A text file? Google doc? Spreadsheet? What questions do you ask when you write down a new idea?<p>Edit: Thanks guys, I didn't expect to get that many responses. Some interesting approaches in here :) Personally I put them into regular text documents. For each of my ideas I try to answer the six product-focused YC application questions as a sanity check.
I don't. I used to have a Google Doc with dozens of ideas, but I recently deleted it. It's just idea-porn.<p>The good ideas -- the ones worth doing -- keep coming back to you, gnawing at you until you can't put them off any longer. It's a real problem you continually run into, and it's something you care about. So much more valuable than a list of half-baked ideas you had randomly on the bus.
Workflowy.<p>A few others have mentioned it, but I thought I'd provide some more details about why I like it:<p>-- Super simple. Clean UI, can organize a TON of info in a small space.<p>-- Multi-device. I use the web version when I'm on my laptop, iPhone version when on the go, iPad version when I'm sitting in a coffee shop reading.<p>-- Easier than other methods. Lots of ideas here work, but I've found this is the easiest. Google Docs lacks the organization. Evernote is just a mess (sorry, I know it's super popular). Gmail can work too but also lacks the organization.<p>Note: Not affiliated in any way, just a fan.
Paper. Usually graphing paper. I write down a quick sentence of what it does and who it does it for. Then I drawn a database scheme - this functions as a short hand of how I want the logic/features/relationships to work. Sometimes I skip this and just write out a description of actions/features that would be cool. If I start to build it, I usually narrow those down required features.<p>I like this because I can map out an pretty complex app in just a few minutes. I can easily add thoughts, and I don't lose them. I like my brainstorming to accumulate. You generally lose that in a soft form, because you edit out the "bad" thoughts. I like to remember them later when I revisit the idea. Also, if I have any design ideas I can quickly sketch it out. I can't draw but I draw in a pseudo-wireframe way.<p>Downside is the organization and portability. I have a stack of papers I've accumulated over the years in my home office. If I start to work on in code. The paper stays on my desk and I usually end up with 2-3 sheets before I'm done building. If I never build it, it gets filed. I will return to it if I've given it more thought or figured out a solution to a problem I foresaw. I keep post it notes handy for when I get an idea and am away from my workspaces. Post it's get added to the file later.
Gmail Label: Ideas<p>Mail to yourself. Email subject is the main idea. Each new idea gets its own email thread. Reply to email thread when you have things to add or docs/imgs to attach to the original idea<p>The whole thing is tagable, sortable by date, and searchable. You can even hide the label from the inbox if you prefer that.
Paper. I carry two <i>very</i> small notebooks with me, one named Agenda and the other Ideas (all kinds of ideas, some make sense as startup ideas but many don't). They're small enough to fit into one pocket together and go with me wherever I go, unlike my laptop.
I really need to consolidate my ideas.<p>At the moment I use Trello, Evernote, Google Docs, and sometimes I guess Skype for when I've come up with an idea during a conversation.<p>Different ideas go into different places depending on the convenience of each one and the length at which I want to describe it. For example, Google Docs works well for a big-ass description for an idea I come up with when I'm at a PC or Mac, because it's better than Evernote on the web, and sometimes Evernote native isn't available.<p>But Evernote on mobile is good for this too, and Trello is good if I just need to go "QUICK GET THIS ONE LINER DOWN SOMEWHERE".<p>That doesn't mean I need an app to solve this problem, though, in case anybody gets any ideas.
In order: I find a cofounder [EDIT: who is as on board with the idea as I am], set up an agreement with them, incorporate the idea into a company, find product-market fit, launch, and grow the company.<p>Pretty much you should think of each idea in these terms.<p>If you don't even have a cofounder, you don't really have much of an idea. [EDIT: Clarification, the following refers to OP's complete, detailed list of many ideas:] Anyone could list enough things to do in a paragraph for it to take all the resources you'll ever come into possession of. Ummm...great. Until you have a cofounder on board with an execution on at least one of them, you don't have shit.
