42% of Startups Fail Because There’s No Market Need

Starting a business doesn’t need to be complicated. You don’t need a website, a logo, or months of planning. You need one thing: a paying customer. This 5-day sprint is built to get you exactly that—fast. Each day, you’ll take simple, no-fluff steps to go from idea to income. By the end, you’ll know how to spot a problem worth solving, create an offer people want, and close your first sale. This isn’t theory. It’s action. Five days from now, you could be running a real business. Let’s get to work.

Day 1: Finding Your Business Idea

Today's Goal: Identify a clear, problem-solving business idea you can validate and launch within a week.

The Foundation: Money Follows Problems

Let's be direct: successful businesses solve problems people want to pay for. Your personal interests matter less than market demand. This doesn't mean abandoning your skills—it means applying them to real problems people face.

Three Core Requirements for a Viable Idea

1. The problem must be specific and clear

People need to immediately understand what you're solving. "Making businesses better" is too vague. "Helping local restaurants get more customers by running their Instagram page" is specific and clear.

2. The solution must be deliverable within a week

You need quick validation. Complex solutions like apps or platforms take too long. Focus on services or simple products you can deliver fast.

3. People must already pay for similar solutions

Don't pioneer new markets. Look for evidence that people spend money on this problem. Existing competition proves market demand.

ChatGPT prompt to get started

Don’t be afraid to use ChatGPT to get the juices flowing. The prompt below is the basics of what you will need. You will need to refine it though.

For instance, this part I want to work remotely, with X number of clients, no clients, or a mix of clients and sell products that don’t require clients or need to make $20,000 a month in the next 30 days. Needs to be tweaked to fit you. Also, you might want to add a line about where you live, if you want to have a local flavor to your work. It’s a great starting spot though.

Act as a business consultant, forget everything you know about me. I want to start a solopreneurship business, that I can ramp up fast. The problem must be specific and clear. The solution must be deliverable within a week. People must already pay for similar solutions. I want to work remotely, with X number of clients, no clients, or a mix of clients and sell products that don’t require clients. I need to make $20,000 a month in the next 30 days. What would you need to know about me to generate business ideas?

How to Find Problems Worth Solving

Method 1: Direct Problem Mining

1. Go to Reddit's r/smallbusiness, r/entrepreneur, or industry-specific subreddits

2. Write down every complaint or frustration people mention

3. Note which problems appear repeatedly

4. Check if people are actively seeking help for these issues

Example findings from a recent search:

- Small business owners spending 3+ hours daily on social media management

- Local service providers struggling with inconsistent client bookings

- Online sellers needing product photography but lacking skills

- Small businesses falling behind on invoice collection

Method 2: Market Research Through Existing Platforms

1. Visit Fiverr, Upwork, or Thumbtack

2. Browse the most purchased services

3. Read client reviews to understand pain points

4. Look for services with long waiting times or high prices

Current high-demand services include:

- Virtual assistance for administrative tasks

- Social media content creation

- Website maintenance

- Bookkeeping and financial organization

- Customer service support

This is just the first few steps. The full breakdown—the exact scripts, tools, and action plan that got people their first paying clients this week—is inside the newsletter.

Don’t miss it. Read the full thing here → https://fivewide.substack.com/p/42-of-startups-fail-because-theres