Post all of your ideas and random problems you’ll never execute on...

[MitchC]

Ice baths

I’ve just turned a chest freezer into an ice bath for well under $1000, took a bit of time and it’s not the most stylish result, but it works amazingly

People are selling barrels and other stupid things for over $1000, and you have to buy ice and fill it up every time you want to use it??? Like wtf it doesn’t even have a cooling function it’s literally just an empty barrel for $1000

Others are selling proper ice baths that keep the water cold for $5-10k

Why is there not something that’s based on a freezer design for under $2k

Seems like a massive discrepancy

Very doable, this would be a really good business, it would just take a lot of cash

 

[Bekit]

Great thread!

-motivational mug store for entreprenuers "never give up" etc. mugs (these are harder than I expected to find online, I cant find any good design)

Have you looked at the Startup Vitamins mug collection? I have a couple of their items and overall I like their merch. They always seem to have good sayings that are motivational for entrepreneurs.

An app that you put all of your friends / family birthdays into. It integrates with amazon to tell you what they might want / need based on their amazon cart or shopping history, and it orders gifts for you in time enough for them to be there.

I love this idea. I was thinking about making a gift-giving app that could help you discover unique, cool, or unusual gift ideas based on parameters you enter. For example, you enter your desired price range and the person's age bracket and interests, and the app gives you cool ideas that you hadn't thought of.

As an example, let's say I want to get a gift for my dad. Let's say he loves fishing and I have NO CLUE what kind of item would surprise and delight a fisherman. So I put in the app "Adult male, Interest: fishing, Price range: Under $100" and the app spits out cool and unique gift ideas that I would not have figured out on my own. I give him the gift and he thinks it's really cool and thoughtful. Win win win!

You could monetize it by collecting a commission on each product sale.

It could be a way for smaller creators and etsy sellers who have unique items to get discovered. And it could be a way to figure out what to get for that person who has everything and you're drawing a blank on what to get them, but you want them to feel like you care.

You could start by populating the app with a bunch of products like the ones in the Sky Mall catalogs that used to come in airplane seat pockets and then expand from there.

And then if you paired it with reminders of all the birthdays of the people you care about, that would be super handy!

 

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[Walter Hay]

When leaving hospital after hip replacement treatment I was given what is generally called a "Reacher Grabber". It has a handle or trigger that when you squeeze closes the grip (grabber) end enabling a person to pick up items without bending. My wife has one also.

Being garden lovers we would like to have such a tool that is modified to enable us to pull weeds out of the garden without leaving the roots behind. The grips need to be wider than those on the market, not slippery silicone like most, but not prone to cutting the weed stalk.

My suggestion to any inventive types is to incorporate a rachet on the handle to enable a person with arthritic hands to ensure sufficient pressure is deployed at the grabber end.

Walter

P.S. The idea is free to use.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

With declining interest in alcohol, mocktails are becoming a "thing."

I find myself looking for them when dining out, so I can confirm the "thing."

https://www.axios.com/2023/07/29/mocktails-non-alcoholic-sober-bar

 

[Kaan Gullu]

Instead of an app I was thinking of a real life version of an digital alarm clock except there would be about 12-16 digits that count down in seconds. The clock is meant to be a motivational tool. It was an idea from the unscripted book that I’ll paraphrase: if you had a clock that you saw everyday that counted down to the day you die, how would you act differently?

Oh okay now that you say it like that it actually sounds like a pretty great idea it definitely makes sense and could be an amazing tool for motivation

 

[Brass777]

I started writing out my top 10 business ideas 3 years ago every morning, and unfortunately I now have thousands of pages scattered all over the place, some in paper and some in the cloud files. It is a nightmare, plus confusing because I have so many ideas now I have no clue which ones to work on!

A dump is good. You can go crazy if you don't get the ideas out of your head and onto paper.

I rally started getting ideas when I started reading old classic mail order books that focused on direct response ads, classifieds and full page ads in newspapers and magazines. Going to local book sales and browsing old business books really hit some chords for me for long lost concepts no one talks about anymore.

Recently an idea I had for selling my domains that arent selling on the marketplaces was to get them actually in front of real possible end-users that don't brows domain marketplaces. I have a lot of sound and keyword centric domains thta don't rally seem to sell well anymore as most buyers want brand-type domains.

 

[starttoday123]

Re the silent coffee machine: as a coffee snob connoisseur those sounds ARE the reason I sit in a cafe

Haha same. I think it's a good idea but I also seek out coffee shops with La Marzocco brand machines. I feel like Nespresso consumers would be a good audience for it though. I know a few people who can't live without Nespresso.

