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This approach will help you think of a solid startup idea.It is broken into 5 steps to facilitate progress through a system that in total should take about 30-40 hours to complete over a week or two, if you do it all.Add rigor and discipline to your brainstorming and idea evaluation process:Build lists of potential customer types and business or pricing models.Evaluate the opportunities where these lists overlap.Then, exit your ivory tower and evaluate the top ideas with real potential users, customers, or suppliers.This will improve your likelihood of success and waste less time down the road, even if you pivot from your original idea.Preface: There certainly are simpler answers like, “pick an area that is trending”, “look for a large market that hasn’t changed in 10 years”, or “convert your hobby into a business”. Unfortunately those aren’t particularly helpful, and since this question comes up often in discussions, I wanted to get my thoughts down in a more comprehensive way. I’m sure Quora will have some good feedback for me :)Also, while this answer covers the ideation part of the journey, keep in mind that implementing the idea is the hard part.Three primary paths to a new business idea1. The spontaneous idea: It hits you when you’re in the shower, driving in your car, talking with friends, or doodling during a meeting. The dots suddenly connect in a new way and you have an epiphany...your sudden insight is surprising and exciting, and the value of this new idea seems obvious. You can’t believe nobody else has thought of it before!So you go online and poke around...and...most of the time it turns out that someone has thought of it before. But, you still might be able to do it better...so you keep thinking about it and a day passes, and you start to realize some problems. You share it with a few trusted friends and get feedback about a lot of things you hadn’t thought of yet (e.g., nobody pays for it, it’s a tiny market, etc.). It could turn out to be a great idea, but you don’t know, you have a good job, and it is uncharted territory...so you let the dream slowly die away. Cheer up, that was probably the right decision.2. The insider idea: Maybe you’ve spent the last 7 years building enterprise software for airlines and you’ve noticed some voids in the product stack or issues with how your company brings it to market. You point these deficiencies out to your bosses, but there are other company priorities and nothing changes. Or, say your company pays vendors a lot of money to do some work, but nobody ever seems happy with the results....and you see a way to do it better for less. Or, maybe you witnessed your company kill an amazing new product or feature not because testing didn’t show user interest, but for political or organizational reasons.You see an opportunity to do it on your own, so you start moonlighting on a solution. You gather more specific information, talk to trusted co-workers and industry contacts, and determine the viability of solving the problem. The good thing is, you’re already knowledgeable and well positioned/networked in the business space...so good luck to you!3. The deliberate idea: In this case, you aren’t starting with a business idea. Instead, you’re starting with a desire to create a new business and become an entrepreneur. You may be ready to quit your job and go for it whole-hog, or just start it on the side of your desk...but you’re looking for the right business idea to pursue (which could be a business related to your work environment or industry, as in #2).While the first two paths may happen unintentionally, the third is for people who know they want to start a company, but don't yet have their idea. If you fall into the third group, then this answer is for you.#3 The Deliberate IdeaIdeation is fun and freeing, but it is the easy part of the process. Execution of your idea separates the wheat from the chaff and is where most people fail. That said, coming up with the right idea will improve your odds of successful execution. This system will help you do that well.Step 1 - Decide what is your primary motivation or personal goal for starting this (1 hour)For example, do you want a:Fun or hobby based business (e.g., making bracelets to sell on Etsy (product))Part-time lifestyle business that could become full time (e.g., running a wine-investment club)Full-time startup hoping for acquisition exit in 3-5 years (e.g., It’s like Airbnb (product) for fish, get it?)Large, cash-flow positive business (e.g., B2B furniture import and delivery business)Path to industry credibility and networking over financial gain (e.g., scriptwriting peer-training exchange for aspiring comedy writers)Create a new spreadsheet and write down your goal in the first tab. It may seem like overkill now, but if you take a break from this project you’ll want to be able to have it as a frame of reference when picking it back up.Step 2 - Frame the problem (2 hours)If you try to just write down a list of ideas from scratch, you’ll probably be underwhelmed with the results. You’ll likely hit a block after a handful of ideas, and what you come up with will be based on your predispositions...i.e., if you are a gamer, you’ll have ideas for games. If you work in cloud computing, you’ll have ideas for new approaches, etc. This isn’t a bad thing, but it is limiting.Instead, make a deliberate effort to facilitate your own brainstorming.In the spreadsheet you created in step 1, create a new sheet and type out a list of 15-20 different categories of customer/audience types in the first column. Don’t start with the usual demographic descriptions like, “18-35 year olds in urban environments making over $100k per year”. Instead, use descriptive phrases that represent specific groups of consumers and/or businesses with unique challenges and needs. These tend to be easier to conceptualize so they are more useful and helpful for generating ideas.Start with some that relate to your personal interests, hobbies, experience or professional network, but don't limit yourself to them. Some examples include retail insurance agents, cyclical dieters, ex-pats in Asia, news junkies, people that eat out 3+ times per week, new college grads, stay-at-home mothers, winemakers, startup founders raising money, youth sports teams, companies at trade shows, wedding planners, gamers, health nuts, software development agencies, etc. If you’re having trouble coming up with enough, broaden to specific industries, e.g., public transportation, dating, real estate, etc. If you’re going after a specific geography, call it out (e.g., ex-pats in Asia).Next, along the first row of your spreadsheet, type the business or pricing models (i.e., the type of business) that you could apply to these customers/audiences. There’s no exact right or wrong approach, and I’m using the term “business model” very liberally here. Not all models will apply to each group and