A list of product ideas isn't all that valuable.
For as long as I can remember, I've kept a running list on my phone titled "Product Ideas."
There are big change-the-world-type ideas on there, small novelty-type ideas on there, and everything in between.
It is simply a place where I can catch the ideas that randomly pop into my mind so that I can rest easy knowing I won't lose them forever.
Something changed for me this week and it hit me that this list is pretty useless.
What would be much more valuable is a long list of real-life problems. Frustrations I've witnessed firsthand that have not yet been relieved.
From these problems, many solutions (ideas) can be formed, but unless the ideas are a direct response to a real problem, there's a low chance of people seeing them as valuable.
Ideas are fun to generate. Problems are uncomfortable to identify. I believe this is why we so easily default to ideating before problem identification.
Do you agree or disagree?