I don't know how to start a business

I'm gonna be real with you.

I have no f’cking clue what I'm doing.

What should I build?

A few months ago, I started looking into problems I could potentially monetize. As per the usual advice, I have to stair-step my way into bigger and bigger problems. But I have to start small. No employees. Just me. Indie hacker style.

And the best way to do that is staying in my zone of genius and influence.

This means I have to figure out what the heck I'm good at and who I can sell to. But, there's a problem. Yes, I can code, but my social circle's mostly made up of fellow coders too. (okay, okay, I promise, I'll grow my network)

Seems a bit limited, but let's work with that for now.

I picked the biggest problem every software engineer is facing right now.

Job searching.

I wrote down 10 folks I know who are currently on the job hunt or have been scouring the market lately. I hit them up with a single question: "What's been the toughest part of your job search?". Their responses were eye-opening, so here's the scoop:

• Getting ghosted by companies is a major downer. Sometimes, a straightforward rejection feels like a gift.

• Securing a work visa for overseas gigs? Good luck with that. It’s cheaper to hire local residents than immigrants.

• Prepping for interviews can be a puzzle, especially for smaller companies without clear processes.

• Unsure if your resume is good enough? It's tough to tell without shelling out for pricey resume services.

This spawned 4 ideas I want to test.

• Job Hunt Coaching for SWEs. Don't know where to start? I gotchu! Let's streamline your job search, improve your resume, prep you for interviews, and even handle those nerve-wracking salary negotiations.

• Interview Leaks Hub. Don't rely on Glassdoor, Reddit, or Blind anymore. Dive into our platform for the lowdown on any tech company's interview process. We've got questions, tips, and all the deets!

• AI Resume Reviewer. No more generic resumes! Our AI-powered tool fine-tunes your resume for a specific job listing. These days, it's all about tailoring.

• Tracking System for Applicants: Ditch the spreadsheets! Manage your job hunt hassle-free from one spot. We'll even scout potential openings for you and automate those LinkedIn messages to hiring managers. Easy peasy!

How should I validate?

Now, I'm hitting a roadblock. I'm at a loss for what to do next.

In this phase of idea validation, I'm getting conflicting advice. Some say I should build a landing page with an email capture form, then splurge on ads. Others reckon I should cold-call potential customers and nudge them to make a small deposit as a form of commitment.

It's pretty much case-by-case. So, here's the plan for each idea:

• Job Hunt Coaching for SWEs: I'm thinking of a more hands-on approach here. It's all about nurturing personal connections with potential clients. That means offering free consultations and tailor-made support. Think high-touch sales funnel. Hence, cold outreach is a must.

• Interview Leaks Hub: Now this is tricky. I can't think of any other forms of monetization except ad revenue. If I go that route, page views equal cash. No better way than to simply build a landing page with ads as my marketing strategy.

• AI Resume Reviewer: Classic SaaS playbook here. It's a low-touch sales funnel game, so a landing page paired with ads should be the move.

• Tracking System for Applicants: Similar as above, it's all about the landing page and ad campaigns.

Now, getting customers is so hard for a newbie like me. I've been banging my head against this particular wall for almost a year now.

And then there's the question of when to pivot and tackle a new problem space. I mean, there are still loads of problems tech professionals deal with on a daily basis. But, I'll have to stick with what I know best, for now. Plus, the major reason I landed on the job hunting space was, well, I absolutely despise job searching.

So a good start for me would be to follow Noah Kagan's advice. Validate within 48 hours by getting at least 3 committed customers. This means running ad campaigns for 48 hours, or talking to leads for 48 hours.

What’s next?

I have 4 ideas to validate, so 4 weekends in total. Sure, I can run ad campaigns in parallel for 3 of my ideas, but I'd prefer focusing on one idea at a time. Plus, let's be fr, I'm clueless when it comes to running ads!

So, nothing fancy for my Q2 goals. I'll try to get 3 committed customers for one of my ideas. If none of my ideas above pass the validation stage, I have no choice but to scour for more problems to solve.

Hope this sh’t works tho.

That’s all for this week! But one more thing. If you’re enjoying this, can you do me a favor and forward it to a friend? Thanks.