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

Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 187 posts

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#81

Post by lesterbuck »

brandl wrote: post #53

Mobile app where you snap pictures/video of issues around your community (graffiti, broken streetlights, potholes, etc.) and upload to a site. Users can search by geo and vote on the ones they want to see fixed first. Local government subscribes to a reporting engine/workflow service that allows them to slice data and work more closely with their citizens in improving their locality.

CitySourced just launched to do this at TC50:

http://tc50tweets.techcrunch.com/story/180036092/citysourced...

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#82

Post by run4yourlives »

matthodan wrote: post #38

Add fins to catch the wind on the sides of airplane wheels so that the wheels automatically begin to spin on landing approaches. This should help by reducing the amount of rubber that is lost on landing and increase the useful lifespan of airplane tires.

Sounds cool until you consider that there is usually a crosswind component to every landing. (i.e. the rubber is being lost perpendicular to the tire rotation as well, and even if they were rotating this would still occur)

I wonder if the benefit would be enough regardless?

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#83

Post by edw519 »

jadence wrote: post #46
matthodan wrote: post #36

A social network for people who fly on airplanes regularly that helps people book seats next to each other so that they can enjoy a nice conversation rather than sitting in silence for the duration of the flight.

Along those lines I know there is a very lucrative black (maybe more gray) market in which people will pay big money to find out flight plans of important decision makers. People paid that money so they could try to buy a ticket in the seat next to said decision maker. You've then got X hours to work a pitch. I know this happens to execs in pro sports a lot (people trying to get sponsorship, get the leagues using the…

flight plans of important decision makers

If they're that important they're either in First Class or private aircraft.

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#86

Post by bemmu »

Deep search of local stores.

Several times I have needed to get product X, be it a hammer, sandals etc. but have no idea where to get it locally. Do I have to take the bus to center, or is it sold in some of the smaller shops around me? One weekend we spent hours looking for sandals. At least here local shops don't list specific items they have on their websites.

I imagine this would work by people contributing product info from shops as they visit them, perhaps snapping pics of aisles with their iPhones, and then having a separate group of people tagging the products they see in the photos.

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#87

Post by brandl »

lesterbuck wrote: post #81
brandl wrote: post #53

Mobile app where you snap pictures/video of issues around your community (graffiti, broken streetlights, potholes, etc.) and upload to a site. Users can search by geo and vote on the ones they want to see fixed first. Local government subscribes to a reporting engine/workflow service that allows them to slice data and work more closely with their citizens in improving their locality.

CitySourced just launched to do this at TC50: http://tc50tweets.techcrunch.com/story/180036092/citysourced...

Well, I guess I shouldn't have shared this idea with so many people over a year ago then! :-D

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#88

Post by derefr »

jadence wrote: post #46
matthodan wrote: post #36

A social network for people who fly on airplanes regularly that helps people book seats next to each other so that they can enjoy a nice conversation rather than sitting in silence for the duration of the flight.

Along those lines I know there is a very lucrative black (maybe more gray) market in which people will pay big money to find out flight plans of important decision makers. People paid that money so they could try to buy a ticket in the seat next to said decision maker. You've then got X hours to work a pitch. I know this happens to execs in pro sports a lot (people trying to get sponsorship, get the leagues using the…

Alternately, this could be a service the important decision maker signs up for, reserving the seat next to them and letting people vie to fill it. The IDM would be considered to be "donating their time" philanthropically.

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#89

Post by potatolicious »

edw519 wrote: post #83
jadence wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Along those lines I know there is a very lucrative black (maybe more gray) market in which people will pay big money to find out flight plans of important decision makers. People paid that money so they could try to buy a ticket in the seat next to said decision maker. You've then got X hours to work a pitch. I know this happens to execs in pro sports a lot (people trying to get sponsorship, get the leagues using the…

flight plans of important decision makers If they're that important they're either in First Class or private aircraft.

Important decision makers aren't always at the extreme top of the pyramid. There are plenty of people who have the power to help you that do not get their own Gulfstream (e.g., someone who can authorize a big contract for your firm, or at least fight on your behalf).

Not to mention you can totally do this in first class.

Re: Ask HN - What's your best startup idea?

#90

Post by potatolicious »

matthodan wrote: post #36

A social network for people who fly on airplanes regularly that helps people book seats next to each other so that they can enjoy a nice conversation rather than sitting in silence for the duration of the flight.

It takes two to sit in awkward silence for the duration of the flight.

I'm a pretty shy guy myself - but every time I've opened my mouth to start a conversation with my seat-mate, I've never been disappointed. One key realization in life is that the guy next to you is (in general) just as awkward and desiring of social contact as you.

Post reply on HN