> Is there some methodical way to uncover needed software?
I think this is a common thread here - software developers looking for a problem to solve. A lot of people invent a solution without really knowing whether it is a problem - or is the main problem for whatever industry it's serving.
I personally feel like you'll always do better if you at least have a passing interesting in whatever business you are planning to "disrupt". If you don't work in the industry itself, then it's probably a good idea to have a partner who does and can bring to the table the deep understanding of the industry and whatever pain it may have.
Finding that is not incredibly difficult - there are thousands of people who have an idea for an application and are looking for somebody to bring it to life. If you don't personally have any inspiration for an idea, then you can always find somebody who has the idea and industry experience and create a great team.
Another reason for having such a person is that, even if you write an amazing app, you'll quickly find that each industry can be a small world, and the vendors you are competing against are already having lunch and playing golf with the major buyers in that market. If you have no connections at all, it can be extremely difficult to get your foot in the door. "Build it and they will come" is not something that is usually true.
I think this is a common thread here - software developers looking for a problem to solve. A lot of people invent a solution without really knowing whether it is a problem - or is the main problem for whatever industry it's serving.
I personally feel like you'll always do better if you at least have a passing interesting in whatever business you are planning to "disrupt". If you don't work in the industry itself, then it's probably a good idea to have a partner who does and can bring to the table the deep understanding of the industry and whatever pain it may have.
Finding that is not incredibly difficult - there are thousands of people who have an idea for an application and are looking for somebody to bring it to life. If you don't personally have any inspiration for an idea, then you can always find somebody who has the idea and industry experience and create a great team.
Another reason for having such a person is that, even if you write an amazing app, you'll quickly find that each industry can be a small world, and the vendors you are competing against are already having lunch and playing golf with the major buyers in that market. If you have no connections at all, it can be extremely difficult to get your foot in the door. "Build it and they will come" is not something that is usually true.