some overlap is okay. Remember, you’re doing this to help you brainstorm and compare new business ideas, not to become an expert on business models.For example, subscriptions, product bundling, risk management/insurance, auctions, resale/classifieds, peer-to-peer exchanges, outsourcing non-core functions, freemium, advertising-supported content, new product development, after-sale care, daily deals (discounted pre-sale), collaborative consumption (think AirBnB), rapid evaluation/matching (e.g., Tinder), sales channel innovation, lead generation and referrals, marketplace, brokerage, BI/CI solutions, community, etc. (more here: TechCrunch business models)Step 3 - Generate ideas (4-6 hours)Your spreadsheet is now a grid with customer/audience types down the side and business/pricing models across the top. Each box where the two lists overlap is a place to brainstorm ideas. Go through each square in this grid. You can dismiss many of the boxes in a few seconds (e.g., Business Intelligence for stay-at-home moms?), but it is worth giving each consideration as you’ll inevitably come up with ideas you didn’t expect.The easiest way to do this is go column by column. Pick a business or pricing model, think of a few existing businesses that use it, and spend 5 minutes reading about them to get your head into that space. Then, apply it to each potential customer or audience group: how could it fit? What are their priorities, what gets in their way, where are they wasting time or money, what do they depend upon? Browse discussion forums where they participate or are discussed. See what they care about, what people complain about. Search online for other companies that already compete to offer them products and services. What are they?Your pass through the first column will take the most time, because you're learning about each of the 15-20 customer types as you go. It speeds up after that.Each time you come up with a keeper, type it into the corresponding box. For example, providing after-sale customer management for retail insurance agents? Or, a debt auction business for startups looking to raise seed funding? Type it in.Note: You may have 2+ ideas in a box. To add a new line inside of a cell type Alt-Enter for Excel on PC, Option-Command-Enter for Excel on Mac, Ctrl-Enter for Google Docs on MacTry to come up with at least 6 solid ideas. Then, create another tab in your spreadsheet and list all of your ideas there. In addition to writing down the ideas themselves, you should state the goal, audience(s), and model(s) for each one. These will change over time, but it is good to start grounded with something you can work-back towards.Step 4 - Evaluate ideas and narrow it down (3 hours)The next step is to evaluate your list of 6+ ideas against a set of criteria that will help you narrow down to the most promising three. For example:Heat in this space: E.g., Some answers on QuoraYour experience and connections: Do you have experience in this industry or with similar businesses? Are you well connected with friends or family that operate in this space? Any advantages, or disadvantages?Alignment with goals: How well does this align to your original goal? Are the upfront capital costs compatible with the level of investment you want to make in this business?Market opportunity: How big is this market and how unique or differentiated is your approach? Consider competition here, but don’t be discouraged by the presence of competition. It is validation that the space is interesting. Also, there are plenty of companies have come along and disrupted markets that others had written off as already solved, like:Google ... after Altavista, Metacrawler, Lycos, etc.Facebook ... after Friendster, MySpaceUber ... after Yellow cab, black car services, etc.Gmail ... after AOL, Yahoo!, Hotmail, etc.iPhone ... after Blackberry, Palm, Windows MobileFlipboard, Wavii, Zite, Pulse, Prismatic, etc. ... after Yahoo!, AOL, MSN, CNNYou probably don’t have time to really deep-dive on 10 ideas, so getting this narrowed down is both science and art. What does your gut tell you, what would be fun, where are you most comfortable and confident?OPTIONAL STEP: To add more science try quantifying some of these criteria.To do this, add a column to the Ideas tab, one for each criterion. Then, for each new column score your ideas from 1-5, with 5 being the best. So, for “Alignment with my goal”, a 5 means it aligns perfectly, and a 1 means it doesn’t align at all (e.g., your goal is to create a fun hobby business, but the idea is to sell offshore development services to technology companies in the US).Don’t worry if you aren’t sure whether something is a 3 or a 4, just go with your gut or do 5 minutes of online research. Keep moving forward, don't get stuck here bogged down in the weeds.When you’re finished, add up the scores and sort your list by the sum of these scores. In theory, the higher the score, the more interesting the idea should be to you.When you’re done evaluating your ideas run them by a couple of trusted friends, and narrow it down to the three that seem most promising. If you do the optional scoring step, don’t feel like you must pick the three that scored highest.Note - we could have used these criteria earlier in step 2 to narrow down the list of audiences and business/pricing models, but that would have limited the creative process too far upstream (i.e., before the brainstorming process), so I suggest waiting.Step 5 - Deep dive on those 3 ideas (20-30 hours over a week or two)Congratulations, you have come up with 3 solid ideas! Now it’s time to step out of your ivory tower and start getting street-level information and feedback. There are three basic steps for doing this (i.e., 5_a, _b, and _c) that are general enough to apply to most types of ideas.A quick aside: at this point people ask, "If I share my idea with a lot of people, won't someone steal it?" The answer is possibly, but unlikely. As previously mentioned, there are a lot of startup ideas but few people with the time, energy, or know-how to implement them. The benefits of getting good feedback early on outweigh the risk that someone will steal it. So, don't tell people that won't benefit you, and avoid telling direct competitors that are in a position to do it themselves, or to block you from doing it, but generally don't worry. Related questions / blog posts:Will a VC or Angel steal my idea?How can I be sure people won't steal my idea during a pitch?Will anyone steal my startup idea?Why you shouldn’t keep your startup idea secret5_a. Get smart(er) (6-8 hours)You will be able to evaluate and refine your ideas 10x faster by engaging in discussions with real potential customers, users, and partners. But, if you go into these unprepared you’ll wind up asking the wrong questions, sounding out of place, and wasting your opportunity and their time.So, before you invest in surveys, coffee shop chats, or informational meetings, you need to get up