Struggling to Choose the Right Founding Startups Idea

I wanted to share some thoughts and ask for input from those of you who’ve been through the early stages of Founding Startups a business—particularly the tough part: choosing the right startup idea.

For context, I’ve been seriously thinking about launching something of my own for over a year now. I’ve read countless books, listened to all the usual podcasts, and even took a few online courses. But the biggest challenge I keep circling back to is this: which idea is actually worth pursuing?

I’ve brainstormed a bunch of concepts, from a niche SaaS tool for virtual assistants to a personalized learning app for kids, and even a curated subscription box service. All of them sound “good” in theory, but I find myself frozen when it comes to making a decision. I think it’s because the more I read and learn, the more I realize how much can go wrong—and how much time, energy, and money can be wasted if you chase the wrong idea.

Recently, I decided to take a more structured approach and break things down into a few key areas:

Market Need – Is this solving a real problem for people?

Personal Interest – Am I genuinely excited to work on this for the next 3–5 years?

Profitability & Scalability – Can this idea actually grow into something sustainable?

This helped a bit, but I was still lacking clarity. So I started searching for resources that could guide me through real-world validation, not just theory. That’s when I stumbled across Founding Startups—a website that shares startup stories, idea frameworks, and breakdowns of business models that are actually working right now. What I appreciated most is that it doesn’t just talk about overnight success; it gives a more realistic picture of how businesses grow over time.

For example, one article I found helpful broke down different types of startup funding—bootstrapping, angel investing, venture capital—and when each makes sense. That opened my eyes to how some ideas might look great on paper but would require a level of capital I’m not comfortable raising. On the other hand, some lower-cost ideas might be more realistic and better suited to start small and grow organically.

Another takeaway from Founding Startups was around the idea of testing before committing. They emphasized building MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) and getting early feedback from real users before spending months or years building something that might not land. It sounds obvious, but I realized I’ve been guilty of over-planning and under-validating.

I’m now testing the waters by building out simple landing pages for two of my top ideas and running small ad campaigns to see if there’s any traction. It’s still early, but it already feels better than being stuck in analysis paralysis.

Here are a few other things that have helped me lately, in case anyone else is in the same boat:

Talking to real users: Just having 5–10 conversations with people in your target market can be super insightful.

Tracking trends: Sites like Exploding Topics and Google Trends can help validate if your idea aligns with growing demand.

Keeping a decision journal: Writing down why you’re choosing or rejecting an idea helps clarify your thinking over time.

Still, I’m not claiming to have it all figured out. I know the startup journey is filled with trial and error, and every founder has a different story. But I wanted to share where I’m at and invite others to chime in—how did you pick your startup idea? What made you commit to it? And if you had to do it all over again, what would you do differently?

If you’re also trying to figure out your direction, I definitely recommend checking out Founding Startups. It’s not just fluff or theory—it’s full of practical advice and real-world examples that helped me cut through the noise and actually start taking action.

Looking forward to hearing from others. This community has already been super inspiring for me, and I’m grateful to learn from all of you who’ve been through the early grind.

Thanks for reading!