How to Find an Online Business Idea: Your Version of a Simple Idea
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With realistic expectations in place (see what honest online business teaching can promise), we start Lesson T1 with the first question: your business idea.
Finding an online business idea is often the hardest part of starting. Many people wait for an idea that no one has ever had, and that wait can last years. Lynnaider suggests a calmer approach called “your version of a simple idea.” In this article, the first part of Lesson T1, we explain what it means and how to use it.
Lesson T1: Potential & Purpose
The potential of an online business idea today
We are in a solo-entrepreneurship boom. Imagine yourself for a moment no longer limited to the role of a consumer who can only shop. Imagine yourself as a producer, a creator, a seller or a promoter who creates value and earns.
Imagine doing that without hiring an agency, negotiating with banks or welcoming customers in person. It sounds dreamy, and it is not easy. But it is certainly more accessible than ever before for many people.12
Before going further, one thing stays true. Anyone can pursue online entrepreneurship today, even from behind the scenes and without the spotlight, but you still need an idea with potential. That has perhaps always been the trickiest part.
The good news is that there is a huge amount of information available. Millions of entrepreneurs have also paved the way for others. Thanks to them, finding an idea with potential is more feasible than before.13
Is there really nothing new under the sun?
In the past, the search for a business idea often sounded like this: “What can I offer that doesn’t exist in my area?” Or: “How can I come up with something unique that nobody else has thought of?” These questions put a lot of pressure on people.
In the digital age, it helps to accept right away that there is nothing new under the sun. Whatever you think of, someone online is probably already doing it. And it is worth asking whether uniqueness is even the key question today.14
Key concept: your version of a simple idea
If you research almost any idea a little, you will find people already doing exactly that. So we stop trying to think of an idea only we could have. Instead, we take one very simple idea, a simple product or service we could imagine selling.
Then we weave ourselves into that idea. We add our thoughts, our tastes, our preferences, our style, our struggles and our strengths. The list goes on for as long as what you add reflects you.
The combination makes the idea suddenly feel inimitable. “Your version of a simple idea” is a new way of looking at potential today.
Your face is only one ingredient
This is also why your face no longer has to be in the spotlight. Your face is one of your components. It is a strong one, and we do not advise against using it, but it is only one.
Because you can put many different components into your version of a simple idea, it becomes almost impossible for two results online to be identical. If the idea of self-branding is what held you back so far, Lynnaider recaps the alternatives for you.
A parallel with AI
Did you know that combinatorics, in a broad sense, also plays a role in how large language models like Claude and ChatGPT answer a question? They select words, phrases and sentences from a vast space of possibilities, based on highly sophisticated probability. The result is something unique in response to your unique question.15 Your business idea works in a similar way: simple parts, combined uniquely.
Examples of a simple idea made personal
Here are a few examples of how a simple online business idea becomes your own. A simple idea like “weekly meal plans” becomes your version when you focus on quick vegetarian meals for busy parents, written in your calm and practical style. A simple idea like “handmade jewelry” becomes yours when you use materials from your region and a design style you love.
A simple idea like “language tutoring” becomes yours when you teach professionals who need one specific language for work, using examples from your own career. In each case, the base is common, and the combination is unique.
Release the stress of choosing an online business idea
Potential is “only” the first step of the Via Ferrata, but understanding it lets you start with your best foot forward. Try to release some stress right at the beginning. When the scary question “What is my business idea?” comes up, answer it like this: “It’s my version of this simple idea: …”
You may find several ideas, and you might even feel you have too many choices. That is okay too.
Start with one online business idea
We recommend starting with one idea in any case. Build your online endeavor on it, following the stages of Lynnaider’s Via Ferrata. Try not to worry too much about whether you made the right choice.
What you will likely see is that you can bring parts of your other ideas into the same endeavor later. A first idea is a starting point, and it can grow in many directions.
Keep the first version of your online business idea small and cheap
Test your idea with a small first version. When you are just starting out, you do not need to spend more than about 20 dollars on your setup, because free routes and small one-time fees exist for most techniques. There is no need to pay monthly fees before anyone knows about your business.
Put your energy into showing your idea to people instead. Marketing your business is a skill you can learn yourself, without an agency. The reactions you get will tell you more about your idea than any amount of planning.
Your next step
The next article gives you everyday indicators that can help you find your version of a simple idea. For the full Lesson T1 and the rest of the book, visit our products page. If you would like help shaping your online business idea, see our services page.
Frequently asked questions
What does “your version of a simple idea” actually mean?
It means taking a simple, familiar offering that already exists somewhere in the world and weaving into it enough of your preferences, style, history, and perspective that the resulting combination becomes recognisably yours.
What if my idea already exists on the market?
It almost certainly does. That is Lynnaider’s starting assumption. What differentiates your version is the particular combination of you that you bring to it, and no two such combinations are the same.
Do I need to show my face for the idea to work?
No. Your face is one component among many. Because so many pieces can be woven into your version of a simple idea, staying behind the scenes is no longer the obstacle it once was.
What if I identify several possible ideas?
That is common. Start with one and build. Elements of the other ideas you were considering usually find their way into the same activity later.
How do I know if my idea has potential?
Potential is not something you can validate perfectly in advance. The stronger signal is whether the idea reflects things you genuinely care about, because those are the ideas you can sustain the work for.
Can I change my idea later?
Yes, and most people do. Beginning teaches you more about the idea than more thinking about it ever will. The direction you start with rarely stays exactly the same.
Is there a low-cost way to start an online business with Lynnaider?
Lynnaider teaches setup routes for each of the ten online income techniques that cost nothing, or very little (under 20 dollars), to go live, so you do not pay setup costs long before you earn. Our free AI agent, Lynnaider Compass, guides you through them step by step, in the same logic as the whole Lynnaider teaching.
Will Lynnaider publish step-by-step tutorials for setting up the 10 online business models for free or at a very low cost?
They may be created depending on how much interest there is. Please join the waitlist to show that you are interested, and we will let you know as soon as they are ready.
References
12. Tank A. How AI tools empower today’s solopreneurs. Forbes. 2025 Dec 3.
13. Harvard Business School Online. How to identify business & market opportunities. 2022 Jul 28. Available from: online.hbs.edu/blog/post/how-to-identify-business-opportunities
14. Shapiro S. Stop worrying about the novelty of your ideas. Inc. 2020 Aug 22. Available from: https://www.inc.com/stephen-shapiro/stop-worrying-about-novelty-of-your-ideas.html
15. Lee TB, Trott S. Large language models, explained with a minimum of math and jargon. Understanding AI [Internet]. 2023 Jul 27 [cited 2025 Nov 9]. Available from: https://www.understandingai.org/p/large-language-models-explained-with
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and should not be regarded as legal, tax, or business advice. Pursuing an online business does not guarantee income; results depend on many factors including the business environment, individual effort, skills, and consistency. Some links on this site may allow Lynnaider to earn a commission at no additional cost to the reader.