to speed on the basics of the industry you are targeting. If you gave yourself a 5 in the “Experience and connections” category in Step 4, you can skip this. If not, invest 2-3 hours per idea.Note - throughout this process you should take detailed notes. Create a new tab for each of your ideas, or an entirely new document; doesn’t really matter as long as you can write stuff down. Track who you've spoken with, emailed, feedback, etc. Trust me, you will be glad that you wrote this all down.This will probably take a couple of days. At minimum I would:Call up or email savvy friends and family to get their thoughts (LinkedIn is a great tool for this).Give them the 10,000 foot view of your idea and ask for their opinion. (Take good notes on or right after the call; do not trust your memory for this.)Ask them what they think is the biggest problem with it, otherwise they might just say nice things.If they’re in your industry then ask if they know of other companies in your space, what they think is broken, etc.Ask them who they would speak with if they had your idea. Ask if you can get informational interviews with those people.Talk to potential investors if possibleThey don’t have to be the people that will actually invest in your business, but at this step ideally you have a personal relationship with them. Position your conversation as looking for advice to make a decision, not their money.Anyone you know that does angel investing, VC, M&A, etc., will have a trained perspective.Do lots of online research. For example:Find out who competes in this space, and add them to your spreadsheet.Read their websites, watch their videos, and search for them together, e.g., “Windows AND Android AND iPhone”. These search queries surface articles and blog posts that analyze the broader industry, offering helpful perspective and discovery of competitors you missed. E.g., “Windows, Android and iPhone versus Blackberry”.Browse on Wikipedia to learn industry vocabulary and organization.Search Quora for questions about the industry or these competitors.Determine external dependenciesYou may need data. Is it available free or paid, or will you have to mine it yourself, etc.?Do you need any particular physical materials, machinery, etc. that are hard to come by?Will you require any permits or government approvals?Will you need to hire any specialists people that are particularly difficult to find and recruit?Expensive equipment?Will you need to raise a significant amount of outside funding just to get started b/c there are high capital costs?Etc.Now you are smart enough to have the intelligent conversations with people in your prospective industries, and you probably have also improved and refined your ideas. Woohoo, you’re getting closer to “the one”.At this point a lot of people would pick something and invest time in “creating” their business. I.e., set up a corporation, pick a name, secure a domain, design a logo, print business cards, figure out their title, etc. While these things feel like progress towards a “real company”, they are an unnecessary distraction at this point. It is much wiser to spend that energy on validation of your idea, like testing with real customers, meeting competitors, mocking up prototypes, etc.5_b. Talk to potential customers, competitors, and industry partners you don’t know personally (5-10 hours)Before you pour your heart and soul into a new venture, you should validate it outside of your friends and family circle. Is this solving a real issue for potential users or customers? Would they be willing to pay for it...or do businesses even have budget for what you’re offering? Again, the mechanics of this depend on the type of business idea that you have (e.g., starting a sandwich shop vs. office supply delivery vs. peer-to-peer insurance), but here are some general approaches that I would recommend.Run an online surveyQuick way to get a relatively large sample of answers from your target customers or audience.There are probably others, but Google Surveys is drop-dead simple to use and it allows you to easily limit responses to your target (e.g., people that buy life insurance).It’ll cost you a couple hundred bucks per survey. A cheap alternative is to post the concept on a discussion forum or Quora to get feedback.Talk with your potential customers/audienceIf you’re targeting consumers, figure out where they spend time and go there to ask them questions (e.g., certain neighborhoods or coffee shops, concerts, sporting events, conventions, etc.). If you end up in a coffee shop, print a sign for the back of your laptop that says “Your feedback on my idea for a free latte”!If you’re targeting B2C businesses, approach them as a customer, and ask them some questions. Buy something if they sell retail.If you’re targeting B2B businesses, email them or go to conferences that they attend, etc. Try to get an informational interview based on the premise that you’re working to improve the industry and do something valuable for them, so you need their expertise and advice. People like it when others ask for their ‘expertise’.Talk with suppliersThis is relatively easy, since you are a potential buyer and they will want your business.In a previous step you identified the external dependencies you’ll want to take, i.e., what you should buy vs. build, and some possible vendors. Get meetings with them.You need to verify your assumptions, and while a lot of the details will be available on their website, information about pricing, access restrictions, etc., is often not, so you’ll want to email or call them to get details.Try to speak to more than 1 provider for each item so you can compare prices and look for differences or similarities, which will tell you a lot about the industry.OPTIONAL - Start selling before you have anything to sellSome people call this doing a “smokescreen test”, and the mechanics of it really depend on the business idea. In many cases, it actually won’t be practical to do this until you are working on your final idea.B2C: If you’re targeting consumers you can do this via the Google or Facebook ad platforms.B2B: If businesses, then send a bunch of emails to potential customers (you can find them online) with a proposed offer and price...vary the price and offer details and keep track of how people respond (hopefully some do). see if you can get on the phone with one or two of them. Learn what questions they ask, what they push back on, if the price seems reasonable. If someone wants what you’re selling, then you may have your first customer if you can deliver something quickly (you won’t be the first to sell something before you own it...remember Bill Gates and IBM (company))5_c. Write abbreviated business plans (7-10 hours)We’ve spent a lot of time working on the individual components of each idea, and now it is time to step back and see the big picture. Bring your thinking and research together into a brief business plan for each idea that still appears