Ideas
Brainstorming ideas for fun. Free for taking.
Design Agency for Governments
What if governments offered actually beautiful and functional products to their citizens?
No need to explain further. Huge white space and ripe business opportunity.
"Live Workshop" Canvas (by Figma)
What if you could have a live interactive design workshop directly with your Figma canvas?
What if you could dictate what you want with your voice and gestures like you would with a designer on a Zoom call?
I imagine a function in Figma where you could enter a "live workshop" with an AI cursor in Figma: you turn on your camera, and speak and explain with body language what you want to execute.
No more waiting for your designer to be available to put your ideas into execution, or to make the modifications you need for your product.
note: leveraging AI for "execution" and not "creation" is what every designer dreams of. It would be strategic for Figma to position AI as the "execution layer" of the design process, not replacing the creative process that most of their users love.
Functional Fragrance
I have a theory (trend prediction): the next wave of biohacking will be smell.
Shifting states of consciousness through olfactory stimulation.
We already have evidence that smell is linked to memory, moods, and that terpenes in essential oils can affect health and modulate biology.
I see an opportunity for a cool and hip "functional fragrance" brand and category to emerge, where your scent is intended to induce a specific mental state for yourself, or to influence others/the environment around you.
(next level: think pheromone perfumes to attract the person you have a crush on? talk about biological manipulation…)
Elderly Match-Making
What if there was a Tinder for the elderly?
Most elderly men and women lose their significant other from old age, but have more years to live, with lots of leisure time.
It could be an app, a matchmaking engine, a speed dating recommendation service, etc - for any elderly person to find a partner, friend, or other form of relationship.
the service could launch within specific elderly homes, and expand with nearby houses, etc.
they could filter by interest as well: playing cards, going for walks, reading, watching a sport, cooking, etc.
Feels like the perfect target market no? They have less to do and think about (and are probably more intentional) than the Tinder gen…
"Watch" Articles
Instead of only having the option to "listen to article" in blog or article pages, what if we could do "watch"?
The page would automatically be turned into a video clip of the type of your choice: author keynote, animation, youtube creator style, slideshow, etc.
text -> audio + visuals (thanks to GenAI)
Auto-Destruct Docs
For ultra-secure communication or paranoid founders sharing their decks and financials with investors - this one is for you.
An ultra secure document sharing platform where documents shared can only be opened once, and in a closed environment that makes all keyboard and computer functions unavailable (to avoid screenshots).
for the ultra-paranoid, the camera could turn on to scan for devices that could be recording the screen….
(or maybe we just pay for therapy to work on trusting others more…)
"Chapterstamped" Scroll Bar
It would be great to have an automatic "Section" or "Chapter" overlay or pop-up that displays as you scroll an article or document.
AI could parse out the content and divide content into "sections" or chapters with titles, and enable the user to navigate to any part of the document quickly with the scroll bar.
We already have timestamps on Youtube, why not replicate the concept for text on Substack and Medium?
Superconductor Levitation Shoes
Shoe soles that never touch the ground powered by superconductor material.
Your shoes never have to be dirty again!
Spotify "Generative" Daily
Instead of creating a daily discover playlist from existing songs, what if Spotify created new discover playlists from generative AI?
Similar to its recommendation algorithm, Spotify could learn the music patterns you enjoy and listen to to generate new songs or remixes that you would like.
Bonus: you could have the ability to tune and refine the song with pre-set options (e.g. male or female voice, electric or classic guitar, add saxophone, remove background beats, etc)
Endless diversity!
Environmental Interface (instead of wearables)
What if interfaces were around us instead of on us?
Instead of a VR headset, what if we integrated interface and rendering materials and technology in the environment around us?
What if we could point at any building, street pole, park bench, tree, restaurant table, or other, and have am interface emerge from it? And what if every surface could render the interface in 3D (hologram)?
Or what if instead of having wearables as accessories, we could simply have the backend technology that would make any accessory we already own a wearable?
Or what if the materials we started using for our clothes and other things we wear had circuits in them? (hopefully not harmful to the human body..)
It might be a bit far out, but probably better than carrying a big headset on our heads.
