Antiquated real estate agent system and realtor (TM) guild.
Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
31–40 of 64 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#32Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#33A wearable head massager/tickler. It's possible to buy head massagers which are hand-held, but that completely defeats the purpose. I'm aware this is a male-dominated community, but as a woman, I know other women would pay a LOT if this product existed.
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#34Never having to do paperwork ever again.
This is just turbotax for x. X being whatever you hate doing paperwork in.
So you lobby legislators to keep the paperwork flowing and then you sell a solution to deal with the paperwork? That's more akin to the broken window fallacy than to actually solving a problem.
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#35Electrician work, plumber work, mechanic work, tree trimming, etc. Skilled trades where once you need them, they have you over a barrel!
It seems the key is some level of gatekeeping from doing it yourself. Need a MD degree to get medicine prescriptions, need the town to sign off on electrical work permits, tree cutters need insurance and have up-front cost of equipment, etc.
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#36- Fully-guided health plan: diet, supplements, exercise, preventative measures, etc... SelfDecode gets very close, but I'm thinking of those reports analyzed by an assistant that would schedule and plan medical interventions, meal plan, provide accountability, be an advocate, etc. - A system to build knowledge more effectively than whatever it is that people do now. This would go along with some sort of training to i…
Regarding your "Direct training-to-employment pipeline" I've been thinking about a very similar idea. Do you think people would actually pay upfront to join on the promise they'll be refunded if they complete the course syllabus successfully? I have assumed you'd have the offer the course for free and then make your money by placing successful "graduates" with employers who pay a commission for each one.
I think the upfront + refund + commission structure balances the incentives. It's something that is missing with ISA structures, which unevenly optimizes the school incentive. An upfront cost is table stakes.
The trainer is incentivized to perform because the collected tuitions might only represent a fraction of what could be earned. The commission is where the profit is.
I would personally be super motivated to sign up, especially if the curriculum and employer partnerships were attractive.
I'm riffing but I know it's a super hard problem. I wonder if game theory could or has helped here.
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#37Something to fold the never ending chore of laundry.
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#38Living in a US city that has no cars for personal transport
Mackinac Island, MI. Not a city, but probably the closest you'll get.
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#39Earlier quoted context omitted.
That reads like a laundry list of problems that money alone can't solve. (I guess you left off education.)
Are you really implying money cannot solve poverty, because that's genuinely hilarious but I cannot imagine it to actually be true
The US government has spent trillions to fight poverty for over 50 years, but poverty rates are the same as back then.
Re: Ask HN: What are the problems that are willing to pay more than $1000 to solve?
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
Regarding your "Direct training-to-employment pipeline" I've been thinking about a very similar idea. Do you think people would actually pay upfront to join on the promise they'll be refunded if they complete the course syllabus successfully? I have assumed you'd have the offer the course for free and then make your money by placing successful "graduates" with employers who pay a commission for each one.
I think the upfront + refund + commission structure balances the incentives. It's something that is missing with ISA structures, which unevenly optimizes the school incentive. An upfront cost is table stakes. The trainer is incentivized to perform because the collected tuitions might only represent a fraction of what could be earned. The commission is where the profit is. I would personally be super motivated to sign…
I really like your idea, it would certainly eliminate the timewasters.