to be worth pursuing. If it is obvious from the previous steps that that an idea isn’t going to work, drop it.Here’s a suggested outline. Try to limit it to be 2-3 pages, and no more than 3 hours per idea:Page 1One-line description of your idea:[Company] will <do, make, or provide> for <target audience or customer> so that <the value/outcome you bring>.Example: Lewis Industries will develop customer management software for automotive dealerships so that they can increase loyalty post-sale and sell more services and upgrades to consumers that buy vehicles.Description of your products and services: 150 word description of the problems you are addressing and the scenarios you will focus on first.Page 2How and when you monetize: Will you start as a free service for everyone, and hope to monetize later through premium offerings (freemium) or advertising (ad-supported)? Or, will you start charging immediately, or never? You won’t know for sure, but give your best guess.Distribution model: How will potential customers or users discover you? What marketing and/or partner channels do you plan to use?External dependencies: For what core things will you rely on others to provide, e.g., A database of all vehicle makes and models, and option packages since 1970? You should have this list from previous steps, and don’t worry about generic things (e.g., office space).Page 3Estimated cost to reach your Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Just try to get in the ballpark here. The main reason to figure this out during the ideation stage is that it will impact how you approach starting the business, which may or may not align with your goals. I.e., if you’re planning to build a Zipcar for trucks and need to raise $2 million for the vehicles, then you probably can’t do it as a lifestyle business off the side of your desk.What are the major external dependencies and how much will they cost (e.g., $20,000 for the automotive database)How much development and design do you need to do for this idea, any large capital costs (e.g., a fleet of trucks)?Here are some places to learn how to estimate these costs: Estimating startup costs for a new businesses (StartupNation), How to estimate the cost of starting a business from scratch (United States SBA), Estimate startup costs (Entrepreneur)Summary of idea’s strengths and weaknesses (1-2 sentences for each)Research: What did you learn from your survey, calls, emails and online research that supports or challenges this idea? E.g., Positive if 67% of people surveyed say they will pay $10 for this, less so if 4 of the 5 companies you spoke with have no interest in what you’re proposing.Industry/macro trends: Will you have a tailwind or a headwind doing this? List out the specifics (e.g., My largest customer, retirees, is estimate to grow at 10% per year for the next 20 years.)Your knowledge and connections: You'll have a good sense for this, but write it down anyways. E.g., I have spent 4 years working on software for this industry, and x, y, and z from college are potential buyers.Risks: Are you taking dependencies where the solution isn’t yet clear? How competitive is the market, and what advantages do competitors have...or, is competition not a deterrent for x reason?You could easily increase the scope of this business plan by an order of magnitude, and there are a dozen templates for this (Writing a Business Plan) or approaches to analyzing your ideas (e.g., SWOT analysis). The important thing is that you’re being honest and self-critical, because ultimately you are the one taking the risk.Step 6 - Pick the best idea and get startedIf after all of this digging you are still feeling really good about one of these ideas, then go for it...this is where the real work begins. You’re going to need to think about financing, hiring, networking, and business operations in addition to the fun part of actually building your product or service.That is for another post! In the meantime, here are some resources to help you on your way:First I'd sit back and read...Startups are roller-coasters that often end in failure...make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into! Check out Mashable’s post on Why 90% of Startups Fail, David Lee's on Why I Never Started My Own Company, and Dave McClure's slides and video about “Why not to do a startup”.Now, if you still want to do this, read Paul Graham 's essay on How to start a startup (he also has an interesting view on startup ideas)Next, grab a drink and read Quora's take on what first timers often miss - What first time entrepreneurs are blind toThen, Jimmy Wales' answer to how to contact him about a startup idea...it applies broadly to how you should contact a potential advisor or investor about their startup.Lastly, go up-vote something Ashton Kutcher wrote on Quora and ask Mark Zuckerberg a question that he won't answer...Congrats! You're half-way to a great startup (scene story for your friends). :-)Startup advice and storiesQuora questions - What is the hardest part about staring a company, Common mistakes made when starting a tech company, Top five things to remember whens starting a companyJames Altucher, TechCrunch - Should you start a company?Jason Goldberg, Betashop - 13 things you must do every week as a startup CEOSeth Sternberg, Meebo co-founder (acquired by Google since this article) - From nothing to something. How to get there.Ben Horowitz vs Fred Wilson - Ben posts (case for fat startup), Fred rebuts (fat not healthy), Ben rebuts (revenge of fat guy)Neil Patel, Geekwire - Wish I would have known before starting my own businessDane Carlson - 20 things not to do before starting a business (I agree with most of this, but not #1 if you can afford it)Scott Weiss, TechCrunch - The path to starting a startupJames Altucher, TechCrunch - What you can learn from Woody AllenErick Schonfeld (2006), 5 ways to start a company (without quitting your day job)ChecklistsRyan Roberts, Startup Lawyer - If I launched a startup (great cheat sheet)Quora - How do you start a companyForbes - 38 things to do when starting a business (non-tech)Fiverr (marketplace) - Startup checklist (non-tech, and website is a little kitschy with all the dashes, stars, and arrows in the text)Finance and LegalQuora - What questions do entrepreneurs want to ask venture investors most but are afraid to askUser-10887637379381104900 - So you want to raise seed capitalFred Wilson, AVC - Financing options for startups, Financing options: convertible debt (likely way you will raise your first round of angel/seed money)Ryan Roberts, Startup Lawyer - How convertile debt works, What type of entity should I form, What does a series A term sheet look likeMartin Kleppmann - Valuation caps on convertible notes explained with graphsOrrick - Startup toolkitBrad Feld, Foundry Group (venture capital firm) - Term sheet series wrap upHiringBabak Nivi, Venture Hacks - What does an employee offer letter look like, Questions recruits