A presentation about startup ideas inspired by Jason Evanish and Paul Graham.

1. How Can You Come Up With Great
Startup Ideas?

2. Anthony Frasier
Founder, The Phat Startup
Partner, BrickCity Tech / Converge
I founded Playd, an app that allowed gamers to share
their activity across multiple platforms. I was featured on
“CNN’s Black in America: The New Promised Land -
Silicon Valley.” I also made NBC The Grio’s 100: Making
History Today list. Was featured in Tech Crunch, CNN
Money, Black Enterprise, and speak at various industry
events.

3. There is no set formula on startup
ideas...but there are great frameworks
that exist...that you can get lucky with

4. Startup ideas can
come from two places

5. Startup ideas can
come from two places
Others or
Yourself

6. Lets talk about other people first.
(my peeps)

7. Choose a market or
industry and start
digging in.

8. Choose a market or
industry and start
digging in.
With questions.

9. Jason Evanish of has a
great way to interrogate.
Follow Jason on Twitter @evanish | Watch full interview @ http://goo.gl/J3OEy

10. 1Learn about their role in that
industry or market to get some
foundation.

11. What is your position at work?
Who handles x task?
Do you spend tons of time doing this task?

12. 2 Find out what frustrates them
and what problems they have.
Don’t worry about what you
think is their problems, let them
tell you.

13. What would you say are the top 3 challenges in your
job or life around “x” topic?
If you can snap your fingers and have a solution pop
up, what would that solution be?

14. 3 Based on their problems offer up
the idea or solution. This is to
see if they are interested and to
gather feedback.

15. Are they anxious to use it right away?
How is the body language or voice inflection?
Are they not impressed.... like the cat?
The best indicator is if they are......

16. Ready to spend
Money
$

17. I like Paul Graham’s formula:

18. I like Paul Graham’s formula:
“I like to find:
simple solutions

19. I like Paul Graham’s formula:
“I like to find:
simple solutions
to overlooked problems

20. I like Paul Graham’s formula:
“I like to find:
simple solutions
to overlooked problems
that actually need to be solved, and

21. I like Paul Graham’s formula:
“I like to find:
simple solutions
to overlooked problems
that actually need to be solved, and
deliver them as informally as possible,

22. I like Paul Graham’s formula:
“I like to find:
simple solutions
to overlooked problems
that actually need to be solved, and
deliver them as informally as possible,
starting with a very crude version 1,

23. I like Paul Graham’s formula:
“I like to find:
simple solutions
to overlooked problems
that actually need to be solved, and
deliver them as informally as possible,
starting with a very crude version 1,
then iterating rapidly.”

24. You should be gathering feedback
and iterating constantly whether the
idea comes from
Others or
Yourself

25. Having technical talent on board is
important but....

26. You should still learn to prototype.
“Learn how to hack something
together so that you can get
people interested in your idea, your
project, your startup. If you can do
that, then you have a better chance
of success.”
-Fred Wilson

27. Lets talk about
You.

28. There are different ways to look at it.

29. What others
Your passion
care about
Idea

30. When new
Video Games games are
coming out
N4G.com

31. Organic
You
Need

32. Organic
Your Jobs,
Experiences,
You Activities,
etc.

33. Organic
Need
Your Jobs,
Experiences,
You Activities,
etc.

34. Organic "Why doesn't
someone make
Need
x? If someone
made x we'd buy
it in a second."
Your Jobs,
Experiences,
You Activities,
etc.

35. Organic "Why doesn't
someone make
Need
x? If someone
made x we'd buy
it in a second."
Your Jobs,
Experiences,
You Activities, Need
etc.
Need

36. Your going to come across a need or a problem out of your own
experiences. Interrogate yourself.

37. Blogs you should read!
The Fallacy of Chasing Startup Ideas
http://bit.ly/ToPld0
How To Get Startup Ideas
http://bit.ly/QoaQNM
How to Use Mind Maps for Managing Ideas
http://bit.ly/YnJBpQ

38. Thanks!
hit me up
lets chat!
Come check me out at:
anthonyfrasier.com &
ThePhatStartup.com
Anthony Frasier
info@anthonyfrasier.com
@anthonyfrasier