BUSINESS IDEA | STARTUP

Marketplace for Waitlist Spots 🎟️  

On the queue-t

Available Domain: Skipfurther.com

1. Problem/Opportunity❓

The Problem/Opportunity: Whether it’s for concert tickets, a sneaker drop or an app invite, digital waitlists have become the new velvet rope behind which we’re all trying to get. Endlessly queuing, just like the actual letters in the word queue…

And here’s the thing…every spot in line holds value. And yet, no one’s trading them. Waitlist spots are digital real estate. They’re scarce, in demand, and increasingly worth money. It’s time to unlock a marketplace for the line itself, not just what’s at the end of it. Here’s how.

Market Size: Will vary hugely depending on what vertical you operate in. Global sneaker resale is worth around $10bn per year, whereas concert/event ticket waitlists are part of the $60bn live entertainment industry

2. Solution ✅

The Idea: A marketplace to buy and sell spots in exclusive waitlists for hyped drops, events, and tech

How it Works:

• Users post their waitlist position for a product, drop, or event — with proof (screenshot, invite code, or linked account).

• Sellers choose a fixed price or open bidding; buyers browse available spots and filter by category or priority level.

• The platform holds funds in escrow while verifying the spot transfer (via code, account handoff, or email switch).

• The deal is then completed

Go-to-market: Focus on a single niche from the beginning, like sneaker drops or early-access tech (Nothing Phone, Humane AI, Rabbit R1)

Business Model: 10–15% per transaction (split between buyer and seller)

Startup Costs: You could start this for a few thousand dollars. Easy peasy.

3. How You’ll Get Rich 💰

Exit Strategy: Acquisition by marketplaces like StockX, GOAT etc.

Exit Multiple: 5x–10x revenue for an exit in this space if the product shows GMV growth and network effects

TOGETHER WITH RYSE

Could RYSE be the next Ring? ($1.2Bn question)

Imagine skipping out on Ring before its $1.2bn buyout by Amazon.

That’s exactly what happened to all the sharks, including Kevin O’Leary, missing a 66,756% return…

By the time we hear about industry-changing companies, it’s usually too late. But right now, there’s a smart home startup making their way to homes in America.

This tech startup is RYSE, and unlike Ring, you can still invest early—before it takes off.

Like how Ring disrupted home security, this company is revolutionizing smart blinds & shades, bringing automation to every home and business without the need for expensive replacements.

With $10M+ in revenue, sold in 127 Best Buy stores, and 10 patents, they are primed for massive expansion.

Shares are now available at $1.90 each in their newly launched funding round.

Learn more

DRUNK BUSINESS IDEA

Exploding Business Cards

• Tired of being forgettable? Want to leave a real impression on everyone you meet?

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• Why settle for a boring business card when yours can ignite conversation, partnerships and potentially someone’s eyebrows.

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• ✅ Ya’ll are cooking

• ❌ Ya’ll need help

JUST THE TIP

Trend 📈: Slow Commerce

• In a world driven by excess and instant gratification, slow commerce emerges as a quiet rebellion

• The slow commerce trend is a movement that pushes back against the fast-paced, disposable nature of modern consumerism

• Slow commerce prioritizes craftsmanship, sustainability, and ethical production over fast, mass-produced goods, encouraging consumers to buy less but better

Business Ideas

• "Conscious Checkout" Plugin for E-commerce: A Shopify plugin that adds slow-commerce nudges at checkout—e.g., “Do you really need this?” or “Buy once, keep forever” product comparisons.

• Slow Gifting Platform: A digital platform for meaningful, personalized gifting, featuring items with a story and long-lasting value.

TOGETHER WITH BLUEHOST

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THE MONEYSHOT

How a Two Week Side Project Became a $575m Business

Success isn’t always intentional.

Take this founder who set out to learn a new programming language but accidentally built a $575m business.

This is his story.

Markus Frind didn’t set out to get rich. It just sort of happened.

And back in 2003 Markus was working at a tech firm in Vancouver when he wanted to pad his CV. So he decided to learn a new programming language called ASP. And as we know the best way to learn is by doing, so Markus decided to build something…a dating site.

At the time there were plenty of online dating sites available like Match.com, but they all shared a common flaw. They cost money to use.

So Markus set out to create a simple, user-friendly, and, most importantly, completely free dating platform. And after just two weeks of coding on nights and weekends he’d done it.

This was the launch of Plenty of Fish.

As one of the few completely free dating sites, Plenty of Fish started to gain users rapidly, scaling from 40 to 10,000 members between March and November 2003.

In 2004 Markus, who was doing everything for the site himself, decided to turn on Google AdSense and monetize the site, making $5 in the first month. But by December, he was pulling in over $3,300/month.

Over time word spread and the users started piling in. By mid-2005 Plenty of Fish was one of the top online dating platforms in North America with Markus making $10,000+ per day solely from ads. No team. No office. Just Markus. Baller.

By 2006 Markus revealed he was making $10–$30 million per year in profit and it wasn’t until 2008 that he finally decided to hire a second developer.

In 2009 and 2010 Plenty of Fish launched iPhone and Android apps, driving another wave of user growth. By this time the company had over 20 million users and around 10 employees.

By 2015 the site was still growing and Match Group (owner of Tinder, OkCupid, Match.com, etc.) stepped in to acquire the business for $575 million in cash. At the time of the sale Plenty of Fish had 90+ million registered users, was generating tens of millions in profit annually and Markus had achieved all of this without raising a cent of venture investment. He owned 100% of the business at the time of sale.

And that’s the remarkable thing. Markus didn’t set out to become rich or build an iconic business. It just sort of happened. So rather than setting out to change the world maybe we should all just pursue interesting projects. Try things. See what happens.

Who knows, we may change the world in the process.

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