Surprisingly simple stupid businesses- that somehow work

[Bearcorp]

This $25M+ business was validated in 3 hours for $5: Problem: You’re stuck in NYC with all your bags, but no hotel Solution: Bag storage as a service. How the founder validates: 1. DOES NOT write a single line of code 2. Creates a BASIC landing page w/ Typeform (see image) 3.…Pat Walls (@thepatwalls) on Xx.com

Cool story about this company.

 

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[ZackerySprague]

This $25M+ business was validated in 3 hours for $5: Problem: You’re stuck in NYC with all your bags, but no hotel Solution: Bag storage as a service. How the founder validates: 1. DOES NOT write a single line of code 2. Creates a BASIC landing page w/ Typeform (see image) 3.…Pat Walls (@thepatwalls) on Xx.com

Cool story about this company.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Bearcorp]

Thanks for sharing!

Pat Walls is good one to follow on X for more stories like this one.

 

[ZackerySprague]

Pat Walls is good one to follow on X for more stories like this one.

Just did

 

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[Bearcorp]

https://x.com/mhp_guy/status/1752831641532137634?s=46&t=ZkVal8I0jkqyWWzuF2m7FA

Another one from X

 

[RicardoGrande]

Here's a treat: Thursday Boots.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsoaAy3QWPg


Two friends: "Hey, boots are either stupid expensive or really suck... can we do something about it?"
So they went down to Guatemala with a design in mind and had some cobblers make just 20 pairs, aiming for an affordable price point while paying fair rates for labor.
They then put them up on Etsy and they sold like hotcakes to great reviews.

Now? In 2023 they did 145 MILLION in revenue.
This is from a 250,000$ gamble on a business loan they were barely qualified for with a factory they had to start on their own down in Leon, Mexico from just 20 boots they validated a market need for from etsy. They're also known for paying more than any of the other shoe factories in Mexico, including common name brands like nike.

 

[ZackerySprague]

Here's a treat: Thursday Boots.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsoaAy3QWPg


Two friends: "Hey, boots are either stupid expensive or really suck... can we do something about it?"
So they went down to Guatemala with a design in mind and had some cobblers make just 20 pairs, aiming for an affordable price point while paying fair rates for labor.
They then put them up on Etsy and they sold like hotcakes to great reviews.

Now? In 2023 they did 145 MILLION in revenue.
This is from a 250,000$ gamble on a business loan they were barely qualified for with a factory they had to start on their own down in Leon, Mexico from just 20 boots they validated a market need for from etsy. They're also known for paying more than any of the other shoe factories in Mexico, including common name brands like nike.

Funny! I have a friend who bought some this week!

 

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[RicardoGrande]

Another case in point: These guys at Dude wipes - About Us

You can see it in plain english in their timeline.
View attachment 51104

Update: These guys are in Costco now

 

[WilliamSherman]

The stories behind those simple products like motivational water bottles, Dude Wipes, and snacks for late-night cravings really hit home a big point for me. What really matters is how you bring that idea to life, making sure it fits what people want and need. It's all about getting out there and giving it a go, even if the idea might seem a bit silly or too simple at first.
I've seen a lot of folks get stuck because they're waiting for that one big, earth-shattering idea or they're trying to get everything absolutely perfect before they even start. But looking at these businesses, it's clear that you can find an audience for almost anything. Often, it's the simplest ideas that people really connect with.
So, in my view, the big lesson here is to just start. If you see a small problem you can solve or something you can make a bit better for people, go for it.

 

[RicardoGrande]

Just posted this in another thread but it should go here:

On Starting A Side Project Selling Custom Printed Candy Hearts - Starter Story

My name is Sarah Hannington. I work (part-time now) in a full-time marketing role for a large company and started MyCustomCandy as a side project 5 years ago. We custom print candy hearts and mints for large brands, celebrities, and influencers. MyCustomCandy started as a side project a...

www.starterstory.com

- "Hey, those cruddy little candy hearts with messages, but like, funny and rude ones would be awesome, but no one makes them?"
- "Hey, I found a company that I can contract to make my hearts!"
- "Hey, I can make a website, make some videos to get the word out, and rank my site with SEO!"
- "Hey, I'm making over 100,000$ a year from this thing I set up in just a few weeks!"

