Universal truths make bad startup ideas
A universal truth refers to a large, well-known problem that everyone acknowledges.
Universal truths are incredibly attractive to pursue but almost impossible to succeed in… unless you have a unique insight or an unfair advantage.
More on those in a minute.
What are “Universal Truths”?
Ben Yoskovitz coined this term, and I think it is a perfect description.
For years, I referred to startups like these as pursuing ENS problems (Everyday No Solution), problems that everyone frequently experiences; there’s no solution in sight, and there’s a graveyard of well-funded, dead startups.
I like universal truths better.
These ideas lure founders with the promise of untapped potential but are deceptively hard to succeed in due to competition, market misjudgment, or execution complexity.
Why does it matter?
When we tell people about our solution to a universal truth, they will reply, “That’s such a great idea,” or “I would pay so much money for this,” or “I have that problem all the time!” which makes the pursuit seem even more worthwhile.
It’s not a worthwhile pursuit unless you have some unique insight or unfair advantage.
A unique insight is a deep understanding or observation about the market, customers, or problem that others have overlooked. It allows you to approach the problem in a way that competitors can’t easily replicate.
An unfair advantage is a specific resource, network, or capability that sets you apart, such as proprietary technology, exclusive partnerships, or a highly skilled team that others can’t easily match.
What are examples of Universal Truths?
These are the most common universal truth startups I have seen in my 17+ years in startups, a large portion of which I’ve served as a judge for pitch competitions.
An app to manage your wardrobe
Software to track the food in your fridge
A single health app to manage doctors, vitals, and nutrition
A website to discover new things
An app to help decide meet-up locations
One inbox to rule them all
Why are Universal Truths rarely solved?
It sounds weird to say, but when it comes to universal truths, most often, not having a solution is easier than having the solution.
Let’s use the example I see most often: An app to track things.
Track the food in the freezer.
Track the clothes in the closet.
Track the tools in the garage.
Track the toys in the playroom.
The solution usually requires heavy upfront work and diligent ongoing efforts on the part of the user.
I’m a dad of young kids, so let’s use frozen chicken nuggets as an example: I buy a bag of chicken nuggets, open my FreezerFood app, log the type, bag size, and repeat this every time I add something new to my freezer. Later, I use 10 nuggets for dinner, open the app again, find the item, deduct 10, and repeat this process for every food, every time.
It's easier to skip the app and deal with running out of nuggets one night. The effort just isn't worth the hassle.
What should founders work on instead?
Identify a niche that you can dominate.
There are riches in niches. If you don’t believe me…
Instagram started as a photo filter app.
Facebook was an online index for Harvard students.
Uber was a black car service that was only available in San Francisco.
Stripe was a line of code that allowed website payments.
Start with a problem you can solve better than anyone else, master your niche, and then expand.
Let somebody else track chicken nuggets.