might ask Part I, Part IIRobert Scoble, Quora - How to avoid hiring the wrong people for your startupElad Gil, Elad blog - Hiring for cultural fitBlogs by entrepreneurs:Jason Goldberg - BetashopDanielle Morrill - Danielle Morrill’s blogMarco Arment - Marco.orgBen Milne - Ben Milne’s blogKate Kendall - Kate Kendall’s blogGuy Kawasaki - How to change the worldSeth Godin - Seth Godin’s blogSriram Krishnan - Sriram Krishnan’s blogPenelope Trunk - Penelope Trunk’s blogScott Adams - Dilbert blogNeil Patel - Quick SproutEric Ries - Startup Lessons LearnedSteve Blank - Steve Blank’s blogDharmesh Shah - OnStartupsQuora - Other startup founder blogsBlogs by VCs:Brad Feld (Foundry Group) - FeldThoughtsFred Wilson (Union Square Ventures) - AVCDave McClure (500 Startups) - Master of 500 hatsPaul Graham (Y Combinator +) - Paul Graham EssaysDavid Lee (SV Angel) - dasleeUser-10887637379381104900 (Andreessen Horowitz) - Chris Dixon’s blogJeff Bussgang (Flybridge Capital Partners) - Seeing Both SidesBen Horowitz (Andreessen Horowitz) - Ben’s blogJosh Kopelman (First Round Capital) - Redeye VCMike Hirshland (Resolute.VC, formerly Polaris Ventures) - VCMike’s BlogDavid Cowan (Bessemer Venture Partners) - Who has time for thisJalak Jobanputra (FuturePerfect Ventures) - The barefoot VCHoward Morgan (First Round Capital) - Way too ealryGreg Gottesman (Madrona Venture Partners) - Stark Raving VCDavid Skok (Matrix Partners) - For entrepreneursMark Suster (GRP Partners) - Both Sides of the TableOther blogsJared O'Toole and Matt Wilson - Under 30 CEOAnita Campbell - Small Business TrendsAndrew Chen - Andrew Chen’s blogCarson McComas, Work Happy blog for entrepreneursYoung Entrepreneur BlogHarvard Business Review Blog NetworkBusiness PunditQuora entrepreneurs to follow (there are a lot of ‘must follow’ lists of entrepreneurs on Quora, of which many aren’t very active. These people are)Wikipedia, Jimmy WalesCraigslist, Craig NewmarkBlippy and Adbrite, Philip KaplanVontu & Pipewise, Michael WolfeQuora & Facebook, Adam D'AngeloFriendster, Jonathan AbramsInstagram, Kevin SystromFoursquare, Dennis CrowleyPath, Dave Morin500 Startups, Dave McClureFacebook, Dustin MoskovitzMahalo, LAUNCH, & Weblogs, Jason CalacanisPayPal, David SacksEchoSign, Jason M. LemkinWavii, Adrian AounOther people’s listsRyan Spoon, Polaris Ventures - list of Quora threads for startupsOther resources:SBA (U.S. Small Business Administration)StartupNation (Source for Small Business Advice)Notes: I tried to use mostly plain-speak when writing this. There are a lot of opinions on vocabulary and the definition of business models, business plans, etc., so if you’re hung up on those details write your thoughts in the comments, but keep in mind that the nuances are less important than the spirit of applying some rigor to picking an idea.

I’m answering this because I was asked to take a crack at it. I answered a similar question asking why didn’t Banner shot himself to make Hulk come out in the Battle of Wakanda, so there’s going to be some overlap. [1]I’m assuming from the part about “protecting Banner” that the reference is to the Battle of Greenwich Village outside Dr. Strange’s Bleecker Street Sanctum Sanctorum and start from there.Wow, you think they should have let Banner get “mortally wounded”?!? That’s kind of a sick question to pose. This is the MCU, folks, not The Immortal Hulk. Bruce tried to get a response from Hulk and then explained to Tony he was having problems.Like the decent humans they are, the others took him at his word. Who wants to see Banner get ripped in two by Cull Obsidian or used as a “human shield” just to try and get him to Hulk out, especially in front of Science Bro Tony who already has enough PTSD? (If your hand is in the air, take a time out.) Bruce didn’t even attempt it on his own again because—wait for it—he already tried that with not-so-great results.If you’re into that suicidal approach, Waititi had Banner basically attempt it when he took the swan dive onto the Rainbow Bridge in Thor: Ragnarok to undercut that superhero self-sacrifice trope for laughs. He did it to point out how absurd of an idea it was. Hint-hint?Yah, it got a roar from the audience and Hulk did show up, but the point is, the struggle for power between Banner and Hulk went up several notches in that film. (I suspect if Banner had just asked nicely, the Big Guy would have felt respected and been motivated to “go be a hero” for his friends, but Bruce hadn’t learned that lesson yet.)Before that, Banner was suicidal the first time he “put a bullet in [his] mouth and the other guy spit it out,” prior to the events of The Incredible Hulk (2008). Banner was not trying to bring out the Hulk in that case. It happened because the Big Guy was not going to go gentle into that good night with him. That said, Infinity War is a Marvel/Disney movie, so no, there will not be a bloody self-inflicted gunshot wounding or mauling (or Saw 10 or The Walking Dead) on or off screen to bring out the other guy. The scene was taken out of TIH for similar reasons, but included in the deleted scenes.When it’s brought up in The Avengers (2012), talking about it was dramatic/traumatic enough. It was a sobering moment for good reason. It even shut these two up.When Tony pointed out a few scenes before that Hulk may have saved Bruce’s life, his response is bitter, “Saved it for what?” Don’t forget, every character in the lab scenes is under the influence of the Mind Stone; otherwise, Bruce would have likely kept his trauma, anger, and frustrations to himself. When it comes to shame and self-loathing, Banner is no stranger to them, so he’s not exactly ready to reach out to his unlikely protector much less empathize with Hulk at that point. Of course, that cuts both ways.The much longer answer as to why not to sacrifice Bruce to get to his alter ego is Hulk still might not have come out and this is why. From the end of The Avengers up until the end of Age of Ultron, Bruce could count on the Big Guy to “go be a hero” (ie. be motivated to do Bruce’s fighting with the team), so that’s the only aspect or use of his alter ego that Bruce found acceptable. Aside from this “service,” Bruce wants nothing to do with Hulk. Bruce has gone from trying to destroy Hulk in The Incredible Hulk to grudging acceptance that this is a chronic condition to keeping him on a short leash to suppress him (“I’m always angry.”) to enlisting Natasha’s help to manage the Big Guy and put him back in his internal prison when his services are no longer needed.After what happened in Johannesburg and Sokovia, Hulk clearly felt he had to leave, echoing Bruce’s own words earlier in the film, “Where can I go that I’m not a threat?”When Hulk decided to leave at the end of AoU, it was one of his first autonomous decisions that didn’t involve serving Bruce’s purposes. After the Battle of Sokovia, Hulk had a chance to exercise agency and escape, so he took it. Even if Bruce could have fought him on this, he