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Ask HN: Startup idea – disconnected, physical space charged by hour

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Re: Ask HN: Startup idea – disconnected, physical space charged by hour

#81

Post by chouchinhua »

jeremygaither wrote: post #61
arkitaip wrote: post #12

You need more research to understand the customers and their needs but I think will the right packaging and marketing you can probably find a market for this idea. Some questions that may or may not be useful: * Who is realistically experiencing enough pain that they would pay for this service? * What psychological or social customer needs are not satisfied my the market? * If Apple launched this service, how would i…

I'm mostly answering these questions, but most of the questions are valuable things to consider before trying to start a business. > - Who is realistically experiencing enough pain that they would pay for this service? > - What psychological or social customer needs are not satisfied my the market? I've tried to digital detox at home by leaving all of my devices away in another room. I find myself reaching for my pho…

I appreciate both yours and arkitaip's feedbacks. Good questions to think about.

As to "who's the customers?" I've jotted down 4 types of customer profiles that I think have the most urgent needs. You'll probably understand the scenarios from the descriptions: 1. the writer on deadline 2. the CEO that needs deep thinking (say Bill Gates) 3. the busy couple that needs to talk heart-to-heart (this is for a couple setting) 4. the exhausted dad who just wants to do nothing

As to the urge of constantly reaching for phone, I hear you. One method I find helpful during a "digital detox" is to write down whatever answers I want to search for. This way I can kick the idea out of my mind and stay out of internet a bit longer.

Re: Ask HN: Startup idea – disconnected, physical space charged by hour

#88

Post by DocTomoe »

jaclaz wrote: post #68
DocTomoe wrote: post #41

Some thoughts: Actively blocking cell phone signals might be illegal depending on your country - but building a faraday cage isn't. Given how much of your identity a phone has become, and how easily someone could take my identity over if they had access to my device, only death or threat of deadly force will separate me from mine. If you want to go for the "handing in" approach, maybe small lockers are ok (especially…

>I'd pay a monthly membership fee of around 50 Euros for this. Yep, but how many hours are you going (or expect) to use this space (monthly)? I mean 1 hour/month, 1 hour/week or 1 hour/day. Moreover would you envision it as "reservation based" or "First Come First Served"? [1] More or less one of this cells could be a half-length shipping container, roughly 6 m x 2.50 m, which (has to be verified) probably also works…

> Yep, but how many hours are you going (or expect) to use this space (monthly)?

3-4 hours per week, similar to gym use (which costs be about the same).

> Moreover would you envision it as "reservation based" or "First Come First Served"?

For practicality reasons, I guess best would be a mixed system: have 80% of your rooms reservation based, 20% on a reserve "first come, first serve" approach, which I can get by randomly showing up and paying a premium fee.

> half-length shipping container

Make them sound-insulated and put on a climate unit, and I am fine with that.

Re: Ask HN: Startup idea – disconnected, physical space charged by hour

#90

Post by jaclaz »

DocTomoe wrote: post #88
jaclaz wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I'd pay a monthly membership fee of around 50 Euros for this. Yep, but how many hours are you going (or expect) to use this space (monthly)? I mean 1 hour/month, 1 hour/week or 1 hour/day. Moreover would you envision it as "reservation based" or "First Come First Served"? [1] More or less one of this cells could be a half-length shipping container, roughly 6 m x 2.50 m, which (has to be verified) probably also works…

> Yep, but how many hours are you going (or expect) to use this space (monthly)? 3-4 hours per week, similar to gym use (which costs be about the same). > Moreover would you envision it as "reservation based" or "First Come First Served"? For practicality reasons, I guess best would be a mixed system: have 80% of your rooms reservation based, 20% on a reserve "first come, first serve" approach, which I can get by ran…

So, given that you would be the "perfect average" user, 12-16 hours/month for 50 bucks, for some 6*2.5=15 sqm.

24 h open 7/7 at 2/3 occupancy would be 30x24x2/3=480 h/month, so 480/16=30 users/half container, or 30x50=1,500 US$/month.

To cover the 24hx7=168 hours/week (considering holidays/illness/whatever) you will need 6 or 7 people in the role of reception/cleaning/etc., if costs for each are 5,000 US$/month, and we assume to spend no more than 50% for personnel, you need 70,000 US$/month of income, so 70,000/1,500=47 half containers. let's make them 50 (one will be used for reception, one for storage, and one for common toilets).

You will need 50% more area than the area occupied by containers (for corridors between them) 50x6x2.50x1.50= 1,125, or between 1,000 and 1,500 sqm for this "camp".

At first sight is doable, the income is not different from a hotel room (at 100US$/night and 50% occupancy) but the building costs are far smaller, a half length container can cost, including the modifications around 10,000 US$, let's make it 12,000 including furniture, whilst a hotel room is more like 30 sqm at 2,000 US$/sqm or 60,000 US$.

And of course I didn't consider the "gym effect" of people paying the monthly fee but never showing up, and the "premium fee" you mention for a "no reservation".

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