I've built my own app which I've used for many years. its like evernote integrated with areas/projects/tasks.<p>for specific projects I sometimes use folders of markdown files. that doesn't scale well, but its fast to edit.<p>we've used this for our company: <a href="http://podio.com" rel="nofollow">http://podio.com</a><p>and I'm surprised it doesn't get more attention. its great for internal company communication and chat. you can add apps and workspaces for funding, ideas, bugs, projects, sprints, competitors, user tests.<p>you can easily create your own "app" for something like "market"
I use Elevatr. Right now it's only available as an iOS app. It's specifically tailored to entrepreneurs as you have to input a few key aspects every idea should have, namely market fit, product features, pain, value proposition, etc. They recently introduced an interesting feature where you can "Make Moves" on your startup - I clicked the button, and a few days later they reached out to me to discuss my startup and how they could help connect me to app developers in New York City.
Every few months when something that seems good enought comes along I post it on a blog <a href="http://ideasfrommydreams.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">http://ideasfrommydreams.blogspot.com/</a> Then I get to share all my silly ideas with my 138 rss subscribers. And I can go back and add notes as I find new information. And if I never work on them at least I got to write down something. And once in a blue moon I get a comment.
Trello. I organize them in lists and revisit weekly. I'm an idea guy that needs to focus on execution, so I revisit the list weekly.<p>* Needs Validating (basic market research, customer exploration)<p>* Hot list (validated. would like to spend more time on it)<p>* Dead pool (didn't pass validation, or interests/resources/priorities shifted)<p>My deadpool list will be turned into an interesting book one day. Most likely one of those funny single page story books that are bought for bathroom reading.
Evernote. I used to use text files for everything, but I'm a recent evernote convertee, due to their webnotes feature. Its so much easier to have an idea, then attatch web clips of all the images/sites that are associated with it for later on than to describe that in a text file.
I use a private DokuWiki installation where I've created a template with a number of pre-defined questions that are related to the startup idea. Each idea has it's own page, and I add things to the page as I think of them. Works great for me.
A moleskin or Trello, but neither were good at keeping the fragments that make up or develop an idea (websites, images as well as text or files). So I built my own tool that is good for people like me who think visually, curator.co
WorkFlowy. Super die-hard fanboy all the way elevenzes. Totally perfect combination of primary hierarchy plus tags and notes and the instantly-responding UI and search that make it pure gold. Good keyboard shortcuts as well.
I don't usually have a ton of ideas so I just keep them in my brain.<p>What questions do I ask? I usually ask potential customers whether it's something they'd find useful in their day to day lives, and what their pains are.
Workflowy
Its nested and collapsible text methodology is perfect for how I like to keep the idea. Each idea roughly has the following top level headings:<p>- Description
- Why?
- Already existing solutions
- Features
- Links
Google Spreadsheet -- always at a click away via Drive app on android. I am constantly adding new ideas, and I organize them from time to time w/ favorites at top - and whimsical ones at bottom.
A shared google doc with a mate. We combine our ideas for world domination. He's the only one executing though. I seem to be completely busy with client work in the short term...
A Composition Book (the black and white marbled cover notebooks). I go back occasionally and put stars in the margins for ideas that don't seem stupid with a little distance.
I use mind42.com, it's an online mind mapping tool (and it's free, I find it pretty useful). Then i regularly download my mindmap and keep it in a git repo just in case.
I haven't used it much yet but found Elevatr to be an interesting tool <a href="http://home.elevatr.com/" rel="nofollow">http://home.elevatr.com/</a>
I have a folder in wunderlist.<p>So i can add more details as notes,
add things i need to do to execute this idea as subtasks
and tick the ideas off as i execute, or delete them
i use a text file.<p>i google around to see who else is doing something like it, and how they are making money. generally i only look at SaaS and B2B ideas.
I maintain a Google Document of the format<p>Summary:<p>Inspiration:<p>Description:<p>Trello was another place I considered storing my ideas, but Google Docs was just easier.