Last updated: 2020-12-15

The world isn't really short on ideas. It's short on people that can make them happen or can figure out how to move past whatever is holding everyone else back. My life is finite so I can't possibly tackle everything that comes to my mind. If someone wants to take a stab at any of these, more power to them. A lot of these have deeper issues that need to be tackled first in order for them to work in the first place. Building the app or hardware might be the easiest part ;).

• VR interviews
  • It seems like most interviews at companies are pseudo iq tests in disguise. What if we just gave people puzzles in 3D to solve?
• Local bets
  • something that lets you make bets on ad-hoc arbitrary things as a group
    • "X will be promoted in 3 months"
    • "It'll take the company 6 months to roll out feature Y"
    • "Bob is going to wear that blue hawaiian shirt again on Friday"
• Bring old games back to android and iOS
  • Would love to be able to play contra, pokemon gold, donkey kong, OG mario, etc on my phone while commuting
• Workout selfie app
  • Stitches daily pictures to create a time-lapse you can share.
• Marathon data
  • Give runners some hardware and collect data. I'm sure there's a lot of interesting stuff you can get from tacking a small electrical activity sensor on your calfs and thighs. How do your muscles respond over time? How does the response compare between the fast runners and their slower counterparts?
• Research grant finder
  • Would be nice if there were easier ways to connect researchers with grant options. This won't be a billion dollar startup, but I assume it'll reduce the amount of time researchers spend looking for grants and maybe help move humanity forward a bit faster.
• Employee referrals
  • Setup a company that gets information on open positions at companies. Reach out to people within their company and ask if they would be interested in referring candidates for a cut.
• Emergency phone numbers
  • App that has all the important emergency numbers. It can be scary and confusing when you are in a foreign country and in a situation where you need to contact the authorities. Would be nice to have some place you can go to.
• Browser extension to search all open pages
• Knowledge box
  • Load up a ton of educational material on a hard drive. Put it on a cheap low powered computer and ship them off to kids in remote areas without access to the internet.
• Research paper repo
  • It's wild that publically funded research is still hidden behind paywalls.
• Roulette Chess
  • Switch sides when playing chess based on some pre-defined number of steps. Might create an interesting dynamic where you have to plan in anticipation of getting control of the opponents pieces (without knowing how long you'll have to hold it).
• Sleep Paralysis
  • What's the safest way to wake someone under sleep paralysis (assuming this is even recommended)?
  • Can we build something that can detect when someone is in this state (eye / body movement, rem cycle, etc) and help them get out of the situation?
• Hardware encrypted lens
  • Is it possible to create a lens that you can stick on a device such that it'll encrypt the incoming image at the hardware level?
• Connect folks with rare diseases
  • A small community so people can help each other out.
• 3D print a spine adjustment harness
• What if your phone was your personal data endpoint?
  • It would track and capture data about you (photos, location, etc) and retain it locally.
  • Only time it would leave your phone if for optional encrypted backups.
    • So service providers would not be able to decrypt your data at all
  • You could turn your phone into a web server when you want to have it broadcast data.
• Startup that helps small businesses get started
  • on-boarding involves getting someone setup with everything.
  • Manage their books and accounting.
  • Might be able to get bulk deals on things like square pay.
  • Basically manage everything for them so they can focus on their business.
  • You can tell clients about how to pay, giving stock options, tax advantages, etc
  • If we find something that benefits one company, we can retroactively apply it to others.
  • Send them updates on how much we are saving them.
  • It can be in the for a of "a la carte":
    • Tax assistance:
      • Questions like what can one write off in terms of expenses
        • What does one need to keep track of in order to do that properly - maybe this can be an app
      • If you give your product for free early on, are there any deductions you can take?
      • Can you use your capital for investments? What are the implications?
      • Provide a guide to help people get ahead and maximize their tax gains early on.
      • How much do tax people cost? What is their fee structure?
• Digital Hospital
  • Open a hospital where you help patients be data driven. Integrate existing tools into your feed.
  • Let's you be more holistic when they visit. See how their resting heart rate has been changing over time.
  • If you integrate with their digital scales, see how their weight is changing.
  • I find it hard to believe that doctors can do a great job while being so underpowered.
• A book on weird things people don't normally know about
• Pet club
  • Non-profit - people pay a monthly membership to fund animals.
  • Can visit anytime.
  • Make it an exclusive club / cafe feel.
  • Create merchandise.
• Lobbyists for the people
  • People donate money to find the org and tell them how they would like to allocate their funds.
  • Use money towards funding lobbyists, running ads, etc to move the needle forward on the initiative.