There are only a couple secrets to startup success...

Save someone Time

Save someone Headache

Save someone Money

Make someone Money

Make someone cool(er) by association

Make someone smart(er) by association

I'm not a fan of the phrasing, but "get the user laid" is often cited.

I've heard "get 'em paid or get 'em laid"

Popular Jamie Zawinski article where he writes in terms of meeting users needs:

How will this software get him laid?

http://www.jwz.org/doc/groupware.html

Nice ... but isn't the "headache" usually just a symptom of the time or money issue?

yes, unless it's an actual headache, i.e. Tylenol

Here's a simpler secret:

Create more value for the customer than it costs them and than it costs you to produce.

For being so simple, that's a complicated sentence.

What if I put it this way?

  (defun evaluate-profitability (you your-service customer)
    (if (> (value service customer)
	   (cost your-service customer)
	   (cost your-service you)))
    "PROFIT!")

Also key to success; hiring a good PR firm to get you mentioned in a NYTimes fluff article.

Wow nice one! This is what the new idea I'm working on is all about.

I still have a half developed primitive version of an already successful idea in the west and I hate to copy ideas. But the one I'm working on is a local version that suits the prices and standard of living locally. I've even edited the idea to make it simpler to understand as guys in my surrounding are not too much into tech (they rarely understand the internet. for them all they know is that there's a gate to it called google).

I was always wondering if this was a valid base to work on an idea.

I think this article makes a really good point and has got me thinking. We all want to build cool things and innovation is key. Although, in these times I think coming up with solutions to make people and/or businesses more efficient might be even more innovative.

The Ultimate Question: "How likely is it that you would recommend this company to a friend or colleague?"

It helps, really.

Replace "company" by whatever you need. I used it to check myself, to check my firm, to check my solutions, etc.