Seeing What Others Miss: The Secret to True Entrepreneurship

EIC MBM

Published on September 25, 2025

Day 4 of Nava-aarambh: The Founder’s Journey is inspired by Goddess Kushmanda, who represents Creation & Innovation.

When most people look at a problem, they just see a void. True entrepreneurs, however, see an opportunity. They look at the same situation and ask: “What if I could solve this?”

And that’s how startups are born.

Step 1: Look Around You

You don’t need Silicon Valley problems to start a startup. Start with your own life and your campus.

• Where do students struggle daily?
• What are the small frustrations everyone ignores?

- Example: In one college, students struggled to find affordable printouts late at night. While most just complained, one group saw an opportunity. They tied up with a local shop and created a simple late-night print delivery system. It started as a “jugaad”, but soon became a small business.

Step 2: Ask “Why Not?”

True entrepreneurs don’t stop at “this doesn’t exist”. They ask: “Why can’t it exist?”

• No food after mess hours? Why not a mini snack-delivery system?
• No affordable notes for juniors? Why not a notes-sharing platform?

- Example: Ola was born because two friends in Bengaluru couldn’t find a cab. What was a daily frustration became a billion-dollar company.

Step 3: Validate the Gap

Not every “void” is worth filling. Some are too small, some don’t matter enough. The trick is to check if others also feel the gap.

• Ask 10–20 people if they face the same problem.
• See if they’re ready to pay for a solution.

- Example: A student thought of starting an umbrella rental service for rainy days. It sounded fun, but when tested, most people said they’d just buy one instead. The gap wasn’t strong enough.

Step 4: Build Small, Learn Fast

Once you spot a real gap, don’t wait for a perfect product. Build a small version, test it, and learn.

• Keep it simple.
• Focus on solving the core frustration.
• Grow step by step.

- Example: The print-delivery students first started with WhatsApp orders. When it worked, they moved to a simple app. Today, they run a full-fledged student services startup.

Final Thoughts

True entrepreneurship isn’t about creating something fancy — it’s about seeing what others miss. Where others complain, you create. Where others see a void, you build value.

So next time you face a frustration, pause and ask: “Is this my next startup idea?”