Simplicity

Something very important to think about when constructing an initial concept for a startup...simplicity. You may have a million ideas on how to make the greatest widget of all time, but if you can't narrow it down to one simple idea then the likelihood of succeeding are greatly reduced. If your concept is complex then either you will get bogged down in building it, or your target user will become confused and go for the simpler solution. This is not to say that your product cannot become complex along the way, but this cannot be your initial foray into the market if you have competition.

We have learned this lesson the hard way with bodbook; and have boiled down the most important concept and created Wombitt from it. I don't know that Wombitt is even ultimately the right concept, but I do know that it is about as simple a point of entry into the market as is possible, so it gives me great confidence.

The best way to simplify is to figure out exactly what your core competency is, and build a simple idea around it, that solves a need for a customer.

With that said, this advice may really only be relevant in hindsight. I think that we often think that our ideas are more simple than they really are, but if you can apply it I highly recommend that you do.