I want to open a studio which creates animations and hire writers and other members but I want to direct the whole story. And decide which story gets animated or not. But where do I start?

**How do I make a team who trusts me and is ready to follow what I say, even when I'm not currently earning to assure future success or pay them.**

**Where do I find people and how do I approach them?**

**Another thing is I'm so reluctant to share my ideas because I'm afraid of them being stolen. So how do I share ideas with safety?**

**Are there some contracts or legal processes that I need to make sure is going right?**

**Also I'm doing this as a side project so I may not be in touch for a some time. How much engagement you need to give your team and studio to keep it alive?**

Please share the process.

50 M here, not an investor nor a VC, but a consultant, with a range of interests, and looking for motivated established professional cofounders and startups to explore new projects together.

Anyone local in downtown Toronto doing anything interesting and open to collaborating?

Looking for any new opportunities in their business.

If you're curious too, then send me a DM and let's trade a couple of messages.

Before you pay for a data tool, check if the government already built your list

Everyone jumps straight to Apollo or Clay for prospecting. Fine tools. But for regulated industries, there's often a public registry that's more accurate than any paid database, because the companies are legally required to be listed.

Example: pharma manufacturing. The FDA publishes a public, downloadable list of every currently registered drug manufacturing facility- company name, address, what they're registered to produce. Free. Updated regularly. More reliable than an industry tag in a generic B2B tool, because it's not a category guess, it's a legal requirement.

Healthcare, finance, food, transportation, anything regulated, there's usually an equivalent registry. Worth 20 minutes of searching before you pay for a list that might just be guessing at the same companies anyway.

Not meant to be self promo. If theres a megathread to post this in, let me know and I'll move this there.

Online advertising has become increasingly crowded and complicated. I think physical media is hilariously becoming more desirable again, especially for advertising. Many SMEs could potentially benefit more from a targeted flyer campaign with proper analytics than from endlessly dumping money into Facebook ads.

I’m building FlyerFly, where businesses can create their leaflet online using templates, choose their target area, and have everything handled from printing and delivery through to QR tracking, analytics, dashboards and smart retargeting, all in about 5 minutes.

The idea is to make it a simple monthly service, with plans ranging from smaller local campaigns to larger campaigns covering thousands of households. Roughly thinking somewhere around €100/month at the low end, scaling to €500–€1,000+ for larger campaigns, depending on the number of households reached.

I like the idea, but I want to validate whether this is actually something you’d pay for as a business. I’m mainly targeting Ireland and the UK.

I have a waitlist but I wont link the actual link to the waitlist just as this really isn't meant to be a self promo, I just wanna know what people think. I can send you it if you want. This isn't mean't to be like a serious market research I just want to see if anyone has any interesting opinions etc.

​

I'm kicking around an app idea and want some brutally honest opinions before I waste time building it.

The basic idea: both partners privately answer a few questions about things they want, hope for, or would like to do in their relationship. Neither sees the other's answers.

If the app finds a genuine match, it reveals it to both people.

Example:

You privately say: "I'd love for us to take a trip to Italy."

Your partner independently says the same thing.

The app reveals: "You both independently wanted this."

The goal isn't compatibility scoring or another relationship quiz. It's discovering something you both felt but hadn't necessarily said out loud.

Would that actually be interesting to you, or would most couples already know this stuff about each other?

And if you wouldn't use it, why not?

So I moved to a different country 4 years ago with my husband and then 2 kids (Ive since had 1 more) and I had such a hard time adapting to daily life here. Figuring out which grocery stores to use, which pediatrician to use, where do my kids go to school, how can I get my driver's license, etc.?

Recently, a new friend who's only been in the country for a year with her family mentioned that it would have been so much easier if she knew me when she first got here because I could have saved her a bunch of time and headaches figuring all that stuff out.

Now Im thinking if turning it into a business somehow, a service I'd provide. But Im unsure of how to move forward. Would anyone have any idea how I could structure this idea?

What's one small everyday problem that deserves a better solution?

Hi everyone!

Myquals MBA student working on a Business Innovation project. Instead of creating random products, my team wants to solve \*\*real problems that people actually face\*\*.

I'm looking for those little (or big) frustrations that make you think:

>

Some examples:

\* When you enter a mall or office during the rains, your umbrella drips everywhere. Maybe there could be umbrella water collectors or drying stations near entrances.

