

Ask PG: Startup Ideas We'd Like to Fund in 2010 - JarekS

In 2008 there was a great discussion ( http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=250704 ) and a list of startup ideas that YCombinator would like to fund ( http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html ).<p>Do you think that it can be updated today? There are a lot more YC funded companies today.. maybe some of the problems are gone?
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Tycho
Not sure if you're only looking for input from the funders themselves? Well in
any case here's a fun idea I'd like to see implemented:

A music-making marketplace. What do I mean? Somewhere online that lets people
sell simple musical components (like melodies, beats, lyrics, chord
progressions /backing tracks) and musical services (like singing parts,
mixing, playing, sequencing, arranging). Whole songs could be assembled in
this entrepreneurial fashion.

How would the transactions work? Let people set there own terms (maybe support
auctions), but one idea I had was everyone involved in the final track gets a
cut of the songwriter royalties. If it's a hit, everyone could get rich! And
sell the finished products on the front page, obviously (unless people opt to
take it offsite).

If nothing else, it'd be something a bit different. Songs are often made like
this anyway... Like the latest Eminem song was a beat from Alex Da Kid,
probably using samples of something else, which Eminem put verses to, then a
hook from an unknown singer was added, which was then rerecorded by Rihanna,
etc

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tamarindo
I like your idea a lot but I'm guessing that monitoring the site for copyright
violations would be a major headache. This seems to be a showstopper for a lot
of music startups that do not have affiliations with big music companies.

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chriseidhof
There is also a list called "request for startups", which is located at
<http://ycombinator.com/rfs.html>. It's slightly newer.

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Tycho
Another idea, this one a bit more serious:

Solve the non-programming programmer problem. More specifically, solve the
problem of obscenely padded CVs swamping the HR department with the result
that incompetent candidates fill the interview spaces.

How? Codility.com already made a start on this with online coding tests. But
the way it's structured, it'd likely come after the time-consuming resumé
inspection. Could there not be a site that handles job listings, applications,
AND coding tests? Like the employer posts the job and the site provides an
appropriate test. Applicants can send their CV to the employer _after_ they've
sat the test.

The cost-saving of not reading all those useless CVs and conducting fruitless
interviews should add up to quite a bit for most businesses. I suppose one of
the harder implementation challenges would be how to cook up lots of
appropriate tests.

~~~
JarekS
codility.com made a parthership with <http://humanway.com/> \- together they
offer value prop that you are looking for.

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ErrantX
Two ideas that have serious commercial value:

\- Decent document management (i..e handles word/excel, versioning inc.
placing version info into docs, web based editor, audit log).

\- ISO auditing.

auditing/tracking is a seriously lucrative field right now

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JarekS
can you elaborate on that document management?

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ErrantX
yeh, sure. Basically as part of some of the ISO standards you have to keep
track of document versions and their edit history. It's all part of having an
audit trail.

When I say every document they really do mean everything - from the simple
notice printed out and stuck on the office door to the company disaster
recovery plan.

There is not currently, as far as I can find, a solution for small-medium
sized businesses to handle this.

~~~
duck
I know it is uncool to suggest Microsoft products... but have you looked at
SharePoint? I've seen it used for ISO compliance and the newest release (2010)
is a big step to making that easier out of the box.

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donw
An iPhone or Android app that uses DSP to help people learn to make music.
Recognizing notes from instruments should be fairly easy, and it should also
be easy to time those and line them up to pieces of music that are internal to
the app.

The idea being, that you take your piano or gutair, and pluck away, while the
phone gives you feedback. You could do this with voice as well, with the phone
telling you when you're off-pitch.

If this exists already, let me know -- I'd love to not have to nag my buddy's
fiancee for voice lessons. :)

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chriseidhof
I'm not sure whether it's easy to recognize complex things such as playing two
notes at the same time or recognizing guitar chords. In fact, I think it's
quite hard. For voice it should be a bit easier, as it's only one note at the
time.

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duck
Would it be safe to assume you found that link via the Hacker Newsletter from
last week? If so, that is great as my hope was it would rekindle some of the
great talks on here from the past.

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JarekS
Yes! That was the initial source :) I was amazed that I haven't seen this
before... Then I realized that this info is/can be a little bit outdated and
need refreshing, hence my question to PG.

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stanleydrew
Just fyi, directly addressing your comments (using @user) and signing your
comments are both frowned upon on HN.

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Roridge
There was a list of areas for ideas they would like to invest in on the bottom
of the last YC application for funding round.

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tansey
Is there any idea when are applications are going to be open for YC W11? When
do they usually open for winter sessions?

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hdx
How about a web app for gathering startup ideas and hooking people together
that are interested in a particular idea?

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MrAlmostWrong
Check out <http://www.builditwith.me/> that connects designers and developers
that have ideas.

~~~
hdx
Kewl! I'll definitely check it out, thx!

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JarekS
Clickable links: Discussion: <http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=250704>
Startup Ideas (2008): <http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html>

