The biggest lie in the startup world is that you need a "unique" idea to succeed.
We are taught that entrepreneurship is about invention. We think we need to build something the world has never seen before. We sit in dark rooms trying to dream up the next Facebook, the next Uber, or a revolutionary AI that changes human behavior.
And that is exactly why most of us fail.
I analyzed the stories of founders making $10k-$200k per month, and they all share one surprising trait: their ideas are incredibly boring.
They aren't inventing new markets. They are entering crowded ones and fixing one small broken thing. Here is the data-backed case for why you should kill your "unique" idea today and build a boring one instead.
1. The "Unique Idea" Trap
Demitro is a solo founder making $12k/month with a tool called ScreenshotOne. It does exactly what it says: it takes screenshots.
Before this, Demitro had "millions of ideas." He tried to build unique, complex products. They all failed. Why? Because when you invent a new product, you have to fight two battles:
- Market Risk: You have to prove people actually have this problem.
- Product Risk: You have to prove your product solves it.
Demitro realized that "it's really hard to invent something unique... and even if you invent it, who said people need it?"
When he switched to building a screenshot API, he saw "so many competitors." Most founders would run away. Demitro ran toward them. "Having competitors is good," he says. "It means there are people paying."
If you have zero competitors, you likely have zero customers.
2. The "Idea That Can't Fail" Framework
Mike is a founder from Australia who runs five SaaS apps generating $200k/month. His portfolio includes:
- A digital signage tool for cafes.
- A customer feedback board.
- A social media aggregator.
None of these are "sexy." None of them use groundbreaking AI to change the world. And that is by design.
Mike's entire philosophy is to "pick an idea that's been done before". He deliberately avoids "new ideas" because they require validation of the problem. Instead, he looks for markets where:
- Competitors are making money.
- The competitors have bad UX or outdated design.
He simply rebuilds the existing solution with better design and a modern tech stack. By doing this, he removes the "Market Risk" entirely. He knows the money is there; he just needs to divert a small river of it into his pocket.
3. Domain Knowledge Beats "Cleverness"
Hassam spent years building "clever" projects — AI lyric generators, automated job applications. He built 10 to 12 of them. They all failed.
Then, he stopped trying to be clever. He looked at his own boring life. He was selling products on Amazon and hated the product research process.
He built LaunchFast, a boring tool to help Amazon sellers analyze data.
- He didn't have to guess what features to build (he was the user).
- He didn't have to guess where the customers were (he knew the communities).
He launched it in 48 hours using AI. 90 days later, he was making $21k/month.
You are likely sitting on a goldmine of "boring" problems in your current job or hobby. Stop looking for "startup ideas" and start looking for "work frustrations."
The "Boring Idea" Validation Protocol
If you are currently sitting on a "unique" idea that isn't getting traction, pause. Use this 3-step protocol to find a "boring" idea that actually pays.
Step 1: The 1-Star Review Hunt
Don't brainstorm. Research.
Go to G2, Capterra, or the Shopify App Store. Look for a category that is crowded (e.g., Invoicing, SEO, Booking). Find the market leader. Filter their reviews by 1 Star and 2 Stars.
- "Support never answers."
- "Too complex for my small team."
- "The mobile view is broken."
That complaint is your product roadmap. You don't need to build the whole tool; just build the tool that doesn't have that specific problem.
Step 2: The "Painkiller" Test
Rob Hallum (SuperX, $13k/month) learned the hard way: "Build painkillers, not vitamins."
- Vitamins are "nice to have" (e.g., a tool to organize your bookmarks).
- Painkillers stop bleeding (e.g., a tool that stops you from getting sued, or saves you 10 hours of manual data entry).
Boring ideas are usually painkillers. They aren't fun, but they are necessary.
Step 3: The 10-Stranger Rule
Before you write a single line of code, you need proof.
Demitro has a strict rule: Validation is only real when you have "10 paying customers from outside your network."
Friends don't count. Mom doesn't count.
You need 10 strangers to give you money. If you can't find 10 people to pay $20 for your "boring" idea, the market isn't there.
The Verdict
You have a choice.
You can spend the next 2 years building a unique, revolutionary platform that nobody asked for. You will feel smart, but you will likely be broke.
Or, you can build a boring tool that solves a known problem for a specific group of people. You might not end up on the cover of Forbes, but you will end up with a business that pays you to live your life.
Stop analyzing. Start executing.