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.