More ideas I haven't looked into much:
-plan your backpacking trip around the world - click through website that is inexpensive (free and paid version) and interactive to book flights, hostels, hotels etc. and share it with friends and be able to see what the whole trip will cost (I'm not sure how strong the market need is given Covid)
-indoor meditation tent for one person that's somewhat sound proofed to improve meditation and has cool lighting etc. for problem of people hating meditation but wanting to do it that I found online
-whisk device to stir separated natural peanut butter better than a fork to not make such a mess and actually mix it well so there isn't dry peanut butter stuck at the bottom of the jar (try and sell it in grocery stores next to the peanut butter) or a peanut butter with a larger jar with "room to mix" the natural peanut butter to add value
-Chrome extension with a free trial then monthly fee for people with disordered eating issues to hide fasting, calorie info etc.
-refurbished/used red light and blue light device online store and authenticate them so it's more value than buying from Ebay (maybe these would be hard to buy a large number and limited by supply sources)
-skincare peel pads for $1/day price point to solve the problem of needing to buy a million expensive serums to get good skin for $2,000 worth of skincare serums which is costly and time consuming to apply (this is already being done by one company that's owning the market and it might be trademarked)
-broad shoulders high quality basic fitted tee shirts for women/men? with the problem of broad shoulders (I found complaints online and I have had the problem my whole life and it's so annoying)
-blood testing where you only pay for result a flat fee to get tests until you get a positive result for something or money back for no results (for problem for mystery illness/chronic illness costing so much to find out what's wrong - pretty big market and found a lot of price complaints for testing)
-motivational mug store for entreprenuers "never give up" etc. mugs (these are harder than I expected to find online, I cant find any good design)
-Continuous Glucose Monitor book for beginners/biohacker people without diabetes just wanting to get healthier - I think this trend of consumers using medical devices is here to stay
- A YouTube channel for health/intermittent fasting but with extra tips for people in recovery from eating disorders who have limitations - not sure what product this would be selling

 

[Walter Hay]

From the Dr. Dennis Gross Daily Peel Pads formula: Alcohol Denat. (SD Alcohol 40-B) Denatonium Benzoate.

According to the Global Harmonized System (GHS) administered by the United Nations, Denatured alcohol (SD Alcohol) has additives that make it hazardous. Including:

Denatonium Benzoate, and also Diethyl phthalate, (a plasticizer used industrially to make plastics flexible) which according to the CDC can be mildly irritating when applied to the skin of animals.

Here is the Hazard statement relating to Denatonium Benzoate:

GHS Hazard Statements

H302+H332 (19.66%): Harmful if swallowed or if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, oral; acute toxicity, inhalation] H302 (100%): Harmful if swallowed [Warning Acute toxicity, oral] H315 (12.69%): Causes skin irritation [Warning Skin corrosion/irritation] H318 (35.83%): Causes serious eye damage [Danger Serious eye damage/eye irritation] H332 (88.98%): Harmful if inhaled [Warning Acute toxicity, inhalation]

I would never have handled in my factory or included in my industrial formulas any of the abovementioned chemicals, and I would not smear them on my face. The acids included in the formula, particularly Salicylic Acid are harmless and very effective exfoliants. Another very effective exfoliant is natural sponge which can be rubbed on the skin to accellerate the naturally occurring daily exfoliation that occurs without chemical intervention.

Walter
P.S. I should add a reminder that many substances, whether beneficial or harmful, are readily absorbed into the body through the skin

 

[Walter Hay]

My parents raised me to act like a lady. Seriously though, if more people in the world were respectful and courteous, this world would be a better place to live for everyone! Social media would be a better experience including this forum. I can't say some of the men on this forum are gentlemen

Yes I think we share a similar outlook . Thanks for your quote 2 Timothy 2:23-24. Like many places in the Bible it contains sound advice for a peacable and helpful life.

Walter

 

[Ronnie Bryan]

Top of my list would be my failed invention, Miracle Brush this was shaped like a toothbrush having copper bristles in the middle and nylon bristles on the outer edge . Plastic frame small enough to scrub corner in a square pan and colored red. AS SEEN ON TV thought it could cause lawsuits . FULLER BRUSH COMPANY seemed interested but backed out during the last ten days of my Provisional Patent BRAUN was willing to manufacture it if they could change the design and charge me 160 per hour. Consider at the time in 2015 I was earning less than 10 dollars per hour and living paycheck to paycheck . As a dishwasher the goal was to find a way to scrub pans and not leave pieces of steel wool behind that sometimes ended up in customers food. Other ideas a mobile bus tub for clearing tables a bus tub on wheels not one that has to be carried. A app for cellphones you can use to record purchases it automatically records what you spent and where. This one is a little difficult as most cellphones can scan receipts but nothing exist that I know of that generates a receipt automatically just through hearing and recording a voice it should be a option when you speak in your cellphones that it generates
a receipt and files it in your phone. All I have in my inventors Journal that is still open. I have more but they are lined through they already exist and need no tweaking in my opinion .