Again, and this is the point of the thread, some of these things seem so blunderingly simple in hindsight and I just want to facepalm my self- this is just like the chocolate cocks to-your-door guy.

 

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[RicardoGrande]

Guys I can't stop finding these and hating myself for overthinking product ideas


This is one I ran into from the startup CPG group- Unbooze:



So- it's another rehash of "hangover prevention supplements" but they seem to be blowing up.
It's a small handfull of supplements (napkin math shows it's about 60 cents worth of pills assuming retail) you can take as you drink. They're selling them DtC for a whopping 35$ for 10 packets. More napkin math and I'm assuming they're hitting around 15-20$ in margin.
They've also been really playing the social media game across instagram and tiktok and they've started putting vending machines in bars in Austin and... Scottsdale, maybe someone here's seen them in person

I couldn't find any revenue information yet but they're putting out the vending machines, running an influencer/partner program and are getting ready to launch more products, so I'm assuming they're getting close to 1M in revenue.

Still astounded because I've seen at least 8 different brands and takes on "stop hangovers/prevent hangovers" over the years but I don't think any got to this level or didn't die out within a year or two. Reached out to their COO to see if I can hear more of their story.

 

[ZackerySprague]

Guys I can't stop finding these and hating myself for overthinking product ideas


This is one I ran into from the startup CPG group- Unbooze:

View attachment 55445

So- it's another rehash of "hangover prevention supplements" but they seem to be blowing up.
It's a small handfull of supplements (napkin math shows it's about 60 cents worth of pills assuming retail) you can take as you drink. They're selling them DtC for a whopping 35$ for 10 packets. More napkin math and I'm assuming they're hitting around 15-20$ in margin.
They've also been really playing the social media game across instagram and tiktok and they've started putting vending machines in bars in Austin and... Scottsdale, maybe someone here's seen them in person

I couldn't find any revenue information yet but they're putting out the vending machines, running an influencer/partner program and are getting ready to launch more products, so I'm assuming they're getting close to 1M in revenue.

Still astounded because I've seen at least 8 different brands and takes on "stop hangovers/prevent hangovers" over the years but I don't think any got to this level or didn't die out within a year or two. Reached out to their COO to see if I can hear more of their story.

Maybe things are really just that simple. Haha.

 

[RicardoGrande]

Everytime I come here with one of these, I feel like I just walked out of a boxing match with Mike Tyson
What's on the table this week?
So, everyone nowadays is a bit of a health nut, I see a lot of ads and discussion on twitter, one thing that popped up a lot were people discussing the health benefits of... baking soda. Even my friends are talking about it, and one of my buddies ordered a specific brand and was hyping up the baking soda and waiting for the delivery all week.
Ok, no problem, baking soda is like what, 3$ for a pound or two from the store?

NO
You see, not all baking soda is equal, according to gurus on the internet.
What they're recommending, is either aluminum free, or naturally mined baking soda.
Ok, let's take a look at one of the more recommended brands:


Huh, so this is a natural health brand selling aluminum/gluten-free [] baking soda for baking, cleaning, or supplementation.
13$ for a tub Though? Surely this company can't be doing too much in business right n-

Millions of dollars per year, from slinging baking soda at a 400% markup on amazon by posting tiktok/instagram videos.

I see a lot of people march onto TFF asking how to start a million dollar businesses and agonizing why no ideas are good, why not just take a page from these guys and sling some white powder

(Disclaimer: they do sell other things on the store, but it's all bulk and I'm betting bought from a co-manufacturer or bulk-distributor and repacked- either way they're doing nothing anyone else here couldn't do, they just started.)

