November 10, 2026 | Read online | Podcast
Welcome to Half Baked, the newsletter serving up startup ideas faster than Anthropic is killing startups with product launches 😵
Welcome to the 332 new readers who joined yesterday. In today’s edition we’re covering:
💡 An idea inspired by the Harry Potter franchise
⛽ AI reselling, self-improving agents, $450 to $250m + more
🔍 Eye-tracking glasses, Revolut’s founder, a Shark Tank pitch + more
🍻 An idea to keep your house clean
Let’s goooo 🚀
💡 Dynamic AI Audiobooks
A sound idea
Name.com domain: castscape.io
👤 Source: I listen to a lot of audiobooks. This feels like the next iteration of the format…
❌ Problem:
I have a confession to make - I’ve never read the Harry Potter books. I know, I know. That’s why a while back I decided to give them a listen on Audible, where I came across the full cast recordings of the books, which are epic. Different actors for each character, beautiful music and soundscapes.
Which got me thinking…why can’t all audiobooks have a similarly amazing listening experience? With AI, I think you can. Here’s the idea.
✅ Solution:
Launch Castscape, a platform that uses AI to turn books into immersive audio experiences, complete with distinct character voices, soundscapes and music.
Authors and publishers upload their manuscripts, approve the cast and edit each scene. Listeners hear the tavern chatter, the approaching footsteps and the storm outside, with controls to dial the drama up or down.
Charge per finished book, with subscription plans for publishers producing multiple titles.
🧑💻 Prototyping: Demo
💡 The Half Baked Take: How we’d validate this? Build an MVP around books in the public domain, share them across socials and see what the uptake is like.
Rate this idea
🤖 Your AI Assistant Needs Less Hand-Holding
Still extracting last year’s data, pasting it into AI and explaining yourself twice? Very efficient.
Omnisend’s BFCM AI playbook has 12 prompts for performance, deliverability, segmentation and campaign planning. Connect Claude or ChatGPT and work in one chat.
New to Omnisend? It’s email and SMS for ecommerce. Use HALFBAKED30 for 30% off paid plans.
⛽ Fuel for Taking Action
💡 Idea Inspo
Request for Startup: ChatPRD founder and AI guru Claire Vo says token fraud has cost her tens of thousands of dollars. This feels like a huge opportunity…
Side Hustle Idea: Back in high school, Product Hunt founder Ryan Hoover says he sold hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of products on eBay with this side hustle. The AI version of this in 2026 would be amazing.
🛠️ 10xecution
Tutorial: Here’s how to build a self-improving agent system with Claude Fable 5 in just 14 steps.
AI Tool: Never know which Claude model to use? This guide from Anthropic themselves will tell you everything you need to know.
🤑 Money Shot(s)
Young Money: This college student turned $450 of sewer pipe and yoga mats into a business he says has made $250M in lifetime sales. Here’s how he did it.
Bag Secured: These two guys from New Zealand built a business The New York Times Company is reportedly in talks to buy for $330 million. Here’s how.
💬 Give Repeat Support Questions To Fin
You started a company. Somehow, answering the same support question became a recurring calendar event.
Fin is an AI agent for customer service that helps resolve frontline queries while your team handles the conversations that need a person.
Train it on your support knowledge, test changes before they reach customers, and review conversations to keep improving its answers.
Give your team room to tackle the tricky stuff. Your next copy-and-paste reply can wait.
🔍 Everything Else From Today
🚀 Just Launched: Fitness trackers are a dime a dozen these days. But what about a fitness tracker for your eyes? That’s exactly what these guys just built.
🎧 Must-Listen: Nik Storonsky, the founder of Revolut, is on Cheeky Pint. He’s one of the highest-signal, lowest-noise founders out there. 100% worth listening to.
📺 Must-Watch: These two Dads went on Shark Tank with their AI-powered smart foam ball. Sick product, crazy outcome!
✖️ Trending Tweet: This mega viral, 10-second video is the perfect metaphor for entrepreneurship. Shoot your shot.
⭐️ Reader’s Pick: Another look at custom LEGO sets from your own ideas, yesterday’s eligible click leader at this morning’s snapshot.
🍻 Drunk Idea: Shoe-Washing Welcome Mat
Tired of people bringing muck into your house? Wish every guest entered your house with incredibly clean shoes?
Introducing Footwell™, a miniature car wash at your front door. Slide each shoe through soap jets, spinning brushes and a blast of warm air. The premium cycle adds a wax finish.
Footwell™ - Oh, heel no.
Vote
👋 That’s All Folks
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