EEG Earplugs (by 8Sleep)
Earplugs that collect EEG data (electrical activity of the brain), and emit sound waves and electric patterns based on desired brain state in real-time.
This could be used not only to monitor brain state, but also to induce states of relaxation, flow, healing, focus, activity, etc.
If this were powered by 8sleep, there could be an additional "brain state" portion of their app to complete their sleep tracking and modulation experience.
Generative AI for 3D Printing
Leverage AI to auto-generate 3D models and auto-select (or recommend) materials for consumer 3D printers.
a user could input a prompt, an image, video, or scan an object to ask program to replicate it.
The user could also add parameters and constraints such as cost, time to produce, functionality, dimensions, material requirements (i.e. resistance to heat, density, etc.) to receive recommendations based on learned preferences.
note: If we think IP in the world of AI information distribution is threatened, just wait until people are able to take physical goods IP to replicate things within their homes!
Payment Link-In-Bio (with "Tap" to Share ofc)
a unified profile that contains all of the direct transfer links to your financial accounts (bank, crypto, fintech, paypal, etc).
The direct links would skip the information sharing altogether, making it more straightforward to directly submit a transfer, and less error prone. It would also enable the user to track and control who the information is shared with.
This could be an independent app, or an Apple wallet feature, which can be shared right away by tapping devices with the person next to you (similar to how we used to "bump" iphones to share contacts back in the day).
*update: Apple released its own "bump to share" called "NameDrop" at their latest event. Excited… but still not a payment card.:)
Custom Makeup Sheet Masks (and printer)
Instead of trying to replicate beauty looks on youtube, and try to figure out exactly where to paint the blush on your cheeks or eyeshadow on your eyes, you have sheet masks cut-out to your face with the perfect makeup look layout on them that you can transfer onto your face (similar to temporary paper tatoos).
You could have an at-home "makeup printer" to print looks onto the sheet-masks based on looks you see online.
This would be specifically useful for contouring. (Still have not figured that one out for myself..)
Instant Intelligent Supplement Maker
Similar to Dave Friedberg's Cana (world’s first molecular beverage printer), you can input supplement ingredients (vitamins, minerals, adaptogens, other) into the machine, and connect your biological data to your machine for the machine to create the perfect supplement concoction for you every day (and at the right times).
Ideally, each person would be able to provide accurate real-time biological data for the machine to choose the right mix (i.e. hormone, blood nutrient status, glucose levels, neurochemicals, energy level, etc).
This product could standalone if all the data collection devices are available for consumers on the market, or create different LoBs.
Spotify for Links
Create and share "Link Playlists" and receive "Daily Mix" link list recommendations based on your profile and preferences.
Have the app be social, and create super cool dynamic profiles based on reading history and collections.
If this is successful, the company could pivot into a "TInder" app to match people based on the links they read and save. (probs way better matching than pics)
Lab Grown AI
We all know that the cost of AI compute is high. Not only that, but it is inefficient: it requires a lot of energy, and sometimes processing time.
My friend recently sent me a research article comparing the world's 4th largest computer (in 2020) with brain cells. TLDR: the brain is way more efficient (not only for computing, but storage too).
We already create lab grown proteins (looking at you lab-grown meet). Could we try to replicate human neurons to put in our computers instead?
Time for biological computing!
simple, i know.
Pyjamas Brand for Real Life
Create a super cool high-fashion pyjama brand that makes the pyjama go mainstream for day-to-day life.
You could have activewear pyjamas, workwear pyjamas, red carpet pyjamas…
It would be super unique - and styles could vary from typical button-down pyjama shirts, to slip dresses, and the brand could even go into footwear with slippers.
Don't snooze on this.
Data Warehouse "Atlantis"
Energy consumption for data centers is massive. One way to minimise the carbon footprint is to have them in northern countries to minimise the need for cooling, but they still occupy a lot of land, and need to be resilient to changes in temperatures and weather. They also belong the jurisdictions they are a part of, which have different data governance laws.
What if we could build an underwater data center city?
The data centers would sit in ideal temperature ranges at specific water depths, and be specifically built with materials adapted to water pressure, density, and properties. Weather disturbances may be less of an issue (total hypothesis - I actually have no expertise in this), and given the access difficulty, may have better security insurance.
