How to Become an Entrepreneur Make something better (or cheaper) than what's out there

Network with other entrepreneurs: Use Meetup or Eventbrite to find events in the local startup community. Not only will networking with other entrepreneurs help you build valuable relationships, but it'll also give you lots of ideas. For some quick tips on how to network efficiently and meaningfully as an entrepreneur, check out our video guide here.

Research patent applications: Patent applications are typically made public 18 months after they were filed. Although we don't recommend outright copying any inventions, browsing through these documents can give you a good sense of where a particular space is headed.

Have a brainstorming session: If you need to get your creative juices flowing, invite three to five other entrepreneurial-minded people to a brainstorming session. Ask everyone to come prepared to discuss a certain product category or question, such as, "What's your favorite type of X and why?" or "Do you use anything to accomplish Y? Why or why not?" The answers may lead to some great ideas.

5. Validate your startup idea with buyer persona research.
Great, you've got an idea. But don't quit your day job yet. Before you go all in, you need to know other people will actually want your product. (No, your friends and family don't count.)
In order to safely gauge the viability of your product in the market, start by understanding your buyer persona, i.e. the real people you plan to sell to. If your product doesn't serve a need, they won't be interested, no matter how innovative or cool it is. That's why buyer persona and market research are so important.
Once you've identified your ideal client, interviewing people who fit the bill should be an important component of your research. Show them a working demo of your product, ask what they like and what they don't, how much they'd pay for it, how often they'd use it, and so on.
If you want to test the market's interest before building anything, build a landing page that describes your product or service. Ask people to submit their email addresses in exchange for early access; a free subscription, membership, or product; a discount, product updates, or some other compelling offer. Then promote the video on social, paid search, etc., and see how many visitors convert to sign-ups.