wait. Actively search for it, and you'd increase your chances.

Here's an example of how you actively search for a good idea: get engaged in something you're passionate about. This may be a job or a hobby — it doesn't matter. While doing that, search for solutions in your area of passion that you need yourself but can't seem to find. Sometimes the solution may exist, but it's subpar. You can also interview people around you to know what they think about the solution available and what they'd wish they could have. That's what Away co-founders, Stephanie Korey and Jen Rubio did. They enjoy traveling and they wanted a travel bag that would suit their needs, but what they found in the market at the time just didn't measure up. They realized they weren't the only ones with this problem, so they decided to create the solution.