I know, I know. Everyone says that app ideas are worth nothing and execution is everything, but if you manage to find a niche audience with a very specific problem and then solve it, a small app idea with a little bit of execution can go a long way.
Solve a problem
By far the best way to come up with an app idea is to try and solve a problem. And the bigger the problem it is, the more the users are willing to pay for it. Start by looking into your own life; your job, your hobbies, your commute, your family life, and try to find pain points.
Listen to people
When trying to come up with app ideas it is very important to listen to people. Whenever someone around you or even on social media starts a sentence with the words:
- I wish…
- I want…
- I hate it when…
try to think if there is something you could do to serve these needs by creating an app.
Stay up-to-date on the newest technologies
Whenever Apple or some other tech company releases a new device, think of ways you could use it for solving a problem. Every time there will be a wave of new opportunities that are waiting to be tackled. This can also be a great way to build on existing apps, think of “app like Tinder but with an Apple Watch version”. It’s an easy way to add that 10% extra value to your app idea.
Build on other ideas
Look at the most successful apps in different categories and try to think of ways to improve on them. You don’t necessarily have to come up with a totally new idea, but if you can come up with a way to make a top app with an extra 10% of features, you might be onto something!
Look at existing successful apps and apply them to another niche
Again, look at the top successful apps and think if you could apply the product to a totally different field. What about a Tinder clone for finding a perfect dog breed for you? Think about how they became popular. Think if you could somehow replicate their success. Think of ways to offer a similar service to another audience.
Use a generator to brainstorm ideas
We built an App Idea Generator to help us come up with unique app ideas. It simply creates random app ideas through a series of recipes that generates different types of apps. There are many other similar types of generators out there, for example this game idea generator or this startup ideas generator. While all these generators come up with fairly silly ideas, they can spark another similar idea in your mind.
