Everyone wants to build the next Notion or Linear.
I get it. It's exciting to think you'll create something completely new a category-defining product that changes how people work.
But here's the thing: that path is brutal. And most of the time, unnecessary.
I've watched dozens of founders burn out trying to invent new markets. They pour months into building something "revolutionary" only to discover no one actually wants it. Not because it's bad it's just solving a problem that doesn't exist yet.
There's another way. A boring way. And it works.
The sexy trap that kills startups
Building something entirely new feels like the "right" way to build a startup. It's what gets featured on podcasts. It's what VCs supposedly want to hear about.
But it's also the hardest possible path.
When you're creating a new category, you have to:
- Educate the market about why they need this
- Convince people to change their existing workflows
- Build everything from scratch with no reference points
- Hope you're right about the future
It's not just difficult it's unpredictable. You might spend a year building before realizing no one cares.
Meanwhile, there are founders quietly making $50K/month solving boring problems in established markets. They're not sexy. They're not revolutionary. They just work.
The boring playbook nobody talks about
Here's what I do instead: I look for markets where people are already paying for solutions and complaining about them.
That's it. That's the whole strategy.
Start with G2, Capterra, or any review site. Pick a category project management, CRM, help desk, whatever. Now read the reviews. Not the 5-star ones. The 2 and 3-star reviews.
Look for patterns:
- "Too complex for our small team"
- "Pricing gets crazy expensive as we grow"
- "Takes forever to onboard new users"
- "Support never responds"
- "Missing this one critical feature"
These aren't just complaints. They're opportunities.
When 20 people complain about the same thing, that's validation. When they're still paying despite complaining? That's a market.
How to find your boring goldmine
Pick an established category
Go to G2. Look at categories with 50+ products. These markets are proven. People pay for these tools.Read 100 reviews
I'm serious. Read them all. Copy and paste the complaints into a doc. Look for themes.Talk to actual users
Find people using these tools. Ask them:
- What made them choose this tool?
- What do they wish was different?
- What would make them switch?
Find the underserved segment
Maybe it's agencies who find enterprise tools too complex. Maybe it's startups who can't afford the scaling pricing. There's always a group that's suffering.Build the simple alternative
You don't need every feature. You need the core features done really well, with better pricing, better support, or better UX.
Real examples that prove this works
Basecamp didn't invent project management. They just made it simpler when everyone else was adding features.
ConvertKit didn't invent email marketing. They just focused on creators when everyone else was chasing enterprise.
Fathom Analytics didn't invent web analytics. They just made a privacy-focused alternative to Google Analytics.
None of these are revolutionary ideas. They're just better executions for specific audiences.
The counterintuitive truth about competition
Most founders see competition as a bad thing. I see it as validation.
Competition means:
- The market exists
- People pay for solutions
- You can study what works
- You can learn from their mistakes
You don't need to be 10x better. You need to be different in ways that matter to a specific group.
Maybe you're 50% cheaper. Maybe you actually answer support emails. Maybe your onboarding takes 5 minutes instead of 5 days. These aren't revolutionary differences, but they're enough.
Start with the feedback loop
Once you pick your boring market and start building, set up a feedback loop immediately.
I use UserJot for this gives me a public board where users can submit ideas and vote on them. But any feedback system works. The key is making it stupidly easy for users to tell you what's broken.
Because here's the thing about boring markets: the problems are well-understood. Your users will tell you exactly what to build. You just need to listen.
Don't guess what features to add. Let the market tell you.
The boring growth strategy
Marketing a boring product is actually easier than marketing something new.
You don't need to educate the market. They already know they need a project management tool or CRM. You just need to show them why yours is better for them specifically.
Write comparison posts: "YourApp vs. BigCompetitor: Which is better for small teams?"
Create alternative pages: "Looking for a BigCompetitor alternative? Here's how we compare"
Target their brand keywords: When someone searches for your competitor, be there with a better offer.
Is this revolutionary marketing? No. Does it work? Absolutely.
Why boring is beautiful
Boring markets are predictable. You know people need these tools. You know what they're paying. You know what problems they have.
There's no guessing whether the market will exist in 5 years. There's no hoping people will change their behavior. There's just execution.
And honestly? Execution is easier when you're not trying to invent everything from scratch.
You can look at what works. You can see pricing models that convert. You can study onboarding flows that stick. You're not flying blind.
The mental shift you need to make
Stop thinking about what would be cool to build.
Start thinking about what people are already paying for but hate using.
Stop trying to create new markets.
Start serving underserved segments of existing markets.
Stop building in secret for months.
Start shipping quickly and iterating based on feedback.
This isn't the path to a billion-dollar unicorn. But it is the path to a profitable, sustainable business that actually helps people.
Your boring action plan
- Pick a software category and research the complaints
- Talk to 5 people who use tools in that category
- Build the simplest possible version that solves the top complaint
- Get 10 people using it and set up a feedback board
- Iterate based on what users actually want
Will this make you the next tech celebrity? Probably not.
Will it build a business that generates real revenue solving real problems? Much more likely.
Sometimes boring is exactly what the world needs.
And honestly? There's nothing boring about consistent MRR and happy customers who actually use what you built.
That's the playbook. It's not sexy. It's not revolutionary. It just works.
Top comments (4)
great read.
Thank you :)
Really great material. I didn't know G2 was a thing but will certainly check it out. Wish you the best with UserJot
🔥❤️