Process & Methodology
Ideation
Also Known As
Idea GenerationConcept Development
Ideation is the systematic process of generating, developing, and refining new business ideas within a venture studio, typically guided by the studio's thesis and market research.
What is Ideation?
In venture studios, ideation is the first stage of the company-building process. Unlike traditional startups where founders bring their own ideas, studios proactively generate ideas based on market opportunities, trends, and their investment thesis.
Ideation Methods
- Market Research: Analyzing industries for gaps and opportunities
- Customer Discovery: Interviewing potential customers about pain points
- Technology Scanning: Identifying emerging technologies that enable new solutions
- Competitive Analysis: Finding whitespace in existing markets
- Expert Networks: Consulting domain experts and industry insiders
- Trend Analysis: Studying macro trends (regulatory, demographic, behavioral)
Ideation Frameworks
Common frameworks used by studios:
- Jobs to Be Done: What job is the customer trying to accomplish?
- Problem-Solution Fit: Is this a real problem worth solving?
- 10x Better Test: Can we make something 10x better than existing solutions?
- Founder-Market Fit: Do we have (or can we find) the right founder for this idea?
Ideation Output
Typical outputs from ideation include:
- One-page concept briefs
- Market sizing estimates
- Competitive landscapes
- Initial hypotheses to test
Example Usage
“The studio's ideation process generated 50 concepts, of which 5 advanced to validation.”