chriscrubs posted: " Some startup ideas that are either potential solutions to common problems or improvements to current technologies. I can't pursue them all but I still believe they should exist. Problem: This is a problem that I have experienced firsthand. As someone "
Some startup ideas that are either potential solutions to common problems or improvements to current technologies. I can't pursue them all but I still believe they should exist.
Problem: This is a problem that I have experienced firsthand. As someone who has been on both sides of the problem; as a tenant and a landlord, I can attest that it affects both parties significantly. A survey shows that 55-59% of movers regularly receive mail addressed to previous residents of their homes. The bulk of this mail is reoccurring/subscription mail such as bills, statements, packages, etc. which the tenant failed to manually update their mailing address. Landlords are faced with extra costs from forwarding/discarding mail and tenants lose mail or receive it delayed due to the forwarding process. Moving is stressful enough. On top of that, to have important letters or packages sent to your old address right after you move is really annoying. Currently, the best fixes are to 1. Manually change your mailing address for every account. This is only effective if you can remember to change all of them and is very tedious and time-consuming. 2. File a "Change Of Address And Forwarding Mail" with USPS for a fee. This isn't always effective and even when it works, it delays the delivery time for your package.
Solution: A software that can replace the need for mailing & billing addresses entirely. For the sake of this explanation, let's call this software Maddy which is an abbreviation for mailing address (clever, I know). Instead of inputting their mailing address, users provide their personal ID which is linked to their Maddy account. Users will first need to set up their secured account on Maddy which they are required to provide their current residence (mailing), billing address, first and last name [and maybe even their payment info]. Once your account is set up, you receive a personal ID (ex. CBC3298). So instead of the hospital asking for your mailing address, they can ask if you have a personal ID with Maddy. When your ID is in the hospital's system, then when they go to print your billing statement with your mailing address, Maddy processes your ID and in real-time, and it inputs your updated info (name, mailing&billing). This same process occurs for all companies that deliver using Maddy. This way when you move, you only need to update your mailing address on Maddy which will automatically update everyone else the next time they go to print a shipping label. With Maddy, your mailing address is no longer a static subject so you won't need to manually keep track of and change each and every mail. eCommerce is becoming the largest outlet of retail consumption, but when I look at the checkout process, it seems horrendous and outdated. I believe all delivery infrastructure should be as easy as Amazon. As an Amazon customer, the process of receiving a package is as simple as; add a product to your cart, then pressing deliver. It remembers your payment info, mailing&billing address, and you only change it when you need to. It should always be that easy. But if you're buying something from an unfamiliar website that you haven't bought from before, then you need to enter your full name, street name, house number, apartment number, state, city, zip code, and country—every single time. It's tedious. Having a simple ID not only speeds up the checkout process but also automatically updates your mailing address across all platforms in bulk when you move. Delivery infrastructure is outdated and this is the ideal solution in my eyes. I am not a programmer so it's difficult for me to conceptualize the parameters of what is currently feasible through programming. If you're a programmer, I would seriously love to hear what you think. Is this a good idea? Is it even possible?
Problem: When I write, I spend too much time searching for the right words to best articulate my thoughts through written communication. Many times, I have a word in mind that explains exactly what I want to say, but I just can't remember that word at that moment.
Solution: Under the category of boutique search engines, we need a better word finder. Synonym generators suck. The problem with what we currently have is that they're a little too accurate. Synonym results appear to be produced by a subset of tags for each word which generates meticulous synonyms even though there are other [oftentimes better] words that could be used. These better words may not be an exact synonym which is why it's difficult to search for and would require a more sophisticated algorithm. [To add even more value, maybe this boutique search engine has software that allows me to upload my text and enhances it with better vocabulary to sound more descriptive?] In essence, this word finder will allow me to search for a [synonym] word by using a sentence as the query instead of a single word which results in an exact synonym. For more advanced searches, perhaps we can select the categorical part of speech were searching for, (adjective, noun, verb, etc.) in addition to the query.
I know this may sound lazy, but I spend way too much time trying to recall good descriptive words I've recently learned from a book or an article, only to forget it when I need it the most. Then, when I try using current synonym finders to search for that word, it's nowhere to be found—usually because it's so descriptive and specific that it's hard to compare it to a single word. It would be even better if this new word finder could help users search for sayings. For example, if I use your software and search for "an impossible situation", it should give me "catch-22" which is the best word/phrase to explain an impossible situation. Without overcomplicating this idea, it's basically an improved version of synonym generators or a more advanced dictionary/word finder; A way for writers to find better, more descriptive words—sometimes without even knowing a better word exists.
Problem: In the span of 5 years, I have spent more time in physical therapy than the average person. During that time, I've spoken to many different patients who have all expressed the same complaints. I've also spoken with many different PT physicians who were enthusiastic about my theoretical proposal for the market. Athletes that don't play for a professional or large NCAA team usually don't have access to prime athletic recovery facilities and technology. However, when athletes like me get injured, we still want to get back to peak performance as quickly as possible; and were willing to pay a premium and to put in the extra work to speed up the recovery. When we're healthy, we want access to modern technology and quality expertise that will help us maintain our level of fitness and recover from intense training and workouts. Anyone who has spent time at a physical therapy clinic has at some point felt like they were wasting their time. Most clinics have too few physicians attending too many patients at a time. As a result, patients spend a quarter to a half of their sessions doing stretches and exercises that could have been done at home. As a patient, it's not only frustrating but it feels like a giant waste of time and money.
