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Deleted50669
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If you're going for web apps, not sure why you'd go C++. Unless you're really good with the Crow framework, you'll take a long time to get to an MVP compared to JS or Python.
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Free registration at the forum removes this block.2. The second idea is an app that connect people with goods. Call it mule. So when people travel, they bring the goods with them for delivery in their carryon luggage, their cars. This will wipe out the need for UPS, FDX or Usps.
Woah. What a plot twist. An unexpected competition emerges. Can't wait to see what happens next...Im halfway through developing the first item on your list.
Now, that's where I have a problem - I have no ideas. I have time, I have some money, I have some coding experience, I have some other non-IT experience and capability, and yet I'm fresh out of ideas. Everything I can think of I dismiss as either something no-one would pay for, or something that's already been done. So to me, the idea is more of a challenge. I know you're right, I remember when I used to watch "Dragons Den" before it just became a way for people to be nasty to each other on TV, the execution was the important bit. But you've still got to have something to execute.Ideas are worthless. Execution is where it is.
Great idea in theory. But most people don't trust strangers. And building that up from 0 is difficult. It could work but it's really difficult.2. The second idea is an app that connect people with goods. Call it mule. So when people travel, they bring the goods with them for delivery in their carryon luggage, their cars. This will wipe out the need for UPS, FDX or Usps.
However, that idea has real potential. I think it's sad that most startups try to get young and motivated entrepreneur on board, but they try to make them an employee. There is a big need for such a platform.1. The worst part about starting up is finding people who are willing and committed to starting up. If you work a job to support yourself, chances are your co worker would just tell you to stop dreaming or would show some interest but wouldn't dare to take the leap with you. So I thought it would be perfect to start a platform to connect entrepreneurs together, to form business dream teams. So far, this forum is great but it didn't really act as a platform that links the dreamers together. I don't want to come off as the typical I want to start an app. Much rather a more attainable goal like a website which only serves desktop before the phones. (Java Swift). If enough pals are interested we can make a private discord, Slack to make it happen. I'm completely open. If at some stage, I'm not committing fully, other members can vote me out. Or if you take the idea and managed to make it work, all props to you being aggressive and strong.
If we ignored intl shipping, I think this problem is solvable (and extremely worthy of being solved)
Fair assessment. The legalities and liabilities part obviously needed to be address. People can't mail coke or meth with packages on FedEx and UPS. I think it's an hurdle but not a wall. Terms and conditions needed to be written by a lawyer to ensure that illegal uses are not permitted and liabilities will be waived from the mules which also means we would need to request real IDs to use our service.
That is if mules get stopped by the customs and illegal substances are found on their carryon, the law would trace back the contacts and put the user in jail to protect the mules and the company's reputation.
Something like what Turo had done with driver license check.
I don't see it. VS a facebook group or a forum like this? or a local entrepreneur meetup? , anything that requires a userbase thats actively participating is quite a hill to climb.So I thought it would be perfect to start a platform to connect entrepreneurs together
The second idea is an app that connect people with goods. Call it mule
Biophase sh*t on my linkedin idea awhile back, it's doing numbers now.@biophase I think this proves there is interest in the concept, which is great.
That said, the idea needs standardization to actually grow.
Haphazardly trying to coordinate and link up people who need documents moved is workable if people are willing to pay a premium.
But, a significant movement of goods via decentralized methods requires some level of reliable methodology to do it (I think...)
e.g., there were lots of ways to try to coordinate rides between cities, or to an airport before.
It took some effort, go on craigslist, write a post, read a post, find a person driving to Los Angeles.
Contact them, set it up, etc.
Could you do it? Yes
Was it super complicated? Not really.
Was it seamless? Not at all.
So, some people did it, fringe companies helped organize it, and the scale was small.
Then Uber made it utterly simple and frictionless and...well..... the rest is history.
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I firmly believe if a standardized unit pack (or packs) were created, that allowed people driving anywhere, to move them... it changes the game.
Say you're driving to LA and have room for 3 packs.
You open the app and tell them you're coming in an hour.
You stop by depot, someone (or robot) loads 3 of them on roof, and you leave.
No talking to anyone, no organizing.
You go to drop off point in LA, they are unloaded, and with RFID tags, you get paid once they have been delivered only.
