So, I was rummaging through the internet’s back alleys the other day – you know, where the really good stuff hides – and stumbled upon a little gem. A Reddit post, unassuming as they come, talking about a ‘boring form software company’ raking in a cool $30 million in revenue. My first thought? “Wait, forms? Really?”
Yeah, forms. Not AI, not Web3, not the next viral social media app. Just good ol’ digital forms. And suddenly, my inner scavenger was practically cackling. Because this, my friends, is the kind of insight that cuts through the noise like a hot knife through butter.
Forget the Hype Train, Board the Gravy Train
Let’s be honest. Everyone and their grandma seems to be riding the AI wave right now, or trying to build the next unicorn app that nobody actually needs. And while innovation is grand, sometimes the real treasure isn’t in chasing the shiny new object, but in digging where everyone else thinks there’s nothing but dirt.
This Reddit post, inspired by a deeper dive into a successful ‘boring business,’ hits different. It’s a stark reminder: while the world is busy fishing where all the fishermen are, the smart money is quietly casting a line where the fish actually are.
The Unsexy Truth: Necessity Pays
Think about it. What do businesses, big or small, always need? Things that aren’t glamorous, but are absolutely essential. Data collection, compliance, internal processes, customer onboarding – all the mundane, repetitive tasks that make the gears turn. And guess what often facilitates these? Forms. Digital forms, sure, but forms nonetheless.
- Reliability Over Flash: These companies need solutions that work, consistently, without fuss. They’re not looking for revolutionary; they’re looking for reliable.
- Cost of Inaction: Not having a good form solution can cost businesses time, money, and accuracy. The pain point is real, even if it’s not ‘sexy.’
- Scalable Mundanity: Once you build a solid solution for one business, it’s often easily adaptable for thousands, even millions, of others.
Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept It…
So, how do you spot these hidden goldmines? It’s simpler than you think, but it requires a shift in perspective. Stop looking for what’s trending on Twitter, and start looking for what’s causing headaches in the everyday office.
- Observe the Mundane: What tasks do people complain about? What processes are clunky? Where do companies spend unnecessary time or money?
- Think ‘Picks and Shovels’: During a gold rush, the people who sold picks and shovels often got richer than the gold miners. What are the essential tools for any industry, even the ‘boring’ ones?
- Solve a Real Problem: This isn’t about creating a new desire; it’s about fulfilling an existing, deeply felt need. Even if that need is to make filling out forms slightly less painful.
This isn’t to say don’t innovate or ignore AI. Far from it. But perhaps, before you pour your heart, soul, and savings into the next metaverse startup, take a moment. Look around. Is there a ‘boring’ problem out there, begging for a simple, elegant solution? Because that, my friend, might just be your $30 million idea waiting to happen.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I hear the faint rustle of paper forms… and it sounds suspiciously like money.