The data city may also be collectively owned by a neutral global governing body to promote data collaboration, access, and interoperability.
Actual Voicemail
Is it just me, or isn't the fact that phones still ask you to call an automated voice menu to access your voicemail weird? and the fact that you can only listen to them in sequential order? and that the voicemail "box" can only contain 3 messages? and that you have to push telephone buttons to generate actions (i.e. clear, skip, save, delete, etc)?
I can go on.
Why don't we create a gmail for voicemail?
Ideally the voicenote inbox could be enhanced with AI transcription and automatic tagging, and search and filters.
Wellness Mall
instead of shopping mall that aggregates stores, you aggregate fitness studios and services.
My friends and I do not necessarily want to do the same studio class, so we don't end up coordinating. If we could have the studios we like in one place, we could all go to the classes we want, and meet up before or after.
There could be additional wellness related commerces: food and drinks, spas, apparel, beauty, etc.
this is different than a fitness center (like Equinox), because it would be many different fitness brands coming together.
I could see Classpass doing this, and pivoting into real estate.
Love Compatibility Sensor
We know that love is blind - because much of the feelings we feel towards another person is not rational and conscious, but biological and subconscious.
examples of data points correlated with love and attraction: neurochemicals, hormones and pheromones, immune system markers, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.
Imagine a sensor that could pick these things up, and let you know your true compatibility score?
It would not only be about telling you if these is a match, but also letting you know to what extent you both reciprocate based on your biological responses to one another.
Maybe you could package additional medical record data (with ZK Proofs of course) to make it more comprehensive.
Smell Search Engine
We can now search the internet with images and media instead of keywords and language.
We can also search with audio and sound (i.e. Shazam).
What if we could have a "Shazam for smell"?
The phone could sense the smell, and let you know exactly where it comes from: an ingredient list from a delicious meal at a restaurant, the type of flower in your garden, the sweat of a person you know, the type of grape in wine, etc.
If there was also a smell sensor on your phone, it could aggregate data throughout your life, and correlate smells with past memories. (similar to Apple Photo's "memories", it could pop up memories in context based on smell). This might be powerful given smell is very closely correlated with memory, and is also known to trigger emotions.
Ultimate "Poking"
Remember how we used to "Poke" each other on facebook?
That was so funny. We should bring that back, but on steroids.
It's an ultimate "poke" app, where all you can do is poke, but you can choose you different "type" of poke: "loving" poke, "friendly" poke, "angry" poke, "thinking of you" poke, "curious" poke, "need you" poke, "reminder" poke.
you don't get messages, but only "pokes" from your contacts (or external if you allow it based on degrees of connection like linkedin).
you can get an inbox of pokes, and reply with more pokes, or acknowledge the pokes (or if want to expand features, chat/voicenote/all that jazz).
it would create a new form of language abstraction: the "poke-tisation" of communication.
the main reason: keeps it simple, and to-the-point.
Headless AI Platform: "Brain Bar"
This idea is inspired by the rise of Headless Commerce (i.e. MACH alliance). Headless commerce describes e-commerce platforms designed for microservices. As opposed to monolithic platforms that vertically integrate all services, headless commerce is a more flexible type of platform that enables one to select different providers for different features and services (analogy: instead of baking a cake with a pre-made cake mix, you choose all the ingredients: eggs, flour, etc). This allows for the development of more flexible and custom platforms, and more interesting business models for platform providers (i.e. "app store" model).
I would love to see the same for enterprise AI (specifically for search).
Instead of providing one OOTB solution, a business could select the models they want to apply to their internal database search.
The platform provider would provide the foundational infrastructure, and developers could build specific-purpose models that customers could choose from (i.e. personalised relevance tuning model, image search model, automatic attribute tagging model, etc.).
Prices could vary based on the quality of the model training and proven results.
As it would be an open AI model marketplace, AI model development would be outsourced to external entities and developers. Developers would publish and monetise their models on the marketplace, and the platform would retain a % of the revenue.
Not only would it make AI search more customisable, but also more accessible for start-ups to access and build on over time.