might have given in just to keep Natasha and everyone else safe from Hulk. As he said to Natasha, “You’re not the one I don’t trust.”The result kicked off the three-film Banner/Hulk story arc Ruffalo was offered in place of his own solo Hulk film. (Thanks for nothing, Universal Studios Entertainment!) During those two plus years on Sakaar (give or take some timey-wimey wormhole distortions), Hulk did what he was good at, and the Big Guy was finally recognized for it. (Who knows how many Dougs he killed to do it either? I hope it was more like the WWF than The Hunger Games!)The Big Guy was livin’ large for the first time! He had all the food, services, goods, and adoration he wanted, and he had a purpose, a reason to exist beyond just being angry.Being a champion in the gladiatorial ring turned out to have way more perks than being a hero (he didn’t realize he’d traded one form of servitude/slavery for another) until Thor turned up and reminded him of his past.However, it took Natasha’s image to finally reach Bruce who described his situation as going from each personality having “a hand on the wheel” to him feeling like Hulk had thrown him in the trunk and kept the key for those two plus years.In many ways, it was like Bruce getting a taste of his own medicine while Hulk finally had a chance to grow and develop as an individual for the first time in his existence. Likewise, the balance between the two had shifted and become much more complex. The old normal triggers for shifting (elevated heart rate and adrenaline spike) no longer applied. Bruce suspected if he transformed again, he’d be gone and Hulk would be in control forever, which is why the swan dive onto the bridge was so poignant of a sacrifice, but this time he didn’t realize it might take a physical toll before it took an existential one. It required that grievous of a trauma to get Hulk to come out and fight Fenrir. Yes, he enjoyed it (Big Monster!), but it wasn’t his idea. Bruce was still jerking him around without a choice, but this time Hulk made puny Banner pay for it with broken bones.Hulk fought monsters and stayed in control, presumably, until the opening of Avengers: Infinity War where he got his butt handed to him by Thanos (a smart fighter who knew to take him out fast) and then was transported to Doctor Strange’s Sanctum Santorum where the physical trauma was enough to bring Bruce out again. [I do not buy the Bruce-is-Loki theory. There’s something up there, but he didn’t replace Bruce.]I reason that Bruce and Hulk are drawing closer and sharing brain space as Hulk has progressed, so Bruce is able to access information Hulk would have heard concerning the Infinity Stones, and Hulk probably wouldn’t have opposed sharing that input or been able to withhold it. Hulk lets him have the facts, but he’s tired of being used as purely an attack dog on a chain. To put it bluntly, Hulk is not going to be Banner’s beeotch any longer. He’s not interested in just fulfilling that role, especially to save a lot of ungrateful, puny people who hate, fear, and despise him, even though it’s really Wanda who was to blame. He now knows he deserves better and wants more.Up till the very end of AoU, Bruce has had the upper hand, and Hulk has taken the bait to “be the hero,” but now that Hulk knows there is more to life, he’s decided to go essentially on strike and say, “NOOOO!!!”It’s his only option to bring Banner to the table. He does not care if Banner or Tony or Greenwich Village is getting banged around by aliens. In fact, if Bruce gets a little embarrassed, all the better. In Hulk’s book, he deserves it!Bruce and Hulk have reached an impasse, and Hulk is not coming out short of death’s doorstep. It’s a rude awakening for Bruce (who is probably a pretty woke kind of guy who’s not into exploitation) to realize he has an internal uprising on his hands at the worst of times.If Bruce had wanted to take the extreme approach and physically hurt himself or put himself in the line of fire to force Hulk out, I suppose he could have let the Outriders or Cull Obsidian pound him longer, but it was important, as the Russos have noted, to show Banner (and his seven PhDs) could man up, stand up for himself, and contribute. He co-designed the HulkBuster/VERONICA, and he’s earned the right to use it. It was all hands on the field, and Bruce chose to “go be a hero.” That may have been an eleventh-hour change by the Russos, but I think it was a good one and might give Banner some credibility with Hulk.Similar to what I said above, even if Bruce had gone to the extreme of self-inflicted injury, there’s no guarantee Hulk would have even stuck around to fight once he was out. It’s not that he’s afraid of Thanos or suffering from PTSD due to childhood trauma (though that would be a great plot twist to bring in from the comics). The Russos say Hulk is fed up, so we’ll have to go with that unless we learn otherwise.As it stands, Bruce did “suit up” and took out a major member of the Black Order by himself, and more importantly, he’s realized that he and Hulk are going to need to communicate because their dysfunctional relationship isn’t tolerable for either of them any longer. As Bruce tells the Big Guy: “Hulk, we got a lot to figure out, pal.”What “figuring it out” means and what being “together” or united between the two is going to look like, we can only speculate until Avengers: Endgame comes out.However, if the leaked images are any indicator, it’s looking more and more like we will get some form of integration of the two personalities rather than separation. Whether he/they will be inspired by “Professor Hulk” or Doc Green from the comics or be a total reimagining of the characters, that development should be a whole lot more satisfying than another round of stubborn dysfunction or an abusive suicidal shortcut.The six OGs are all going to have to bring themselves back together and heal their rifts for the Decimation to be undone, and that includes Banner and Hulk. My money is on them for the rematch with Thanos!I’m not sure if this is what you wanted, but thanks for the request, Michael Hills.Thank you, Tymur Chumachenko, for the edit suggestion!Footnotes[1] In Avengers: Infinity War, why didn’t Bruce Banner shoot himself again to get the Hulk out during the Wakandan battle?