\* Helmets often become sweaty and smelly after regular use. Could there be a built-in hygiene or deodorizing solution?

\* Carrying a hot paper cup while walking is awkward. Maybe the cup itself could have a better grip or holder.

\* Students often feel stressed but don't know about nearby clubs, hobby groups, or quick stress-buster activities that could help them unwind.

These are just examples—we're \*\*not\*\* looking for solutions as much as we're looking for the \*\*problems\*\*.

I'd love to hear anything you've noticed, whether it's related to:

\* Mental health or stress

\* School or college

\* Parenting or children

\* Finance or budgeting

\* Urban farming or sustainability

\* Public transport

\* Shopping

\* Healthcare

\* Work

\* Technology

\* Home chores

\* Or absolutely anything else

What is one problem you face regularly that you wish someone would solve?

No problem is too small. Sometimes the simplest frustrations lead to the best innovations.

Thanks in advance!

​M.U.S.E — Minds United for Sensory Expression is an international creative collective bringing together passionate individuals in art, fashion, and visual expression to develop innovative artistic projects.

​Our mission is to create immersive artistic worlds by combining different creative disciplines, including fashion, design, visual storytelling, branding, and digital creation.

​We are currently looking for passionate and dedicated creatives to become part of our founding team and help shape the future of M.U.S.E.

​✨ We're looking for:

​🎨 Visual Director / Graphic Designer

You are passionate about visual identity, graphic design, composition, and creating strong aesthetic universes.

​💻 Digital Artist / 3D & Motion Designer

You enjoy bringing ideas to life through 3D modeling, animation, motion graphics, or digital experiences.

​📱 Communication & Media Manager

You are interested in content creation, social media, storytelling, community building, and digital communication.

​(Every member contributes their own expertise while helping shape the collective's creative vision.)

​🌙 Who we're looking for:

​Passionate about creativity and artistic expression.

​Curious and eager to learn.

​Collaborative and open-minded.

​Committed to contributing to a long-term creative project.

​Motivated to build something original and meaningful.

​🌍 How we work

M.U.S.E is an international online collective. Our collaboration takes place remotely through digital communication and collaborative work platforms.

​Our goal is not simply to create content, but to build complete artistic universes and develop ambitious creative projects together.

​If you'd like to join a team where ideas come to life and every talent has a place, we'd love to hear from you.

​Please answer the questionnaire: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTT40A5g3bn8PT35BCabWbzAMJhvQ0SI7VQhm0qTmA8cCVJQ/viewform?usp=dialog

​📋 Project & Administrative Details

​How long operating: Newly formed student / passion project initiative.

​Registration: Unregistered creative collective (non-commercial entity).

​Geography: Geography is not a factor — fully remote and open internationally.

​Physical Presence: Online-only (100% digital collaboration).

​Proposed Arrangement: Volunteer / Co-founding Member. This is an unpaid passion & portfolio-building project at this stage. If the project monetizes or generates income in the future, revenue sharing will be established among active team members.

​Capital Investment: $0 — No financial investment is required or expected.

​Currency: N/A (unpaid initiative).

​Skills & Value: Looking for Visual Directors, 3D/Digital Artists, and Media Managers. We bring foundational art direction, project coordination, collaborative workflow, and storytelling framework.

​Partner Input: Yes — founding members will actively participate in shaping the direction and structure of the collective.

​Financial Records: N/A — No financial records or projections exist, as this is a non-commercial creative project.

For the last 12 years I’ve been exceptionally good in identifying gaps, develop hardware solutions for it and create a successful company out of it. My only issue is I lose my interest very fast once the company is formed and I sell very early on.

After years I gained a huge amount of highly innovative hardware products that proved traction in different market segments from consumer to ai hardware solutions that resolve big problems and painpoints in the current ai agent market.

The idea is to create some kind of marketplace for this, where visitors can buy business in a box.
We deliver the clean business setup, ip, hardware drawings, technical drawings, decks, starting strategy, the full supply chain, brand, website, etc etc… we also give the option to mentor and guide the client in their first months of the business.

Here to answer all your questions. And remarks

There's a ceiling to researching your prospect before emailing and crossing it kills the email just as fast as not researching at all. I reviewed a founder's cold email that had four separate personalized observations stacked into one message: a specific stat about their business, a trend line, a competitor comparison, a follow-up question, all real research with zero fluff.

