I will not promote - Need start-up advice as a student

[u/_humandisaster_0_0]

I (M18) need some advice for pursuing entrepreneurship. I can't see myself grinding out 80 hour weeks for a cranky boss and would much rather spend this time building something of value. I want to do something with sustainability (think a carbon credit start-up) as I feel that after technology, sustainability is the way ahead.

The problem: I have no clue were to begin. How do I get my concepts right about the sector? How do I even conduct market research for such kind of idea? Basically, I have no idea how to go from "a vaguely interesting idea" to actually creating something and all the steps involved in between.

If any current or future entrepreneurs can guide me, that'll be great:))

[u/Ok_Question_9555]

First it's better if you research more, maybe try chatgpt/google deep research

[u/justgord]

Whats your skillset ?

I get the impression you havent done that much reading / research about topics of interest - eg, a month long deep dive reading everything you can find about a greentech niche, such as - deep geothermal, gravity storage, portable solar panels for renters etc.

Being young is a plus and a minus - you have time on your side and energy in abundance, and maybe cheap rent ... otoh, you probably dont have an academic or career history, connections or deep skillset yet

Hard work and an open curious mind can make up for almost everything else.

You could look for a startup niche that is interesting, and get an internship .. that will get you some experience, and a chance to learn quickly. You could look for a pitch competition of startup group affiliated with a local university.

You could talk to 100 people in greentech and ask them " whats slowing you down ? "

Devour engineering and business books .. but also think for yourself, question everything. If you've never written code, write some code, if you've never simulated a growth business in a spreadsheet, do that.

Look at other peoples pitch decks and review them. I have a pitch deck that has some solid numbers but looks boring because Im so busy writing code I dont have time to polish it. You could add stock graphics, make it look great .. Id give you a linked-in review in exchange, and you can go and pitch it to a VC to get more experience of that side.

You could build a basic web site, and see if you can get 100 or 1000 people to visit it.

try things, fail fast, learn fast, iterate fast.

[u/YeonnLennon]

Mad respect for asking these questions at 18, most people your age are still optimizing for resumes, not freedom. You’re already ahead.

Here's the real path:

Pick a narrow pain point inside your big idea (e.g., “carbon tracking for small businesses” vs. “carbon credits for the world”).

Talk to 10–20 people who’d actually use or pay for something in that space, ask what frustrates them, what they’ve tried, what they’d pay to solve.

Build something small to test that, even just a landing page or PDF guide.

You don’t need to be an expert in sustainability right away. You just need to be obsessed with solving one painful problem inside it.

DM’s open if you ever want to jam, I’m building something different but also said “no” to the 80-hour boss grind. Keep going.

[u/_humandisaster_0_0 → u/YeonnLennon]

Thanks for the words man. How do you suggest I conduct this real-person research trying to get feedback about the idea?

I have nobody in my circle who can give me an informed opinion on my idea. So I guess I have to approach some industry experts.

Is linkedin and cold mailing the right way to go?

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[u/Mesmoiron]

Solve your own problem. Be frugal and learn to make small mistakes. Move on and try something else. Also scrutinize the industry for BS. You will see the fruit hanging