In your twenties, you're trying to figure things out. You probably graduated college, scored a great job, and are figuring out how to be an actual adult. Then when you reach 30, it's time to step it up and be the adult you were trying to be. Whether it's finally creating a budget, investing in quality kitchen essentials, or meeting with financial planners, here are 30 life changes you should make after hitting the big 3-0. While you're at it, consider changing these1Create a BudgetShutterstockIf you don't have a solid budget in place for yourself after 30, you're not alone. Making enough money to live comfortably month-to-month usually results in not seeing a real need to set limits for yourself in certain categories, whether that's rent and groceries or personal spending. By taking the time to plan your finances, you'll be amazed at just how much money you save — and might be surprised how much money you've been wasting over the years. If you're looking for a little extra help, download The 10 Best Budgeting App to Boost Your Savings.2Exercise RegularlyWhen you turn 30, exercise is no longer just important for building your self-esteem; it's crucial to your well-being. Not only does physical activity keep your weight in check as your metabolism starts to slow down (no more scarfing those fries without consequences!), but it can also keep you healthy as you age, reducing your risk of everything from heart disease and diabetes to cancer and strokes, says the Mayo Clinic. And set yourself on the path to longer goals with the 40 Ways to Develop New Habits After 40.3Get Serious About Paying Off DebtIt's easy to blow off your debt when you're in your 20s, but by the time you reach your 30s, it's super important to start taking it extra seriously. Work with an expert to come up with a plan on how to go about paying off your debt — be it credit cards or student loans — in the timeliest manner possible. That way you'll have more freedom down the road. And for more great tips, check out the 25 Daily Habits Rich People Swear By.4Consider Buying Instead of RentingShutterstockAs nice as it is to rent and have everything taken care of for you, all that money you spend month-to-month isn't doing anything to help your future. Buying, on the other hand, gives you something that will become yours after paying everything off — and whether you decide to keep it or resell it someday, you'll get much more out of your money. If your Plan B is to move to another country, pack your bags and find out how This Gorgeous Town In Italy Will Sell You a Home For Just One Dollar.5Do More Cooking at HomeOrdering take-out is much easier than making food at home. The only issue? Even some of the healthier dishes are full of excess sodium, oil, and empty calories. Instead, make it your mission to cook more at home. You'll feel healthier, save a ton of money, and will know exactly what's going into your food. To get a head-start on some essential recipes you should know, check out the 40 Dishes Everyone Over 40 Should Master.6Stop Your Bad HabitsShutterstockIf you're still drinking and smoking like a college kid in your adult years, it's time to put an end to that destructive behavior. You can only get away with bad habits for so long before they catch up with you and start causing some serious problems. Ditch them while you're young so they don't come back to bite you later.7Invest in Quality Kitchen EssentialsShutterstockYou can't properly cook at home on the regular without the proper tools, right? Figure out what you need for your level of expertise in the kitchen and buy quality pots, pans, and other essentials that won't let you down."Not only will you have more durability and pieces you'll be able to hand down to the next generation, but you'll also have the actual material effect that good cookware has on making food," says Jake Kalick, co-founder of Made In. "People spend a lot of money on grocery bills only to ruin a great recipe on a junky pan. Good pans hold heat better, letting you get the most out of your food." Just avoid the 30 Most Useless Home Appliances Ever Created.8Get to Know Yourself AgainShutterstockHow much time have you devoted to your hobbies and things you love outside of your career? Probably not a whole lot. In your 30s, take some time to get to know yourself again. That means finding out what you like, what you really want in life, and what lights you up. Then, you can move forward with a totally different outlook. Finding yourself before embarking on a new relationship can be even more beneficial. Here are the 30 Reasons Why Being Single In Your 30s Is The Best Thing Ever.9Reevaluate Your Career PathEver since you graduated from college, you've probably been moving up the same corporate ladder — but are you happy and truly doing what you want to do? Make sure you're satisfied with where your career is going — and with how it makes you feel. If you're not, find something you'll really enjoy doing until retiring. And if you are, come up with a plan to continue working toward the top. For more advice on getting ahead, see the 40 Best Ways to Jumpstart Your Career.10Quit Comparing Yourself to OthersShutterstockYou spend your entire life comparing yourself to others. In high school, it's by the clothes you're wearing and your athletic abilities, in college it's your GPA, then after college it's your career. But when does it stop? Basically, only when you decide you want it to. And once you hit your 30s, there's no better time to live your own life and do what makes you happy without pitting yourself up to those around you.11Take Your VitaminsWhen you were younger, your parents might have forced you to take vitamins every day — and then you probably abruptly stopped as soon as you were old enough to make your own decisions. But they had a good thing going there: Grab a multivitamin to ensure you're getting all the essential vitamins and nutrients to keep you strong as you get older because it can be tricky getting everything you need from what you eat.12Forgive Yourself for Your Past MistakesEveryone does things in the past they might not be proud of, but why should you hold those things against yourself your entire life? Forgive yourself for what you've done wrong over the years and know you've learned valuable lessons along the way. Once you set yourself free from that pent-up stress and anxiety from something you can't take back or control, you'll be able to move forward without the weight of it always on your shoulders. And for more great life advice, check out the 20 Home Maintenance Tips Everyone Should Know.13Get Serious About Your RelationshipsThere's nothing wrong with being a bachelor or bachelorette in your thirties — and it's probably a lot of fun. As the years go by, though, it's so special to have someone by your side to share all those big (and small!) moments that come up. You can swipe through Tinder for booty calls all you want, but you won't feel nearly as fulfilled as you would developing a connection with someone special. And if you're not feeling relationships at all—or need a deep emotional connection to feel anything—here are the 15 Signs You Should Identify As Demisexual.14Schedule Regular Doctor VisitsShutterstockNo one likes going to the doctor, whether that's your yearly physical or a trip to the dentist. As you get older, it becomes even more important to schedule those appointments and stick with them. So important that a 2007 study published in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health found individuals who go to the doc on the regular have a better chance at preventing life-threatening