Solution: Larger cities should have a high-end athletic physical therapy clinic for serious athletes who want to return to their sport as quickly as possible. When an [serious] athlete gets injured, they want to heal and get back to full strength as quickly as possible. Right now, unless you're a professional athlete or hire a specialized personal physician, you don't have access to the best recovery technology and equipment that professional athletes use. This clinic will be a cash-pay structure that eliminates the time and financial costs affecting clinics and patients that occur from dealing with insurance companies. The clinic could also provide equipment and facility rentals to provide recovering athletes with 24/7 recovery. Adding a telemedicine feature where patients may easily ask questions and receive answers from their physician would add to the value proposition. There are 2 main aspects that make this clinic more beneficial than a typical clinic: First off, the physician to patent ratio will be 1:1 meaning for each patient in the clinic at a time, there will be a physician attending each patient during their session. Even when a patient is doing a routine exercise, a physician should be watching over the patient to make sure they're doing it properly and can communicate any pain they're feeling in case something needs to be modified. This careful monitoring and attention to detail allow physicians to fully understand how the athlete is feeling, what needs to be improved, and what they can work on. This also removes the risk of providing more attention to one patient over another. Although this touch will cost the clinic more money, I guarantee the customer satisfaction will increase significantly and the clinic will yield quicker recovery times. The second aspect will be the technology available in the clinic. The clinic should have a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, Normatech leg restorative systems, AlterG anti-gravity treadmills, cryotherapy chambers, and other high-tech equipment which aren't commonly available. This clinic should provide services and treatments that aren't commonly requested by doctors but are proven to enhance recovery. In essence, this is a clinic that mimics the treatment of professional athletes which allows its patients to recover from injuries quicker than the average person. This type of treatment will only work with motivated [athletes] clients who are willing to extra hard to get back to peak performance in a shorter time frame. This should also be communicated to the patients who wish to receive treatment from the clinic. Due to the expensive equipment and 1on1 treatment from physicians, the clinic's fees will only be available to those who can afford it, but I can assure you that for the value, there are people willing to pay a premium for this service.
Problem: Marketers can probably agree when I say there are not many good websites for marketers. Most articles focus on the subject, but not the marketing behind it. In order for a team to develop a marketing plan, they need to understand their target audience as comprehensively as possible; the more in-depth a marketer understands their audience, the better equipped they are to market to them. And that info can actually be used for other aspects in a business-like sales and product development. Unfortunately, there are no good websites that post articles on what target audiences look like. For example, let's use the real estate industry: Information like what characteristics do they (target audience) have? What is the demographic of new investors? What are their current trends? What do future trends look like? What is the product description of a real estate agency? What emotion are they selling and why? What are some case studies of successful advertisements and what made them successful? What social media platforms are effective for that demographic/industry?
Solution: Information like this is spread across many different websites. I believe there's room for a blog to consolidate marketing info into one, the same way Investopedia.com does with financial information. A marketing website that discusses things like case studies, target audiences, marketing channels, tips, advice, product descriptions, etc., will be extremely valuable to millions of marketers worldwide—especially to those in small businesses who don't have the resources to collect data themselves. Marketers need information to use as a starting point or a reference to create a strong marketing campaign. Some small business owners have no idea who their target audience is or what underlying emotions or qualities they're selling. Ask anyone what kind of business they're in and they'll instinctively respond with the name of the commodity they sell, but the commodity isn't necessarily the product. The product is what your customer feels as he walks out of your business or what he feels about your business or about your commodity. Marketers need a place to search for that information and understand how to better sell their products and services to their customers. If you do make this blog, upsell by providing consultation services to companies that need help with specific problems. Be the McKinsey of marketing.
Honorable mentions:
Bridge: A job recruitment company that attracts foreign talent to gain experience and/or provide diverse knowledge, skills, and experience to local teammembers. Bridge is a marketplace that brings employees and employers together, and also coordinates the moving process (flights, visa, housing, and settling in). Bridge also provides internship programs for people who want to gain experience in another country.
Shitcoin Hedgefund: Probably a bad idea, but if you're good at predicting things that go viral, spread capital across shitcoins and hold long-term. In a typical VC fund, the majority of companies they invest in fail, few succeed but are negligible when you take into account losses from failed companies, and 1-3 are unicorns and actually make the firm profitable. Why not use the same model in shitcoins. This is extremely risky so I wouldn't recommend, but I wouldn't be surprised if someone finds success doing this.
DAO-owned startup: The most democratic ownership structure for a company. The DAO retains >51% of the company at all times. I would love to see what happens when a company is run by a DAO. I think it will get a lot of moral support and be involved in little controversies.
TikTok account that takes news headlines out of context.
Blockchain-authenticated clothingbrand: I'm still trying to figure out a fool-proof way to authenticate genuine pieces of clothing and prevent all counterfits. I think blockchain will be apart of the solution.
Help people transition to tech jobs: Find the best way to educate and prepare potential employees for the next generation of tech jobs.
No comments:
Post a Comment