Welcome to Half Baked, the newsletter serving up startup ideas as entertaining as an official US document about superintelligence that misspells ‘United States’ 🤦
In today’s edition:
💡 An idea that’s totally worth a closer look
⛽️ An AI delegation prompt, copywriting rules, a $31.2M seed + more
🔍 Zuckerberg’s obsession rule, Picking better problems + more
🍻 An idea to make reading more like TV
Let’s goooo 🚀
FYI: Applications for START are still open (but closing shortly), our free programme taking you from no idea to a launched business in 30 days. We kick off October 5th. Don’t miss out!
💡 At-Home Skin Cancer Screening Kit
Spot the change
Name.com Domain: tryspotwise.ai
👤 Source: I spotted this super cool YC company called Lumeria that’s building a phone-connected camera for skincare. What if that capture experience helped people keep an eye on moles and lesions instead?
❌ Problem:
Many of us (including myself) have suffered with or had a loved one get diagnosed with cancer. But out of every form of cancer, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US, with an estimated 9,500 people diagnosed each day.
For that reason most of us should be tracking that funny looking mole or lesion we all have somewhere, but keeping track means taking consistent pictures, finding the same spot again and getting concerning changes assessed. It’s time to create a custom tool for the job. Here's the idea.
✅ Solution:
Build a phone-connected imaging kit that guides users through repeatable photographs, creating a personal map of their moles and lesions. Match each new image to its previous scans so changes are easier to review.
Develop a clinically validated risk-assessment system to flag spots for dermatologist review. Send the clinician matched images and history, with a clear route to an appointment.
Sell the device, then charge a subscription for tracking, with dermatologist reviews priced separately.
🧑💻 Prototyping: Demo
💡 The Half Baked Take: Photo-tracking apps already exist. The kit has to prove it improves image quality and helps clinicians assess changes. That evidence would make the expense worth it.
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💡 Ideas to Inspire You
💻 SaaS: Facebook apps were it in 2007, iPhone apps in 2008. Greg Isenberg reckons this is the biggest risk/reward bet in tech in 2026.
📱 Mobile App: This simple app idea from our archive could be a banger if someone built it in 2026.
🤖 Hardware: Freckle built a phone for kids with no browser, no app store and no YouTube. KidTech will be huge in the AI era.
💵 Side Hustle: Here’s an idea from our archive to turn teenagers’ side hustles into a big business. We’d love to see this built!
⛽️ Fuel for Taking Action
🎓 Founder Tutorial: Here’s how to run a one-person company with Claude, from research all the way to execution.
💬 AI Prompt: Not sure what to hand over to AI? This prompt interviews you, ranks three tasks to delegate and identifies one setup you could sell to a business.
📘 Playbook: Want to write better copy, faster? Gary Halbert left 12 rules for how to do exactly that.
🤑 Money Shot: These teenagers went from playing Fortnite to a $31.2M raise. Here's how.
P.S. Got an idea you’re ready to take seriously? Our Founder pack has deals, playbooks and exclusive content, and it’s 100% free.
🎩 Founder. CEO. Office Supplies Manager.
The job titles keep coming. Make the buying part easier with Amazon Business pricing and buying tools.
Create your free Amazon Business account and get 35% off your first order, up to $125, until Oct 12, 2026. Terms and conditions apply.
🔍 Everything Else from Today
📺 Must-Watch: Mark Zuckerberg explains why you can’t 80/20 everything. The trick is knowing which parts of your business deserve obsession.
🎧️ Must-Listen: Why does the best product lose? Alexandr Wang says perception beats reality, and Palantir's playbook proves it.
📘 Must-Read: Picking the problem you work on is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in business. Here’s how to select a good problem to work on.
✖️ Trending Tweet: Still waiting to start your business? This passage attributed to Leonardo da Vinci will light a fire under you like nothing else.
⭐️ Reader’s Pick: This app reportedly reached $100K/mo in four months. The concept is incredibly simple. (Top pick from yesterday’s edition)
🍺 Drunk Business Idea: Bluetooth Page Turner
Love getting lost in a book? Hate having to emerge from your blanket to turn the page on your Kindle or iPad?
Introducing Clicky™, a Bluetooth remote for your e-reader. Turn pages and adjust the brightness without taking your hands out from under the duvet. Finally, literature gets the TV treatment.
Clicky™ - A real page-turner.
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👋 That’s All Folks
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