health issues from popping up, like heart disease, strokes, and high blood pressure. And for more on visiting your GP, check out the 20 Things Your Doctor Is Likely to Get Wrong.15Call Your Parents More OftenIt doesn't have to be every day, but it definitely shouldn't be one every couple weeks. As you get older, your parents are getting older too and you don't know how much time you have left with them. Give them a ring and let them know what's going on in your life and that you miss them, because one thing's for sure — they definitely miss you, too.16Stop Spending So Much Time on Social MediaEven though it might not seem like you're wasting too much time on social media, it's a whole lot more than you think. Those minutes you spend scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, and watching YouTube videos during the day really adds up and one study found the average person will spend more than five years of their lives on the networks. That's time you'll never be able to get back, so post your pictures and updates then go do something that will make you feel much more fulfilled down the line.17Hang Out with Your In-LawsContrary to popular belief, your in-laws don't bite — promise. It's easy to avoid them throughout the years and only show up to family gatherings when you want to, but make an effort to become close with them. There's nothing that would make them happier than being close to the person their son or daughter chose to spend their life with. Plus, they might actually be cooler than you think.18Eat More VegetablesShutterstockYou knew this day would come. Unfortunately, there's a point in your life when you realize you can't survive solely on ramen noodles and TV dinners — you actually need to eat full plates of veggies to keep your body in tip-top shape as you age. Find ways to make your vegetables more appealing and load up as often as you can so you stick around as long as possible.19Start Thinking About RetirementIt's never too early to start taking your retirement seriously, and by the time you reach your thirties, it's a good idea to have a solid plan in place. Get your 401k in check, meet with a financial advisor, and do everything you can to set yourself up for success so you won't be left working until you're 90.20Start FlossingShutterstockNo, seriously. If you've avoided flossing this long, it's time to start taking your teeth extra seriously — especially because your oral health has so much to do with your general well-being. According to a 2016 study published in the journal Periodontology 2000, losing teeth due to not taking care of them as well as you should is a predictor of a shorter lifespan. So brush, floss, and use mouthwash on the regular.21Read Nutrition LabelsShutterstockIf your grocery store shopping routine generally involves just tossing stuff into your cart without looking at what's actually in it, that's about to change. As you get older, it becomes increasingly more important to check nutrition labels and know exactly what you're putting in your body. You'll be surprised on what seemingly healthy items are actually horrible for your health and ridding them from your diet will make you feel much better as you hit your 40s, 50s, and beyond.22Start Planning Your FamilyYou might feel ready to start a family, but are you really ready? There are plenty of things to consider when kids are in your future, whether it's how to properly get off birth control or if you should upgrade your one-bedroom apartment to something a little more family-friendly. Talk to someone about your pre-baby to-do list to make sure you're ready to take that big step, both emotionally and financially. And if your friends aren't married, remember the 50 Things Single People Wish You'd Stop Saying.23Make Your Bed Every Single DayEven though making your bed is one of the easiest things you can possibly do during the day, it's something so many people tend to skip. But can you be a true adult without keeping your bedroom in check? Make sure to take the minute it takes to get your sleeping area in order before you head out the door every morning. It makes you feel better and it's so much cozier to jump into at the end of a long day.24Buy Nice ClothesBe honest: How many of the clothes in your closet are from years ago? Now that you're in your 30s, there's no better time to completely redo your wardrobe and spend some of your hard-earned money on quality items that will make you look just as good as you feel. People will take you more seriously when you're looking sharp — yourself included.25Start a Travel FundInstead of sticking all your extra money in savings, start up a travel fund so you can see the world while you're still young. Once you have a certain amount of money, use up your well-deserved vacation and go check something off your bucket list. Because when you look back on your life, you won't think about all the hours you spent staring at a computer screen; you'll look back on the incredible experiences you had out of the office.26End Toxic RelationshipsWhether it's a toxic relationship with a significant other, a family member, or a boss, cut that person out of your life. Life is too short to spend all your energy on people who continue to make you feel bad about yourself. Make some changes so you're spending your time with those who matter the most — not people who are always sucking you dry.27Wake Up EarlierShutterstockNo more sleeping in 10 minutes before you have to run off to work. Start your morning off as easy-going and stress-free as possible by waking up early. Work out and meditate, take your sweet time getting ready, and read the paper with a coffee in hand. Instead of instantly being stressed out worrying you'll be late for work, you'll always arrive feeling like you have it all together.28Put Aside Money for EmergenciesWhile saving up money for your future travels is important, so is making sure you're also putting funds aside for emergencies. Life is unexpected and you never know when something could happen to you or someone you love. To make sure you never have to worry in a time of need, put aside a certain amount every month so it's always available, just in case.29Focus on Work-Life BalanceIn your 20s, you were trying to make a name for yourself and were establishing your career. Now that you're in your 30s, it's time to reap some of the benefits from all that hard work you put in and establish a proper work-life balance. Continue to work hard, but now you can make sure you're working smart, too.Get Some CultureIt can be pricey to hit up plays, Broadways, and other culture events in your 20s, but now that you're in your 30s you should add it to your to-do list. All that money you used to spend at the bar can be put toward things that will add value to your life, broadening your horizons and making you a more well-rounded person. Looking to free up more time for your other interests, but unsure of what those interests could be?