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Startup Ideas

blog.ycombinator.com

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Re: Startup Ideas

#21

Post by thefahim »

frankdenbow wrote: post #8

> Accounts Receivables as a Service https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/14/kinder-gentler-debt-collec... > Adwords for Outdoor and Transit Advertising ADstruc, ADquick > Modern Firefighting Really intrigued by this one. I would go further and say disaster relief in general, as living in Puerto Rico showed me how ill-equipped we are to deal with finding the status of people with no communications, and getting aid to the ri…

Hey, co-founder of AdQuick here. We're funded by Initialized Capital/Garry Tan and other YC partners.

https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/14/adquick-seed-funding/

Re: Startup Ideas

#22

Post by dboreham »

"Accounts Receivables as a Service"

Interesting one since I a) worked at a startup in this area long ago (they ran out of money..for reasons see below) and b) I now run a company and have found customers dislike for paying on time to be a significant irritation.

However, unless this proposed "AR Service" has a way to get a horse's head into the bed of the late payer's CFO, how are they going to achieve anything? In my experience simply asking for payment doesn't achieve much. They're paying late because they want to and unless you have a way to force them to pay (e.g. stop providing your services to them) and that seems hard to outsource.

Re: Startup Ideas

#23

Post by giarc »

>Low-Friction Lending Library

I think public libraries should start to serve this role. My local library (Calgary) has started to build up a collection of musical instruments that can be borrowed [0]. I'm sure there are other examples out there. I can see libraries expanding into tool libraries (drill, saw, hammer etc).

0 - https://calgarylibrary.ca/borrow-a-musical-instrument/

Re: Startup Ideas

#24

Post by singold »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #13
raymondgh wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi Kyle. I agree that startup ideas are not scarce. With this abundance, it would seem like the value of this post is more in the yc-founder endorsements than the actual ideas themselves. I, and I'm sure many others, have dozens of our own ideas which at this level of detail don't seem much worse or better than what you've posted. Maybe a vehicle for rapid, qualified endorsements on ideas would be more useful for wou…

This will fall prey to the fallacy of thinking that because someone is an expert in one area they will be an expert in other areas. Wish there was a formal name for it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument_from_authority

Re: Startup Ideas

#26

Post by kcorbitt »

indescions_2017 wrote: post #19

>>> The Baby Bidet Just wanted to say that I love this space. Smart products targeting ages 0-5. As well as smart business models to reduce waste. And promote recycling of baby products. One example: Owlet smart sock monitor https://owletcare.com/

Totally. As the father of an 18-month-old, as soon as I saw the baby bidet idea I really wished it existed!

Re: Startup Ideas

#27

Post by raymondgh »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #13
raymondgh wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi Kyle. I agree that startup ideas are not scarce. With this abundance, it would seem like the value of this post is more in the yc-founder endorsements than the actual ideas themselves. I, and I'm sure many others, have dozens of our own ideas which at this level of detail don't seem much worse or better than what you've posted. Maybe a vehicle for rapid, qualified endorsements on ideas would be more useful for wou…

This will fall prey to the fallacy of thinking that because someone is an expert in one area they will be an expert in other areas. Wish there was a formal name for it.

Agreed. The natural followup to the endorsement is the opportunity for advisement, and I would imagine working founders would only care to advise on startup ideas they themselves cared about, taking us back to the original post's strategy.

Re: Startup Ideas

#28

Post by personlurking »

A side-story related to firefighting, from Wikipedia's History of firefighting:

"The first ever Roman fire brigade of which we have any substantial history was created by Marcus Licinius Crassus. He was born into a wealthy Roman family around the year 115 BC, and acquired an enormous fortune through (in the words of Plutarch) "fire and rapine." One of his most lucrative schemes took advantage of the fact that Rome had no fire department. Crassus filled this void by creating his own brigade—500 men strong—which rushed to burning buildings at the first cry of alarm. Upon arriving at the scene, however, the fire fighters did nothing while their employer bargained over the price of their services with the distressed property owner. If Crassus could not negotiate a satisfactory price, his men simply let the structure burn to the ground, after which he offered to purchase it for a fraction of its value."

Also, as this was featured as a Reddit TIL, here are a few interesting comments: https://imgur.com/a/Fhuc5

Re: Startup Ideas

#29

Post by brunkotj »

AndrewKemendo wrote: post #13
raymondgh wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hi Kyle. I agree that startup ideas are not scarce. With this abundance, it would seem like the value of this post is more in the yc-founder endorsements than the actual ideas themselves. I, and I'm sure many others, have dozens of our own ideas which at this level of detail don't seem much worse or better than what you've posted. Maybe a vehicle for rapid, qualified endorsements on ideas would be more useful for wou…

This will fall prey to the fallacy of thinking that because someone is an expert in one area they will be an expert in other areas. Wish there was a formal name for it.

Shoe button complex - named for the condition of a family friend who spoke in oracular style on all subjects after becoming dominant in the shoe button business.
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