In terms of deciding what to create, that’s what Paul Graham of Y Combinator suggests is most important to think about.
Make something people want.
To me, that seems more like the destination. Google, Facebook, Pandora, et al all made something people wanted. And perhaps it’s most important to keep your eye on the prize.
But what I’m curious to know is how each made something people wanted. [1] There’s surely a journey, a story, as to how that happened.
A story about the creation of original and useful things. But instead of telling me what they did (as many of the stories do), show me, using words. Allow me to fully experience it.
I’d be really interested in reading those stories, even about the non-Google’s, Facebook’s, and Pandora’s — the small successes.
[1] Perhaps people should just think about what they want.