 

[Bigguns50]

Your first idea just gave me another thought. Recently my girlfriend and I bought a Frigidaire dishwasher. What a piece of crap ! Everything made out of plastic. The door latch failed after only a month and a half of use. Had hard time contacting Frigidaire (no direct line need to give an email and a number for someone to call you back).

I just thought we should start again doing what was made in the past - > everything made out of steel. Just need to buy an actual home appliance, copy every piece of it and then cast it with steel.

The thing is : how to make this without costing an astronomical amount of money ?

I had a gas Webber grill. It was a bit pricy but came with a lifetime warranty. The push button starter failed. I called Webber and they sent me a new one after 3 years of use. No questions. There is a market that will pay for an excellent product with such a great warranty and reputation.

 

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[terrordread]

I was shopping at a local grocery store with my girlfriend when we got those "would you like to donate" popups at the checkout. I wanted to help out because it seemed like the popup was for a good cause when my girlfriend stopped me, saying stuff like "that money never actually goes to the charity and instead the grocery store."

This really stuck with me as it made me more compelled to donate to a charity simply because I wanted to support even the smallest amount to a cause I really care about. I believe that there are many also like me who want to support a good cause every so often but find it a little inconvenient to go out of their way to.

I've been sitting on this idea for a little bit and would like someone's advice on whether or not it would be good.

An awareness app that alerts you of good causes around the world to support everytime you make a purchase. Much like the alerts you get at a grocery store that tell you to donate to their fund but more mobile and the money actually goes to the good cause.

For example, let's say Suzy bought a coffee from starbucks.

The app would notify provide the following message through her notifications:

Hey [Suzy], your [$6.13] purchase from [Starbucks] has gone through.

According to Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), about 1,000 sea turtles die annually from digesting plastic.

Would you like to round up 87 cents towards the TeamSeas ocean clean up campaign?

Suzy, now more aware of the problems surrounding the world around her, is more likely to click on the notification and donate 87 cents towards the campaign.

With more and more payment methods designed around our phones like apple pay and banking apps, privacy issues would not pose too much of a problem.

As an additional bonus, increased consumerism is taking over the world. This may help people be more aware of their purchasing habits. I haven't looked into it but I think a yearly total of money donated could go in as a tax write-off??

From a business standpoint, I'm unsure of how one would profit off of an app like this.
I understand that the app acorns kind of does the same thing but invests the money in the stock market and charges a subscription fee, but to be honest I'm not looking at the idea from a pure profit standpoint. In The Great Rat Race Escape , MJ mentions the "billionaire thought experiment" as a way to find a purpose, and I feel like creating an app like this is something I would do purely because I think it'll benefit the world.

At the same time, I'm still struggling to get out of mediocrity and start providing value and making money and wonder if I should try to focus on an idea that would first get me past the slowlane.

In some supermarkets near me, you're given a little green token for every £10 you spend. On your way to the exit they have boxes into which you put your tokens. Each box is for a different local charity and for each token the supermarket donates £1. I could see your idea really taking off with small local charities that struggle to get media coverage and fundraise large amounts - for them, it would really make a world of difference.

Recording interviews and short films about what these charities do and what your rounded-up money goes towards would raise awareness in the patron/consumer for some of the issues in their local community that they might otherwise not know about.

Simply allow the app to access location services, round up your spending, and choose where you want it to go. Talk about making the world better through entrepreneurship.

 

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[The Sandman]

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Based on the lack of "great pizza" in major city centers, perhaps this is an opportunity.

Here Are the 100 Best Pizzerias in the World, According to a New Ranking

The 100 best pizzerias in the world, as ranked by 50 Top Pizza, have Italy's I Masanielli and New York's Una Pizza Napoletana on top.

robbreport.com

One place is listed in Phoenix and the place is always jammed packed. I went there a few years ago and honestly, didn't think the pizza was that spectacular. Yes it was good, but worth a 2 hour wait? Not sure, but that isn't the point.

How hard is it to create and bake gourmet pizza?

Organic, fresh ingredients. Fresh homemade dough, and the right type of water + a fired oven.

