HN Explorer

100+ of my business ideas

19 points by itmag ↗ HN
Thought it would be good karma to post these.

Check it out: http://ideashower.posterous.com

Help me pick out 1 of these for me to work on, and feel free to pilfer any of them for your own needs as well :)

Oh, and I am always interested in meeting a co-founder here. Am located in Sweden.

26 comments

[ 8.5 ms ] story [ 77.4 ms ] thread
badkins
I am sort of doing the browser in the cloud idea. Except the value of mine is security, not tab management.

If you really wanted tab management, that seems like an easy job for a simple browser add-on.

itmag
How are you implementing that?
badkins
Cilent side: Firefox plugin for graphics and extension for browser integration. Server side: openvz for process isolation, webkit for browsing, openssl for crypto. I started using vnc as the protocol but it is too slow. Now I'm using NX.
helen842000
Thanks for sharing, reading your ideas has spawned lots of inspiration for the projects I'm working on. I'm still considering which I'd vote for you to implement. Lots to choose from!
itmag
Do tell me which ones you liked :)
helen842000
The ones that caught my interest were things like exposing the informal job market (always interesting to read about)& Simple File Transfer (no account)

I encounter this need on a daily basis. The issue with using FT sites that already exist (sendfile etc) they tend to have a spammy feel, end up being blocked in a corporate world so offering a professional, overly secure site would possibly tap into the business market.

Perhaps a business solution where they register once for the entire organisation, provide their IP range and anytime your site is accessed from their machines you allow them a secure, simple way to transfer files.

This is how Yell.com allows search access to companies to their online phone directory.

I think the issue with having NO users account details means you cut out a lot of avenues for monetization quickly. By aiming it at businesses you would still gain revenue but the end user would have a seamless, account free experience.

I also think the home market is well covered with Dropbox and the likes where there's no restriction on what you access, sign up for etc.

The other idea that I noticed was the Cleaning DVDs one. While the only phrase I understood was 'cleaning my toilet' it certainly made me smile.

I think there is a small niche product to be made out of that one! Heck, I'd probably even buy one, you could market it as How to hack your housework! :)

[dead] helen842000
The ones that caught my interest were things like exposing the informal job market (always interesting to read about)& Simple File Transfer (no account)

I encounter this need on a daily basis. The issue with using FT sites that already exist (sendfile etc) they tend to have a spammy feel, end up being blocked in a corporate world so offering a professional, overly secure site would possibly tap into the business market.

Perhaps a business solution where they register once for the entire organisation, provide their IP range and anytime your site is accessed from their machines you allow them a secure, simple way to transfer files.

This is how Yell.com allows search access to companies to their online phone directory.

I think the issue with having NO users account details means you cut out a lot of avenues for monetization quickly. By aiming it at businesses you would still gain revenue but the end user would have a seamless, account free experience.

I also think the home market is well covered with Dropbox and the likes where there's no restriction on what you access, sign up for etc.

The other idea that I noticed was the Cleaning DVDs one. While the only phrase I understood was 'cleaning my toilet' it certainly made me smile.

I think there is a small niche product to be made out of that one! Heck, I'd probably even buy one, you could market it as How to hack your housework! :)

chris_dcosta
Interesting post. Are you an ideas man or a developer? Incidentally I've been working on the "Spotify for $foo" concept for a while (not music btw) and are in the pre-launch stage.

My view is exactly like you said, the next stage of the internet is wealth redistribution, but you need the right business model to make that work.

itmag
I am actually a quite competent programmer. And I have execution experience via another project I've done (Interesting Times Magazine).

My main problem is simply picking 1 idea and getting psychological traction. I honestly don't know why I haven't gotten started yet :p

itmag
There's about 2 pages worth of ideas in Swedish, somewhere in the middle. ('Cause I imported this straight from my email conversations with friends).

Just ask me if they sound interesting but you can't figure out the meaning.

itmag
One major issue I have: thinking that all of my ideas suck balls, and that I need to keep churning out ideas until I find something good. Hence why I'm posting here: you guys can help me see the value in the ideas that I do have.

There are several ideas that are not on this list, simply because someone else came up with them and implemented them (Verbling and LikeALittle come to mind as two startups whose basic ideas I thought of like 1 year ago yet didn't consider good enough).

glimcat
The trick is to evaluate why they suck and use that to improve your ideas.
bigohms
Filter this into a prioritized list that you see cursory potential to solve a problem, ordered by size of the problem (in terms of market size or cost). Take #1, create some assumptions and subject it to a "validation towel off" by speaking to the consumer and the customer (can be one of the same, may be different). Lather, rinse and repeat.
itmag
Yeah, that's the kind of thing I need to hear!

I think I am more of an inventor at heart than I am an entrepreneur. But willing to learn! :)

7klBo4t8
itmag: FWIW I mostly skipped over the many, many dating related ideas but the one that resonated with me the most was the connect with a mentor idea. I'm not sure how you could make the process more of a value add for both parties that would be better then more traditional methods (find/contact via internet / telephone) but at a minimum aggregating people willing to mentor by topic would be helpful.
itmag
That's interesting, as that's my preferred idea as well.

I am really really good at finding people in various niches and getting them to do stuff (in my case, getting them to write articles for my magazine for free). So I can probably get a site seeded with content without too much hassle. Or maybe I am totally delusional about my ability :)

AznHisoka
most of your ideas seem to center around learning, especially accelerated learning. there's also a meta post on hacking chinese. Why not combine these 2, and go for an idea that helps accelerate foreign language learning? There's this dude that owns the blog alljapaneseallthetime.com. He learned to speak Japanese fluently after 1.5 years with some very smart and saavy techniques. They include things like listening to any Japanese 24/7, even while sleeping...

Some of it is specific only to Japanese, but a lot of it is just incredibly smart. AntiMoon.com is also another good resource. The core message is to concentrate on input and understanding first...

The big businesses in this field: Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, etc... they own this field.. but in reality, they all suck (well Pimsleur is ok, I guess). Their techniques is NOT how you learn languages if you want to be fluent.

And so many startups focus on connecting language learners through Skype or a community. Sexy.. cool.. but NOT how you should learn languages if you want to be fluent.

The way to learn is to be like a baby... just listen, listen, listen. Get used to the flow. Get used to the accent. Get used to the nuances... it's ok if you just do this for a month, 2 months or even 3... No stress to start speaking.. no fear of mistakes.... listen, and your brain will start making those synapses and connections. People say babies learn languages faster than adults.. that's total nonsense. It's because babies are learning 24/7 for 5 straight years before they start speaking a single word. If adults had the time to do that, they'll freaking learn how to speak Japanese or Chinese as well. Babies are NOT special.

How does this translate to a startup idea? No clue... ChinesePod.com does this very well for Chinese, so you basically should start with a single language.

itmag
Hacking Chinese is my buddy's web site. I proposed to him that we do a startup, but he has no time for it.
itmag
Oh and you're correct about accelerated learning being my focus. If I got to pick, I would do something like Skillshare but with a new twist. Ideas are welcome!
dmc
Regarding the grocery stores... Layout changes from time to time, often in subtle ways such as (locally, this happened several months ago) the chilled juices being swapped with the chilled raw meats. They were back-to-back, in adjacent aisles. However, this would cause people to have to go searching for these relatively highly sought products.

This, in turn, would lead them past special offers and other 'impulse purchase' shelves. It keeps people in the store for longer, which may lead them to spend more money.

I don't believe it's in a grocery stores interests to get people in and out as soon as possible, so don't expect their cooperation ;)

itmag
Good point.

Maybe it could be a crowdsourced app then?