 

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[EssexCase]

Like any good TFF member, I spend any possible downtime listening to talks with founders. I like hearing about people getting off the ground and getting started, and how quickly (or not) they were able to take off.
A big, painful recurring theme is that there seem to be a lot of what I call "simple, stupid businesses" that execute on something I or probably any other sane person I know wouldn't think about, or write off as being dumb... but they appear to take off anyway. I don't have the time at the moment to go back and look but Ryan Moran has a lot of people from his community stepping forward reporting how their items crossed the 1m/yr revenue mark doing simple things like selling water bottles with inspirational messages on them (I believe she told Ryan she had a 3m$ exit selling these things which are just water bottles: https://www.liveinfinitely.com/)

Another case in point: These guys at Dude wipes - About Us

You can see it in plain english in their timeline.
View attachment 51104
What I read: We were absolutely blowing out our bowels due to horrendous diets. We got hooked on using baby wipes to save our tender sphincters, liked it, and decided to white label our own for men and just sell them.

Granted, that's not the full situation and I haven't listened to anything from the founders, but I almost fell off my chair reading that and exploring their offerings. Now, I'm one of those people that follow Ryan Moran's content and see people building audiences and pull it off with surprisingly simple stupid brands like "chocolate chip cookies for late snackers" or "Matcha tea for young professionals". Having read TMF /US and then looking back and seeing people do this just makes my head spin. Some of them make marginally more sense like a tool for woodburning hobby or the guy that makes extender plates porsche spoilers- but even those required barely anything to get off the ground, just an audience (or willing to try ads) and some money to directly order or have someone fabricate the first batch of product.

I guess in the end, there's probably a broader message about executing and just seeing what works- not getting hung up on the "perfect idea" or the "lifetime value" (especially if this is your first go around with a business that seems to be running reasonably well). Just picking something you feel and can confirm a need for, and getting off to the races.

What do y'all think?

This is the sort of thing I think I need. Stop worrying about what the perfect product or idea is and just learn by failing/trying!

Now I just need to work out how to go from a construction worker to e commerce!

That's all part of the fun though!

 

[unknown1.0]

I actually just watched a few videos on Ryan's channel because you mentioned him, And it's super inspirational to hear some of these stories.

Hey man, if you dont talk about it i did not search his channel, one video of him was a master piece for my business growing, so thank you!

 

[RicardoGrande]

The oldheads on the forum always talk about domain experience, even if it isn't from a job. It can be anything, passions, hobbies, anything you've been cultivating enough knowledge/experience with to start to identify gaps and/or opportunities.

So for today's example of why you (me) are dumb and poor and deserve to stay poor for not USING YOUR BRAIN, we have..........
Bee cups!
(Not those ones, I know what you're thinking you dirty dog).

So, a teacher had a garden, and also loved bees.
Turns out, bees get thirsty, and with modern suburbia and a penchant for spraying the environment with toxic pesticides, there aren't a lot of flowers or places bees can get a drink.
You *could* plant flowers, but not all flowers collect waters or signal bees.

What did she do?
*Drum roll...*

Bee cups!
They go for about 30$ a pack on amazon, but they're into a few different offerings now.
The secret sauce is that it's a durable ceramic with a special UV impregnated pigment baked on- it shines in a UV spectrum that only bees can see, and it draws them in to get water... they also help your garden see a lot of pollinator action they may normally not see.

Looking at the reviews, everyone loves them and they're constantly out of stock on their main website.
Checking around, these have already been cloned by some chinese companies, but that hasn't seemed to have impeded the original seller from chugging along on their mission selling across the u.s. and even outside of it through the site and distributors.
She even got interviewed by her local news:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtyBcwVV3fY


Would you ever look at a garden and see a business (and conservation) opportunity?