 

[shayfer]

Name?

cameo.com is the first one I thought of.

 

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[JAJT]

cameo.com is the first one I thought of.

Yup.

Don't know if we used this one specifically but my wife and I have purchased videos from folks like Jan Arden and some gold medal winning Olympic hockey player for friends/family. We've done a few others but I honestly forget who.

It makes for a seriously thoughtful. personalized gift for people who have a favorite 'personality' they obsess over.

I'd never, ever use it myself because I have zero interest in celebrities / personalities but every video we've purchased for others have gone over EXTREMELY well. And they are usually affordable - $50 - 100 most of the time for a 1-3 minute video.

 

[Vasudev Soni]

Most of us have some ideas that we never executed and don’t plan on ever executing.

Got some of your own? List them in this thread.

Why should you do this?
Maybe someone else will solve those problems for you. Or maybe you will find some ideas that you can execute. It’s a win-win for all.

Here are some ideas that I never executed and (most probably) never will -
- An app/platform where normal people or small filmmakers can create and post their own tv-series and movies.
- An app that gifts you points for completing good habits daily like waking up early, reading 20 pages, etc. These rewards can later be redeemed for gift vouchers and other stuff.
- A social media dedicated to Entrepreneurship. It is something like this forum, but like a proper social media platform where people can interact and share ideas. It is in no way similar to LinkedIn.
- An app that tells you about famous apps for any particular country. For example: If I select France, it will show me the famous apps in France for different categories like taxi booking, metro apps, food reservation, online shopping, etc.
- A social media influencer marketing platform where we can chat with influencers and do marketing with them. Like pay them to promote posts on their account, etc.

Your reason for not implementing ideas might be anything from not having enough time, money, fear of failing or something else.

We all go through this, so don’t be hesitant.

Share your ideas below. It’s time to get creative.

Life is all about sharing. If we are good at something, pass it on. ~Mary Berry

 

[Black_Dragon43]

As a 12-year old kid I dreamt up of self-service supermarkets and even created a business plan for it. Many people laughed at it back then, but today they are a reality (unfortunately I didn't take action on it due to lack of capital and inability to secure funding). It taught me an important lesson – to focus on ideas I can get the capital for easily, whether because I own it, or I have the right connections to get it.

 

[Xeon]

There's an idea I've at the back of my mind which I'm putting off currently, to focus on another project which has a higher odds of success without that much capital needed upfront.

The problem:

Beauty Products Keep Getting Recalled for Benzene. Just How Dangerous Is It?

Dry shampoos, deodorants, and sunscreens shouldn't contain the cancer-causing chemical. Experts reveal why it keeps happening—plus, what you need to know to reduce your exposure.

www.harpersbazaar.com

Benzene is, again, found in personal care products

cen.acs.org

A google search will reveal a list of issues with this type of product.
(btw, I'm a daily user of this product)


The solution:

An all-natural handmade alternative (the recipes are already online), targeted at a specific subculture / segment of the market (this is the secret which is why I'm not afraid to post this idea online lol).

A search on Etsy will reveal some products that are similar.

My reason for not executing this is due to the issue of "Where and how am I going to sell this?" I don't trust Etsy : I've a lot to say about their rigged algorithm and that's for another day.

I may end up executing on this one day, but if you do it and become a multi-millionaire aka the next founders of FrankBody, please throw some spare coins you've when you see a beggar by the roadside, because that would be me.

 

[Kaan Gullu]

I love this. Make it feel great with high quality cardstock or felt, and shapes embossed that they can run their hand over. One of the rare items that would both be a hilarious gag gift or an incredibly meaningful gift depending on who recieved it.

I actually really appreciate that thank you. I've looked into it and there are a few little art and craft shops online that offer it and some on etsy but not an established business dedicated to it. Do you think it's worth not completely dismissing at the very least? I was also thinking if this market is dying and the braille language in general

 

[Kaan Gullu]

I think Google play books already has that feature inbuilt

I want a website that can convert eBook PDFs into dark mode (changing background into black grey and texts into white color) Is there any you know? Or you can build? & It should be easy like just upload and in one click get a dark version of pdf downloaded.

 

[Herschel]

I think Google play books already has that feature inbuilt

I was'nt using that app so I didn't knew, but letme check it out. Thanks.

 

[woken]

A friend of mine and I came up with a sound-isolated jar. You scream in it, and nobody will hear you. I think it's unironically an ok idea, but I don't know if it's doable, lol. We also gave it a name: "Yell Coffer". You're welcome if you become a millionaire by making this. Send me one.

Yup ) Couldn’t believe this.



