How to Choose Your Startup Idea

I have a client that is searching for an idea for his startup. He has the fever and wants to get going. The problem is finding the right idea. I read an interesting post the other day titled "How to Choose Your Startup Idea." Catchy title! In the post, the author, Amir Khella, lays out several areas of consideration.

Tips for Choosing Your Startup

• Which idea excites you the most?
• Which one can you do something about right now?
• Which one can you get feedback on sooner?
• Which one can you launch with the least outside help?
• Which one solves your own pain points?
• Which one aligns the most with your purpose?
• Which one you would like to work on for ten years?
• Which one is likely to remain significant years from now?
• Which one don't you mind killing?

I like all of the questions Khella poses, but I like the last one the best. If you do not know you can kill a startup, you should not start it. One of the difficult parts of my job is working with entrepreneurs who have held on to their idea for too long. Sometimes so long that they lose everything else in their life; family, financial security, friends, etc.

Be honest with yourself. Are you objective enough to kill your startup if that is the most sensible path?