How2 know what to do next: So You Have a Great Idea… Now What?
Your step by step guide from light bulb moment to scalable business.
Every founder starts here, the “aha!” moment when you know you’ve spotted something worth solving.
But what happens next is where most people get stuck.
Do you
write a business plan?
Find investors?
Start building?
The answer is: not yet.
Here’s a simple, logical path you can follow to take your idea from spark to scale — without getting lost or burning all your cash in the process.
1 – Clarify the Problem You’re Solving
Before you even talk about your “solution,” you need to know the problem inside out.
Write it down in one sentence buttttt: no buzzwords.
Identify who experiences it, how often, and how painful it is.
Look at how people solve it today, even if their current method is messy.
Extra resource: [How to Run Quick, Cheap Tests to Reduce Risk]
2 – Define Your Core Idea
Strip away the noise. Forget future features.
What is the single most important thing your solution will do to solve the problem?
If you can’t explain it in one sentence to someone outside your industry, it’s not clear enough yet.
Extra resource: [Don't Just Talk, Be Heard: Your Guide to a Compelling Vision, Pitch, and Helicopter Pitch]
3 – Test Before You Build
This is the stage where most founders overspend … building too much before knowing if anyone actually wants it.
Identify the riskiest assumptions.
Test them with the smallest, cheapest experiments you can.
Get feedback from real potential customers not just friends.
Extra resource: [Deciding Which Bets Are Worth Taking]
4 – Choose Your First Build Path
Once you’ve got early validation, it’s time to make your first big decision: how to actually create it.
Options:
Build in-house – More control, but slower start and higher long-term costs.
Hire contractors – Quick ramp-up, but you need strong direction and oversight.
Bring in consultants – Experienced guidance to set you up right from day one, but a higher day rate.
Extra resource: [Guide to Navigating Founder Decisions]
5 – Fund It (Without Going Broke)
Don’t assume “raise money” is the first move. You might be able to get to a working product without giving away equity.
Funding options:
Self-funding (bootstrapping)
Friends and family
Grants (often overlooked)
Angel investors / venture capital
Crowdfunding
Tip: Pick the cheapest funding option that gets you to your next meaningful proof point.
6 – Launch Small, Learn Fast
Don’t aim for “perfect” …. aim for “usable and learnable.”
Release a Minimum Viable Product (MVP).
Watch what users do, not just what they say.
Iterate quickly based on what you learn.
7 – Scale the Right Way
Once you’ve found traction:
Double down on what’s working.
Hire carefully, don’t overload the team too soon.
Put basic systems in place before things break.
Scaling isn’t about doing everything, it’s about doing the right things, bigger.
Quick Checklist – From Idea to Scale
Know the problem
Define the core solution
Test your riskiest assumptions
Choose a build path
Fund to the next proof point
Launch small, learn fast
Scale deliberately
Final Thought
Your journey from idea to scale will never be a perfectly straight line.
But if you follow this sequence and keep testing before you commit you’ll save time, money, and sanity.
And remember: every big business started with someone asking themselves “So I have this great idea… now what?”
The difference is that the successful ones didn’t just dream it. They took the right next step.