About this episode
In this episode, I sat down with Chris Koerner and we go through a set of approachable startup ideas that start low-friction but can scale if you get distribution right. We start with a potential “app ecosystem” opportunity around Facebook Marketplace, plus a product-studio framework that combines short-form video, AI, and 3D printing to validate “dumb” products via demand before you invest. We then jump to more grounded, local-first ideas—bike washing/maintenance subscriptions, bar anti-spike stickers, and even vending-machine concepts like “shiny rock” drops at trailheads. We close with a weird Pokémon-card “meme + supply control” play inspired by the Kabuto King, including Chris’s own collecting “big reveal.” From there, I dig into why PSA-style grading feels slow and expensive, and we workshop a more modern grading experience (including a livestream/packaging angle and an AI-from-photo approach).Timestamps00:00 – Intro02:28 – Startup Idea 1: Facebook Marketplace App Studio07:43 – Startup Idea 2: DTC Product Studio17:05 – Startup Idea 3: Bike Washing/Maintenance Subscription24:29 – Startup Idea 4: Anti-Drink-Spike Stickers31:55 – Startup Idea 5: Shiny Rock Vending Machines36:37 – Startup Idea 6: The Kabuto King and Card GradingKey PointsI look for “alpha” where people are already obsessing, but the market structure is still primitive (like collectibles + grading).I treat “distribution” as the multiplier—short-form can make “dumb” products viable if the content loop is strong.I push for starting manually first (prove demand), then upgrading into infrastructure, subscriptions, and scale.I pay attention to marketplaces with huge usage but weak third-party tooling—there’s often a platform-layer opportunity there.I keep coming back to “repackaging” as a business model: same underlying thing, new wrapper, new buyer, new channel.The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.comLCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products
