Resisting the Urge to Build (My New Startup Checklist) (2013)

This post offers a great checklist for avoiding the "build first" trap:

   1. What problem is this actually solving, and for who?
   2. How will I find and talk (face to face or on the phone) to at least 
      20 people whose problem this solves?
   3. Does this idea have the potential to make £1,000 profit per month 
      within 3 months?
   4. Would the business require me to be available 24/7 for support or be 
      pinned to one location?
   5. Can I write 3-5 blog posts this week about solving the problem, 
      and imagine dong so for the next 6 months?
   6. Do I really care about the outcomes of this business-–will that passion 
      be sufficient to get me through the hardest times?

I am definitely a victim of this as most engineers would be, particularly those of us that have been working for others. We're accustomed to being handed the business need and simply told to build it. As such, that whole "does this make business sense" part of the equation doesn't come naturally for us.