Observe workflows in non-tech industries to find automation opportunities
Visit businesses outside the developer/tech bubble and watch people doing their actual work. Look for manual processes, inefficient workflows, or awkward workarounds they've normalized. These represent automation opportunities that tech people would have solved long ago but the industry has accepted as 'just how it's done.' Small inefficiencies multiplied across an entire industry become million-dollar niches.
When to use
When looking for SaaS ideas with validated demand and low competition. Especially effective in industries with outdated software (1999-era interfaces) where users complain but have no alternatives. Target niches too small for enterprise vendors but perfect for solopreneurs.
Don't do this
Only solving problems you encounter in your own tech bubble. Building solutions for other developers (saturated market). Trying to find ideas by brainstorming instead of observing real workflows.
1 Founder Who Did This
Visited friend's video production studio, observed him using old Flash timer app that required walking to another room to press start button