A Solution For: “I Want to Start a Business, but Have No Ideas.”

Here are two questions that can help you find deeper meaning in the work you’re here to do, inspired by John Vervaeke.

Imagine waking up one morning with a profound sense of purpose. Imagine knowing, deep inside, that what you're working on today will ripple through time, creating a legacy that outlasts you. Yes, quite grandiose. But let’s accept it isn't just a dream; consider it a possible outcome. Give this a go by asking yourself two questions inspired by John Vervaeke.

These questions are:

• What do I want to exist even if I don’t?

• How much of a difference do I make to it?

A market can be as wide as a landscape. Where do I fit in? Digital Oil Pastel Drawing of a Ruakaka Beach, Charles W. Bailey, Jr.

Why These Questions Matter When You Want to Start a Business, but Have No Ideas

When you're on a path to create real change (whether through a venture, a community project, or simply following a quiet calling) it’s normal to feel overwhelmed or unsure at times. These questions are a reminder: meaning isn’t something we find by chance. It’s something we cultivate. They help reconnect you to why you began and to the kind of impact that truly lights you up.

I’m not a fan of these allegories, but you can consider these questions to be your compass of sorts. They remind you that meaning is not a serendipitous discovery but a cultivated and worked-for experience. The questions reconnect you to your 'why' and help illuminate the impact that truly energizes you. 

How to Use These Questions to Go Past “I have no ideas”

John’s two questions were:

• What do I want to exist even if I don’t?

• How much of a difference do I make to it?

They go beyond strategy; they help you see what genuinely matters to you and where in your effort you feel most alive. They can guide choices, reveal patterns and uncover where you’re already making a difference (even if it doesn’t always feel like it). This is also where “ideas” can come from. It’s more about “what feels meaningful to you” rather than having a “great idea”.

These questions can also help us to take action. Often we face steps along our entrepreneurial journey, or when we start a business, that for some reason or another, we are afraid of taking. What if the customer says no? What if I get a rejection? When we experience these kinds of fears, we are often focused on ourselves - the potential impact a potential failure will have on us and our lives. Yet when we shift our focus to the outer impact, the impact we wish exceeds our lifetime, we can experience courage that goes beyond our perceived limitations and inspires us to take bold steps. 

What You Can Do Now to Work With More Meaning and Courage

First of all, you don’t need to have everything figured out when you start a business, most probably you never will (I know I haven’t, even if I’ve started 8 companies). But you can take a next conscious step. Sit with these questions. Talk about them with others. Let them shape how you show up; not just in your venture, but in your everyday decisions. When your work aligns with what feels deeply true, it becomes not just sustainable, but meaningful. And here’s where "I Want to Start a Business, but Have No Ideas" can start turning into "Oh, wait... I might know what I want to do!" And you can start experimenting to see if it's real.

One of the things I find most challenging to do systematically, is to accept the uncertainty; yet it's part of the journey. We won't have all the answers right now, and that’s completely ok. Accepting this is one of the most stress-relieving things I’ve practiced. 

If you're interested in getting more support to work on this

If you want to venture deeper into these topics, I encourage you to explore PurposeFuel. It's a collection of entrepreneurship course materials crafted by seasoned founders for impact-hungry entrepreneurs. Whether you're just starting out or seeking to realign with your purpose, PurposeFuel can help you take your next step, hopefully with better clarity and amplified courage.

We’ve aimed to build PurposeFuel to be more than a program; a growth journey designed to support behavioral change and overcome entrepreneurial obstacles. Its goal is to empower you to expand your vision of what's possible and provides you with the tools you need to pursue your goals. By focusing on self-awareness and personal development, PurposeFuel accelerates your entrepreneurial growth and helps you build a meaningful life.

Why wait for meaning to find you? See if you can burn some PurposeFuel (low carbon footprint guaranteed).