Well, since the last post was so popular, I decided to do a follow-up.
If you didn’t have the chance to read the previous post, here is the first part of this 2 part (maybe even 3 or 4) series.
As I said in the preview post, I did not do a deep internet dive on each one of these to figure out if these ideas exist or not. I’m sure some exist in some variations and some do not. If they do exist, shoot me over the examples, I’d love to see them.
Also, if you have an idea that you want to bring to market that doesn’t exist at all, like you are the category, like Bitcoin in 2009. You might be a bit early and/or totally crazy or a genius (the line is thin).
99.9% of new startups & businesses that are being launched are simply an iteration or improvement of an existing product/service.
So why waste time? let’s jump right into the thick of it, that’s why you’re here, so let’s go:
Secret Folder on iPhone - A folder to keep the most secret apps - extra secret! In order to access this folder you would need an additional password or some form of identification. Looking at the folder you would not be able to see what apps are in it. You could put financial apps there or anything else which you wish to keep extremely private.
An Electronic To-Do List/Board - Those magnetic erase boards that most families have on their fridges or somewhere in the kitchen need an upgrade.
The idea - to create a digital version of that, connect to it an app, and have the entire family input the weekly/monthly itinerary in the app for it to show up on the digital board with notifications and highlights on important events, etc…
An AI tool that distills/summarizes your podcast or YouTube show - 2 things are true. The first is that AI tools are popping up like mushrooms in spring and the second is that there is too much content for us to consume.
The idea - to create an AI tool that will take a 60 or 120-minute podcast and summarize it for you in bullet points in 2-3 minutes. We often want to get the value from a podcast but just don’t have the time to listen to the plethora of content that is out there. This AI tool aims to solve that.
Self-check-in Kiosks at hotels - These may exist (although I have yet to see one) but they’re not as ubiquitous as they should be.
The idea - just like you have self-check or ordering kiosks at airports, train stations, or some fast food chains. Hotels should create an easy check-in, and checkout machine that makes the process easier, faster, and more efficient for their guests. This may not apply to high-end luxury hotels but for the rest…
T-shirts with tougher fabric on the bottom - Guys, have you ever worn a t-shirt for a few months only to look down and see the whole bottom of the shirt is filled with holes? That’s literally my entire t-shirt collection!
The idea - to have a strip of fabric on the bottom that is tougher and would stand up to that rub against the jeans that usually cause the holes in the t-shirt. You could even add that fabric in different colors, which could be fashionable (maybe)
National mobile grooming brand for dogs - I’m sure you’ve seen these driving around your town, but from what I noticed they are usually one independent van. The idea - to create a brand and a fleet of vans. When I think of mobile dog grooming no name comes to mind in this category. With slick branding, smart advertising, and friendly staff, I think there is a real possibility to lead this category and become a national brand. I see this as a great franchise play.
Cocktail delivery service - The idea - just like buying food from a restaurant, you can order cocktails from your local bar. Buying all the ingredients and tools for a cocktail is expensive and let’s face it not as good as a pro mixologist can create. Order the type of cocktail you want, and receive it in 30 minutes or so. This seems like an easy way for bars to make extra income.
Apparently, something similar to this existed (or still exists) in NYC, not sure why it wouldn’t catch on in other major cities.
Cereal made from crickets - Sustainable protein is all the rage. Crickets seem to be a forerunner for that. From bars to chips and cookies. The main problem is the psychological aspect we have with eating bugs. However, if you can overcome it with phenomenal branding and superior taste, a high-protein, sustainable cereal could be a great idea. Maybe even lean into it, make the mascot of the brand a cute cricket.
Interviewing Old People - This idea belongs to a friend of mine but I always thought it was a banger. The village elderly used to be revered, and looked up to, they stored all of humanity’s wisdom. Now we kind of disregard old people because they can’t use an iPhone and we revere some 22-year-old who builds blockchain scams.
The idea- is a YouTube channel and podcast interviewing older people (80+) with incredible life experience and trying to distill some wisdom and learn about their journey and what we can learn from their experience.
Build unique Airbnb hotels in the wilderness - Airbnb’s are a great side or main business. People are searching for unique experiences, and with bookings like the one below, the Airbnb experience is not going anywhere.
Following up on my tweet yesterday (see below Great to wake up to an instant booking. This one week reservation pays TWO MONTHS mortgage + tax payments. 😇Fwiw, not seeing any slowdown in travel & experiences spending. In fact, quite the opposite.richard fertig @imrichardfertigThe Idea - To buy land somewhere in the wilderness that is under an hour from a major attraction (big city, national park, ski resort, etc…) Build a few cozy cabins or treehouses or yurts or something that really stands out. Ideally, it should be Insta-worthy. UGC (user-generated content) can really carry you far if you build it with that in mind. Build more than one structure, depending on how big the land is.
An Analytics Widget - a widget that connects through all your accounts to better understand the funneling channels. Some apps/websites are better than others when it comes to analytics but most of the smaller ones are pretty bad. I personally do not know where a good chunk of people find my podcasts or Gumroad eBook or even my personal site.
The idea - a widget that would connect and integrate into all your web apps allowing you a better understanding of what is driving people to you and how they arrive at your content/sites.
AI verification - More AI means more amazing opportunities but also inevitable opportunities for misinformation. The videos are getting too good and the potential to sow havoc by having a president declare war is all too real. We need a way to differentiate between an AI-generated video and an actual video. I’ve seen AI-generated videos of Elon Musk & Tom Cruise that look frighteningly real.
The idea - create a way to distinguish between real & fake videos through facial recognition or other means. People will pay a lot of money to have fake videos of them marked fake or AI-generated.
A Peer-to-Peer betting app - The idea - rather than betting against the house, you bet with a friend on many different topics - From MMA to NBA. You can bet against one friend, or a group, the winner collects all. Instead of having everyone Venmo the winner, this app automates the whole process from soup to nuts. All you have to do is put your pick, choose the amount, the rest is done by the app.
All Pickled store - Pickles, carrots, onions, cabbage, etc… Pickled things are actually amazing for your gut biome. While across the world pickled carrots & cucumbers and a whole host of other delicious veggies are commonplace, in the US it is still an “emerging food”. The idea is to create a small brick & mortar store where you sell your own jars of a wide array of pickled products. I could see this becoming a small chain of stores, with fun branding, delicious fermented products, and low overhead. Pickled products have a long shelf life.
An Indian “fast-food” chain - Fast food chains are pretty much all burgers and chicken. Panda Express is really the only one that was able to create an Asian fast-food chain that became successful. The idea is to create an Indian fast food chain with food items with mass appeal that are affordable, healthier, and that could appease the palette of the majority of people in the US. I think it’s time to create more fast food with a broader appeal not just Burger King, Chick-fil-A, Mcdonalds & Taco bell.
A place to blow things up - Ok hear me out, you know those places where you can break & smash things with a sledgehammer? Some people punch a boxing bag, others go to the gun range, and some take out on the highway.
Why not offer a place where you can blow shit up in a controlled environment? I don’t know anything about explosives but I’m sure there’s a way to create a safe environment for people to enjoy the thrill of blowing up a car like they do in the movies. People would definitely pay to do that. This would have to be in some remote place where you could do this safely with the authorization of the local authorities, maybe Texas?
If any of these get your creative juices flowing, feel free to try building them. If you want more info about any specific idea, or maybe you want to do something together, reach out!
If you want to support The Honest Founders Journal, one way is to purchase this book The Ultimate Catchphrase eBook!