Ask HN: How do you make something people want?

Two ways to approach it:

Make something. Most people won't want it. Show it to lots of people until you find some who are mildly interested. If nobody's interested, make something else. Otherwise, make what the people who are somewhat interested want. Repeat until you've made something people want.

Want something. Find other people who want it. Research the hell out of possible ways that you might make it. Talk to lots of people that might help you. Most won't, but some may give you some pointers or point you toward people who can help. Repeat until you've made something people want.

Empirically, the second seems to converge faster, but both can work. People tend to fall on different sides of the "I make things" vs. "I want things" spectrum, so the first approach will work better for some folks and the latter better for others. (I'm very much on the "make things" side of the spectrum, for example, so was basically forced into starting by making bad ideas and then incrementally refining and retargeting them until they become good ideas.) Know your strengths and what you care about and play to that.

Also, it can help a lot if a "make something" person partners up with a "want something" person, but this requires that they have compatible interests, working styles, and personalities. This itself is kinda a magic combination...if you find a team that works, run with it, but if you don't, either keep making things or wanting things until you do.

There are hundreds, if not thousands (x) of people just like you. Make something you want.

Then listen to people, adapt the edges 20%. You will reach millions.

This has probably been said before.

I think a better question is "How do you make something people will use?" People want a lot of things that they won't necessarily use. Look at all the apps on your phone that at some point you "wanted," but now are never used.

Look and listen for people's problems. Then come up with a brilliant solution.

The world’s biggest problems are the world’s biggest business opportunities. On this subject, Peter Diamandis writes a great blogpost > http://peterdiamandis.tumblr.com/post/128046793118/problems-...

Also, podcast discussion with Dan Sullivan >http://www.abundance360summit.com/podcast/2015/10/19/episode...

Ask yourself if you make something-

1. Why will you use it? 2. How much will you use it? 3. Will it use it daily or atleast with proper interval?

Then ask to be users around you and listen what they say on those 3 questions and derive from it.

Good comments here; an easy idea but harder to implement is something people already use (a lot) and make it easier and/or cheaper. Like Uber for instance.

Cheaper is something people always want.

Aptitude. Some people can (and want) to sing. Esoteric talents abound. Use your aptitudes to help you make something people want. If you're good at, say for example singing, that is the natural talent you can bring to a making project. Make something you can make really well. Otherwise you might end up bored as hell.

You don't make something that people want, rather you make something and then sell it in such a way that make people want it.

By making something for yourself.

Think of something you want... too techie? how about something your mom or gandpa wants.

Start making it, as you get into it expand the audience scope to include more people. Make sure you have other people try it out to get different perspectives.

I think, talking to them is the first step then telling them what you can do for them can help you make something.

start with customer development, interview a whole bunch of potential customers. Then try to distill the data down into some generalization. If you can identify a pattern, your idea may work

By making something you need.

By knowing what people want.