Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

31–40 of 47 posts

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#31

Post by tricky »

tierack wrote: post #16

I used to work for a online golf tee time company, and you're absolutely correct in saying that building a better online reservation system wouldn't be that hard (the bar is pretty low). I'm not sure about what smaller providers give the course, or how they charge, but the bigger ones also: 1) Provide a 24-hour call center, so no one at the golf course is answering reservation calls much anyway. 2) Provide POS system…

Don't let the 24/7 call center scare you. There are guys out there who run generic call centers that will set up a low-volume 24/7 service for cheap. real cheap...

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#32

Post by jodrellblank »

icey wrote: post #24

We've been seeing a lot of these idea threads lately. Maybe someone should make an "I have an idea" site :D It would be nice to have a page per idea, plus commenting, and maybe some sections for research (other competitors in the area, probable market sizes, etc). If I had unlimited funds, I always thought it would be cool to start a company that did nothing but churn out little ideas. People could put idea synopses…

Maybe someone should make an "I have an idea" site :D

http://www.halfbakery.com

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#33

Post by DLarsen »

johns wrote: post #7

The golf one sounds easy, but most of those web sites are directly integrated with POS systems. A lot of courses buy it all together as a package. Plus the biggest golf course management software vendor in my area aggregates all the golf courses they serve into a single web site, so you only have one account. Also, as much as I love Open ID, trying to get your average Joe Schmoe golfer to use it is not going to work.

I happen to know that one particular company in this market has some sort of patent that they defend pretty aggressively. It's worth checking into the story for more detail.... http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2007_1st/Feb07_GolfSwitch...

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#34

Post by tboxer854 »

noodle wrote: post #2

i like the golf course concept. drop me an email, i'd be willing to give it a shot

I'd also like to throw my name in to the mix. I've actually been pursuing this idea and have talked to some golf course management companies/golf courses.

There are certainly some serious apprehensions I have about the business. It worries me that there is no one out there searching for this and that it would boil down to a 100% cold-calling sales gig. Also, most, if not all, of these golf courses have the worst looking websites, which leads me to believe that there is no one looking after any web presence or anything web-related.

This actually touches on a bigger issue which I'd love to discuss. What you have here is a very profitable niche, one in which a few early 90s web companies took over, gobbled up all the market share, and then stopped innovating. I see this in a lot of ignored niches.

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#35

Post by wildwood »

run4yourlives wrote: post #25
Cantdog wrote: post #23

One More Idea: A super simple dating mobile app. Your profile consists of a picture of yourself and the question , "Ask me about....?", filled in. There would be a list of bars organized by cities and people could choose to share which bar they were at. Potential suitors could browse all the singles at a bar and decide which person to talk to (in real life). The goal is to solve the awkwardness of cold openings at a…

Chicken and egg, but kinda neat. Screw the whole bar scene though and just make it "geo-aware". You pre-define picks and as you travel throughout town, it let's you know when one of those picks is close by.

I disagree. People go to the bar when they're ready to socialize and meet people, and they'll value something that makes that easier. Making it more geo-aware makes people have to decide which parts of their day they want to be interruptible, and I think makes the app more intimidating.

I like the bar tie-in, it provides a pleasant addition to something people are already doing.

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#36

Post by jdoe »

Idea time!

Another one: A mobile geo-aware "hot-or-not" site/app for fashionistas:

1. go to shop x 2. grab the prettiest/craziest/sexiest clothes you can find 3. get into a booth 4. take a phonecam pic of self thru the mirror 5. upload and show to online crowd 6. let the voting commence 7. instant feedback for user (vanity)

I think there's a lot of potential in this for marketeers.

What do you think, is this idea hot or not?

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#39

Post by notaddicted »

jdoe wrote: post #36

Idea time! Another one: A mobile geo-aware "hot-or-not" site/app for fashionistas: 1. go to shop x 2. grab the prettiest/craziest/sexiest clothes you can find 3. get into a booth 4. take a phonecam pic of self thru the mirror 5. upload and show to online crowd 6. let the voting commence 7. instant feedback for user (vanity) I think there's a lot of potential in this for marketeers. What do you think, is this idea hot…

Good idea, doesn't need to be geo-aware.

Getting strangers to rate each other's outfits in real time would be fun.

Re: Ask HN: Steal my Ideas (or help me)

#40

Post by s-phi-nl »

mseebach wrote: post #29

I have an idea that's related to (4) - actual last minute flight deals. You go to the airport you want to travel from, and go to a "last minute" lounge, preferably behind security. Then, every time a flight is about to leave that has empty seats, the seats appear in an auction (available on smartphone devices or via wifi in the lounge) that will last maybe 10 minutes. The winner gets a digital boarding pass and is re…

This reminds me of rush tickets http://www.kimmelcenter.org/planning/tickets.php
Post reply on HN