(and the RFID could allow a lot of other security features as well)
Is it a bit fanciful? I guess.
But, so was Uber, and now we call cars from our phone for strangers to pick us up in their own vehicles.
Think of it a bit deeper, why does this work so well (I don't mean the tech side)
Cars are designed to carry humans - and all humans predictably can fit in cars.
There is no guesswork about size/length height. People go inside cars, it's... it's a given.
If small scale cargo containers were standardized for this use... then we could, perhaps, see the exact same revolution.
Costs go down.
Speed goes up
Waiting is reduced.
And the company that develops it brings an unimaginable amount of value to anyone with a company, anyone with a car, or anyone who has ever left their apartment a single time to go anywhere.
It is purely my lack of exposure to js python.If you're going for web apps, not sure why you'd go C++. Unless you're really good with the Crow framework, you'll take a long time to get to an MVP compared to JS or Python.
I'm trying to get together a team of people. Since it's at starting phase my idea is investments and rewards split in between members of the team. Obviously, there wouldn't be any compensation but at this stage you're also owning part of the company as a partner.I'm in for hearing more. Both ideas have potential.
I have started a discord group if you're interested as well.I'm trying to get together a team of people. Since it's at starting phase my idea is investments and rewards split in between members of the team. Obviously, there wouldn't be any compensation but at this stage you're also owning part of the company as a partner.
Then, established a voting system based on contribution for rewards so once this starts to fly, the rewards would be fair as well and not hog by the starter. I want to view us as all starters.
Ideally, I'm looking for software architect that I can answered to since I'm still a junior Dev that need guidance, then a team of other junior Dev that will answered to the architects as well. Ideally, keeping the amount of pals under 10.
I will start a discord and invite people over. Anyone can join. Tell us about what you can contribute and which project should we focus on first.
Feel free to join the discord if you're interested as well. I think you might be more experienced than I am.If you're going for web apps, not sure why you'd go C++. Unless you're really good with the Crow framework, you'll take a long time to get to an MVP compared to JS or Python.
Fair assessment. The legalities and liabilities part obviously needed to be address. People can't mail coke or meth with packages on FedEx and UPS. I think it's an hurdle but not a wall. Terms and conditions needed to be written by a lawyer to ensure that illegal uses are not permitted and liabilities will be waived from the mules which also means we would need to request real IDs to use our service.This idea probably won't work on airplanes. Nobody is going to carry something from someone else that they have not packed. They won't be able to answer yes to that question at security.
Cars, maybe, but again. There's alot of liability in doing that sort of thing for someone else. I could swear that they has been tried before with cars.
Im halfway through developing the first item on your list.I have started a discord group if you're interested as well.
Feel free to join the discord if you're interested as well. I think you might be more experienced than I am.
That is exactly what Im thinking about. But it looks like profound404 is in the middle of it already. I'm sure by the way he's commenting, hes not open to new member to his projects unfortunately.Interested. I joined the Discord.
Personally I would love to see a platform where creators meet, where ideas can be discussed and where Mastermind Groups can be started and managed. Not sure if that is what you have in mind, though.
I can certainly contribute to a rough architectural concept and help with prototyping, but I am not CTO material (yet).
Thats exactly what I tried to solve. Urgent documents deliveryI've used a ghetto version of this service before... There's a carpooling app and it has people going to and from various destinations all the time. Needed to get a document delivered that day, but it was already past noon and all regular delivery companies would only do it over-night, at a premium, and with questionable security, too...
The carpooling app has reviews and social proof and real people you can talk to.
So I contacted a few of them and asked them if they were willing to deliver an envelope and I'd pay the price of a passenger. The 3rd guy was glad to do it and he refused the full cost and asked for only half. Document delivered within 2 hours and it ended up costing 5 times less.
I've also seen people leave parcels with drivers of intercity minibuses (which run on a schedule).
So there's definitely some demand for this kind of service at the local level, and disrupting the shitty UPS type people who throw packages over fences is worthy in and of itself. Doing it across borders might be a bit more difficult, but definitely an avenue to expand in when scaling becomes an issue I think.
And there are so many people commuting every day with an empty trunk and seats. A lot of people might not be comfortable driving strangers in their cars, but enclosed parcels and envelopes have less perceived risk.