Tech based textile that changes colour. You’ll become a billionaire in a matter of weeks once you have it working

 

[Hanabi]

-skincare peel pads for $1/day price point to solve the problem of needing to buy a million expensive serums to get good skin for $2,000 worth of skincare serums which is costly and time consuming to apply (this is already being done by one company that's owning the market and it might be trademarked)

Would the peel pad cover all the skin concerns an individual would have? I don't know if that's doable from a cosmetic chemist's perspective. What company are you referring to that owns the market and for what potentially trademarked technology? The reason I'm asking is because my fastlane venture is in the skincare industry, and I want to be aware of everything that's going on in the industry. No stones left unturned.

 

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[Harman]

I ended up making some homemade ice cream over the weekend and as I was dumping rock salt onto the ice I had the though, 'Why isn't there ice with salt already in it, made specially for homemade ice cream making?'

A speech translating communicator - speak into it in one end and the other spits out the translation

A 360 degree treadmill with a full haptic suit so you can play video games, run on the treadmill = motion in-game and the haptic suit responds to your avatar taking damage.

 

[Chrisbal]

Thanks for making this thread!

I like the Uber for freight idea. If you end up in that market I used to work in customer service for a travel company and talked to freight drivers a number of times who had another big problem - late at night getting to their hotel and finding out the hotel won't let them park so they had to leave the hotel and often had a non refundable hotel booking and they were so tired and just wanted to go to sleep in the room they bought. Maybe some sort of help finding parking for them would be good too. They have a hard time being away from family so maybe you could show them maps to have them book gigs in their area so they don't have to go too long not seeing family.

Great idea for the yoga mat covers too. Towels are a 100% essential need in Bikram/hot yoga classes so maybe that would be a good market to study/find their towel needs.

After testing some ideas on grademybusinessidea.com with CENTS I finally found one that scores ok I think. The idea is a red and blue light therapy medical device rental company because light therapy devices are $425-1000+ and I think the medical devices being in consumers hands is here to stay not just a trend. I found disgruntled customers online angry about the high prices are so the idea is provide these people how want these products for a lower price (like scentbird, rent the runway etc. )with the high quality skincare devices at a fraction of the cost around the $30/month for one month price point.

Your ideas are amazing, in top of that you explain the problem of the potential market , Thank a lot @starttoday123

 

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[KeithWallace]

My two pennies worth:
- A commercial cafe coffee machine that's quiet and quick. I don't know how people sit in cafes with all hissing, banging, splurting racket those awful machines make. It's like trying to relax in a steam train factory. I say bring back instant coffee!
- A plank, or something to fix all the wretched tv/hifi/whatever remotes to so you can't loose them. 'Where's the f**king dibber gone!!' Also make it glow in the dark.

Re: remote control - definitely like the glow in the dark idea. Or maybe it's voice activated so it bleeps and flashes when you shout "Where's the f**king dibber".

Or maybe better still if there was a system where you could just make hand movements in the air which would control the TV - no remote control to lose or find. Maybe you have a transmitter fitted into a finger ring or a watch.

 

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[Walter Hay]

Hi Hanabi Thank you for your reply. I was not suggesting that cosmetics that contained the chemicals referred to should not be made or sold, nor did I suggest that warnings should be included on cosmetics labels. Rather, I was expressing my opinion that I would not apply to my skin any product containing those hazardous materials.

I am also well aware that the GHS system is primarily dealing with bulk chemicals, however the GHS system also applies to bulk cosmetics because they are comprised of a number of chemicals, and I referred to it simply to show that some of these substances are to some degree hazardous, however slight.

You also asked in what context do I mean by my statement that many substances are readily absorbed through the body through the skin. I have no intention of arguing, but in answer I think I need only point out that long term nicotine patches are widely used to administer small amounts of nicotine through the skin in order to gradually wean the addict off smoking.

In my factory I conscientiously avoided using any chemicals that might be even slightly hazardous.

Walter

 

[Walter Hay]

@KeithWallace You have provided some great ideas, some of which I suggest would be worth pursuing.

Walter

 

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[CharlesFinley]

.A better range of non-alcoholic drinks for those non-drinkers who want socialise in pubs/bars but don't want to drink fizzy drinks or water all night. (This is for UK, I've no idea what other countries are like).

I've actually done a lot of research for mocktail/soda bar concept for Mormon-country in the US. There was a British mocktail product that came across my feed a couple times called Seedlip. I just checked them out again and their website has a list of bars/retail that stock their products...so this might be a list of bars in your area that can serve a decent mocktail: Locate Seedlip