 

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[Brogan]

I wasn't exactly killing the entire idea, I did get in contact with them via WhatsApp. They just weren't very responsive. So I was looking for other manufacturers, but I found that most of the bags were the same across all manufacturer's when looking and most manufacturer's were in China.

I was trying to buy a Sample.

Emailed three times with three separate emails, and was able to finally get ahold of then via WhatsApp. I even tried calling their number as well, the line was dead.

The feedback from Nextdoor though about the bag was great.

View attachment 53576

I was going to start out as a One-Product Store, these were one-time purchases though.

EDIT: Added emails I have sent.

Maybe its obvious to others but I like how you've setup your boards how systematic it is with the detailed responses I see a host of opportunity from the N0's and Maybe's that are transferable/ Especially the feedback from Leane with the shoulder shoulder pain how many things do people with shoulder pain carry often which would ideally need to be lighter anything from power tools to mops and kitchenware.

I do agree think you dropped it a little too soon. I've got a lot more rambling in my planning that coupled with a black book.

 

[ZackerySprague]

Maybe its obvious to others but I like how you've setup your boards how systematic it is with the detailed responses I see a host of opportunity from the N0's and Maybe's that are transferable/ Especially the feedback from Leane with the shoulder shoulder pain how many things do people with shoulder pain carry often which would ideally need to be lighter anything from power tools to mops and kitchenware.

I do agree think you dropped it a little too soon. I've got a lot more rambling in my planning that coupled with a black book.

I thought the business was too easy as it was just ordering from a supplier. These looked like dropshipping products and not creating a product from scratch. I do still think this idea of the bags does have potential.

Thanks man. I like creating a repeatable processes and organizing my information. However, some people have noticed I don't move the needle in this way.

I'm open to hearing more.

 

[Pretty Girl]

I have an e-commerce store for you. Try selling to Mothers who have children with big purse-looking bags. An old friend of mine bought an e-commerce store a while back from another person. This person created this bag that she sold for $440 dollars a piece. From what I hear, she hasn't been active in the store. It's a product that is known to sell. The bag is a bit pricey but if you could come down on price a bit. It has a huge AOV. Women in particular loved it. The owner sold it to my friend because she wanted to do other endeavors.

To be honest any one who has children and stupid enough to buy a bag for $440 should not make babies and pass down their dumbness to the next generation.

Further your friend bought that business from that person who told your friend that it's a current hot selling item and buy his/her business? ‍‍ (laughing out loud and a facepalm emoji) your friend need to read FastLane

 

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[ZackerySprague]

To be honest any one who has children and stupid enough to buy a bag for $440 should not make babies and pass down their dumbness to the next generation.

Further your friend bought that business from that person who told your friend that it's a current hot selling item and buy his/her business? ‍‍ (laughing out loud and a facepalm emoji) your friend need to read FastLane

I disagree.

If you read Unscripted , the Instragram page of the ecommerce store has comments such has "OMG, I love this bag." The mothers were happy with the product and even raised $40,000 on a Kickstarter campaign.

The entrepreneur who sold the business to my friend wanted to be a consultant and sell a course instead and that's why they shut down the business/sold to my friend. It's still a good idea and I had plenty of women who were interested in the idea but my bags couldn't compare. It had elements of productocracy, the business just never got off the ground.

These bags were made from scratch as well and weren't drop shipped from Temu or Alibaba.

She has read TMF , she pursued another venture.

 

[Brogan]

To be honest any one who has children and stupid enough to buy a bag for $440 should not make babies and pass down their dumbness to the next generation.

Further your friend bought that business from that person who told your friend that it's a current hot selling item and buy his/her business? ‍‍ (laughing out loud and a facepalm emoji) your friend need to read FastLane

Harsh much there are parents who spend $440 on bags it depends on whether or not it meets the customers needs and if they value it enough to spend that.

Additionally the thread is about "simple stupid business" so a little stupid is expected.