Also, if you can organize some anonymous decentralized pick-up spots that can be an additional layer of value you can add. Storage boxes basically with pins. Might be worth testing the demand of that once there is a base user pool.
Good luck.
Because the first problem isn't solved. Because one man army business is exponentially harder than having partners, or even better a team. The risk of having a capable team solving it faster than you can do in 1 person is very real. Then, in downtime, discouragements can really stall your project.If ideas are worthless, then OP's #1 and #2 are worthless.
Why would anyone want to partner with you, on worthless ideas?
For an app. The idea is executed by the software architect. I've worked at a start up before. If you have a capable software architect with 10+ years of software dev experience, you would have your execution. Normally 2 software architect leads two different team of junior Dev and your idea would be executed.Now, that's where I have a problem - I have no ideas. I have time, I have some money, I have some coding experience, I have some other non-IT experience and capability, and yet I'm fresh out of ideas. Everything I can think of I dismiss as either something no-one would pay for, or something that's already been done. So to me, the idea is more of a challenge. I know you're right, I remember when I used to watch "Dragons Den" before it just became a way for people to be nasty to each other on TV, the execution was the important bit. But you've still got to have something to execute.
I have tried partnering before, and it significantly slowed down the development process. One thing that I've found is the more devs in the code, the harder it is to move fast, because people need to constantly be on the same page for feature changes / integration tests / differences of opinions (really the only opinion that matters is the market's) / differences in competence for certain technologies. Some people may thrive with partners, but I do better flying the plane alone. That being said, I wouldn't discourage you from trying yourself, just because Im doing it. At the rate I'm going, you may even pass me haha.That is exactly what Im thinking about. But it looks like profound404 is in the middle of it already. I'm sure by the way he's commenting, hes not open to new member to his projects unfortunately.
I don't view you as competition yet. Not yet at least. The road is too far away regardless of where we are.I have tried partnering before, and it significantly slowed down the development process. One thing that I've found is the more devs in the code, the harder it is to move fast, because people need to constantly be on the same page for feature changes / integration tests / differences of opinions (really the only opinion that matters is the market's) / differences in competence for certain technologies. Some people may thrive with partners, but I do better flying the plane alone. That being said, I wouldn't discourage you from trying yourself, just because Im doing it. At the rate I'm going, you may even pass me haha.
The sender pay the fee. The mule took the income. The app get a percentage. All package packed to standard mail package sizes in cube. Have to fit a camera test before package is accepted. Just like how turo check cars out.The "mule" idea is pretty common where I live: is difficult and expensive to get some things here, shipping plus taxes sucks, and there are plenty of people traveling frequently to North America and back.
Most people here do it through friends. Maybe you pay the cost of a checked bag. Some people also bring items and charge a fee.
I don't know what everyone else was picturing, but the mule doesn't bring items they didn't pack. They unbox or unwrap and then pack it in their luggage. Otherwise customs gets mad.
Yes, I get that, though I'm not sure I agree with your later comment about HR (which, like any non-technical role, has its place once things start to get bigger. Do you want your devs to be spending time on stuff like that when you have a group of 20 of them?) My issue is having the idea in the first place.For an app. The idea is executed by the software architect. I've worked at a start up before. If you have a capable software architect with 10+ years of software dev experience, you would have your execution. Normally 2 software architect leads two different team of junior Dev and your idea would be executed.
But everything you mentioned, is just your perception.Because the first problem isn't solved. Because one man army business is exponentially harder than having partners, or even better a team. The risk of having a capable team solving it faster than you can do in 1 person is very real. Then, in downtime, discouragements can really stall your project.
In the coding world at least. The software architect like profound404 can do everything on his own. But his progress is hampered because a junior Dev can write the unit tests, they can help him implement simple functions write extern C bridges in between iOS and Swift.
The most important part of a landslide success is often bottlenecked by selfishness because a 1 guy cannot have all the strength for the company. Outside of the coding world, you would still need to face getting yourself noticed. That's marketing. That's the art of persuasion. That's why company need a marketing department, they need an executive department to control the quality of the code produced. I know a lot of engineers who have problems talking to females let alone selling their ideas to FDX,UPS at the acquisition phase or tossing the app out there on tik tok or Facebook to generate attention.
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