Yea I agree. You can even be solving a problem in a super amazing way but if there are no customers willing to spend the money for it then you are just making a home project for yourself.
I also see a lot of people fail because they solve a problem that THEY themselves are having but that does not actually happen to a large enough set of people that it translates again to something businesses or individuals will pay for.
Realistically I think the best way to do a startup is being willing to pivot hard and fast and early if necessary or to completely drop a project and move on to something else. If it is a passion project you are doing for yourself that is one thing - if you actually want to start a real business you cannot get caught in the time-already-sunk mentality.
I also see a lot of people fail because they solve a problem that THEY themselves are having but that does not actually happen to a large enough set of people that it translates again to something businesses or individuals will pay for.
Realistically I think the best way to do a startup is being willing to pivot hard and fast and early if necessary or to completely drop a project and move on to something else. If it is a passion project you are doing for yourself that is one thing - if you actually want to start a real business you cannot get caught in the time-already-sunk mentality.