The pop culture perception of startups is that they are all about coming up with a great product idea, but this is not the case. While execution is essential, ideas do matter. Good startup ideas are well-developed, multi-year plans that take into account many possible paths. The idea maze metaphor suggests that a good founder can anticipate which turns lead to success and which lead to failure.
Market Research, Wireframing, and Design
The idea maze is a concept that refers to the complex decision-making process involved in coming up with a good idea for a startup. It involves understanding the history of the industry, the players in the market, and the technologies that are likely to change the assumptions and move the walls. A good founder is capable of anticipating which turns lead to treasure and which lead to certain death. The idea maze is a collection of smaller tweaks that defines a path through the maze, along with explanations of why this particular combination will work while others nearby have failed.
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