The Uber of deliveries 🚙, 'Clout' kitchens 🍳, agents for engineers 💵, and more...
This week's episode includes ideas from My First Million and Product Ideas podcasts
Welcome to Everyday Startup, a weekly newsletter all about bootstrappable startup ideas and trends. We bring together ideas and strategies from all over the internet including My First Million podcast.
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Weekly roundup of startup ideas & trends…
This edition includes:
Organic lawn care and pest control services
Agents for engineers
‘Clout’ kitchens
The Uber of person-to-person deliveries
Old shows converted into podcasts
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Non-toxic lawn care & pest control services
(Source: My First Million #138 at 34:24)
Lawn care and pest control is big business, doing billions every year. The old and traditional players in this game are not super focused on a new demand by consumers: Non-toxic, safe, and organic products.
An example of a company attempting to take market share from the huge traditional companies is called Sunday Lawncare. They sell lawn care products direct to consumers that don’t harm animals and kids who play in the grass after treatment. They raised $15-$20 million from Sequoia. Method sells soap without chemicals and is super successful. An example of a traditional company in this space is Orkin pest control. They have been running since 1901 and does billions in revenue.
Is there an opportunity to sell pest control products direct to consumers that are non-toxic? This demographic tends to pay premiums to have organic or toxic-free products. I would follow the Method model or DTC.
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Agents for high earners (like engineers)
(Source: My First Million #138 at 42:10)
Engineers and other high earners are not the best when it comes to negotiating their pay and other benefits. Companies usually have limits and a “band” on how low or how high of a salary they can offer. There is data out there based on a job titles, experience, education, etc. What if you gathered all this data and worked as an agent for high earners like engineers? You could work out a contract with the engineer candidate where you would get paid a percentage of the increase in pay you negotiated on their behalf.
How could you run with this idea? It may be tough to become an agent for engineers, but what about coaching them on how to negotiate themselves? You could charge a one-off fee but still teach them how to negotiate or even provide the data the candidate needs to support his increase in pay. You could also offer online courses to educate candidates.
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‘Clout’ kitchens
(My First Million #139 at 9:20)
Millions of people use a food delivery services every day like Uber Eats, Door Dash, etc. There’s lots of “mom and pop” small restaurants around these people without any distinction. What if someone created a cloud kitchen backed by social media influencers so that your kitchen stands apart from the rest?
Mr. Beast is a very popular Youtuber (~50 million subscribers) who partnered with 200 kitchens around the country to create Mr. Beast Burgers. Since it’s a cloud kitchen its quicker to startup (no store front, dining room, etc needed). When subscribers downloads his Mr Beast Burgers app they use food delivery companies to deliver his burgers to his subscribers. Some of the dishes actually come from other restaurants but branded as Mr. Beast.
Virtual Dining Concepts is a business that helps people start these kitchens.
How can you take advantage of the cloud kitchen trend?
What about partnering with social media influencers focused on health and diets? There are hundreds of doctors, nutritionists, etc. You could partner with not just one, but a group of these influencers whose combined followers is massive and offer meals that are approved by the influencers (like special diets).
Another way take advantage of the cloud kitchen trend is to act as a marketing agency specifically to restaurants who want to become a cloud kitchen for extra revenue. (This was discussed at 21:00) Many ‘mom and pop’ restaurants have no idea how to get listed on food delivery apps, etc so why not offer to do it for them for a fee? This would require very little startup money and is a perfect boostrappable business.
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Uber of deliveries (door to door delivery service)
(Source: Product Ideas # 3)
Rappi is a company that operates in South America that allows users to ship something door to door by using their mobile app. After a shipment is initiated, a crowd sourced pool of scooters will be notified of the delivery and the closest scooter will come and pick up the package from you and deliver it all on the same day. This is much quicker than driving to FedEx or UPS, dropping off the package, and waiting at least 24 hours before it gets delivered.
Why doesn’t this currently exist in the US? There’s many cases where shipping something directly from my doorstep to my friend’s doorstep would be very useful. According to Menajem Benchimol (guest on podcast) Postmates tried this concept in the US but they pivoted to food deliveries. Why and what can be don’t to make it work?
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Convert old shows into podcasts
(Source: My First Million #140 at 30:00)
Would it be possible to purchase ‘podcast rights’ to certain TV programs like game shows? Oddly enough, people actually listen to videos (without watching them) with their phone in their pocket. Certain shows are more attractive for audio-only listeners like Jeopardy, Hey Arnold or even Family Guy (according to Sam Parr) because you can get stuff done like chores, driving while you listen.
That’s it for this week! We’ll see you next year…