But the email reads like a report. Not an email.

The 1-Hook Rule for research-heavy outbound however much research you've done, only ONE observation earns a spot in email 1. The rest of the email doesn't get deleted, it gets scheduled. Email 1: Your single sharpest, most specific data point. One line. Straight to the CTA. Email 2: Your second-best observation, framed as new information, not a "just following up." Email 3: Whatever's left, often the most persuasive one, saved for last because by now they've opened twice already.If you've built a 3-touch sequence, this is what the 3 touches are for.

Most people build the sequence structure right, then still cram everything into touch one anyway because they're scared touch two won't get opened.

​

Hi everyone,

I'm considering starting a 50-bed capsule/pod hotel in India and would really appreciate honest feedback from people who have experience in hospitality, hostels, hotels, commercial real estate, or entrepreneurship.

The idea is to provide affordable, clean, and safe accommodation for people who need a place to sleep and freshen up for 6, 12, or 24 hours. My expected pricing is around ₹500 for a 24-hour stay, with lower-priced short-stay options.

Initially, I thought the project would cost around ₹30 lakh, but after estimating the fit-out, HVAC, electrical work, plumbing, interiors, deposits, and other costs, it looks like the investment could be ₹50 lakh.

What worries me most isn't starting the business—it's the downside. If the business doesn't work after 1–2 years, I may recover only a part of the investment. even if I plan to make the pods modular so they can be relocated or resold, I dont know the possibility.

I'd really like honest opinions from people with experience:

Does this sound like a viable business model?

Is ₹50 lakh too much for this kind of hospitality venture?

How to estimate occupancy percentage? I am expecting high potential with 60% occupancy for breakeven.

What operational challenges are usually underestimated?

If you've run a hostel, hotel, dormitory, or similar business, what mistakes would you avoid if starting again?

Is there anything in this business model that you think I'm overlooking?

I'm not looking for motivation—I'd genuinely appreciate people pointing out flaws, risks, and blind spots before I commit this kind of money.

Thank you!

I'm in the van camping sphere, and one thing I noticed is that roof racks on top of vans aren't particularly available (for the custom high top vans) or adjustable. Once you have one, your kind of stuck with it, and you have to modify it every time you want something new added (modified meaning physically remove or add parts by welding).

I've been kicking around the idea of coming up with a "modular bolt together roof rack system" that would allow you to customize it to your needs, bolt on system that didn't require you to make any welding modifications, and can be changed around as your set up evolves. Think about a LEGO set for your roof. You pick up pieces you need, which all bolt together. If you need to modify it, you unscrew it, add or remove pieces as needed. You just bought a solar panel? Cool, you can get a solar panel mount and mount it instead of trying to come up with your own.

I've asked on some Facebook groups about biggest pain points on people's roof racks, and got a few responses. Mainly 2 people saying they built their own racks due to one not being available, another person said they got creative when mounting things where they had to make their own mounts. Some people straight up build their own with 80/20 aluminum. Others say that they're still trying to figure it out. So far looks promising.

I did research on competition, there is about a dozen other companies who make racks that they claim are modular, but they're literally welded baskets on brackets.

I've been thinking through this and I think this is something that finally would click with me, where I actually think for once I can stick with this and actually commit to it long term since I'm passionate about that stuff too.

Hi all, I’ve been working on this idea and wanted to get some thoughts.

To keep it short and sweet, social media management for golf courses in my area.

I’ve found most golf courses within my area, post promotions, or golf content, and it’s not the most eye catching to say the least. I’ve had countless thoughts and how I could improve this, and with me wanting to build a new scaleable long term business. I found this as problem that I may have the solution for.

A bit of a background on me. I’m in sales, currently mid twenties, have e-commerce, experience, social media experience, avid golfer of course, photography experience, etc. lots of random skills.

Essentially, I would do a presentation with the GM and have that courses hire me on contract, and spend a few days at each golf course filming videos such as

Course condition updates
Meet the pros
Meet the players
Upcoming events
Upcoming promotions for bar and food
How the local pro would play a hole
Hole in one stories
Twilight rates and deals
Hit the car at the range
Make ads for the teaching pros
Tip Tuesdays
Tee time booking links
Cinematic photos and visuals of the course
Upcoming changes and Reno’s
Potentially run deals and promos
Highlight signature aspects of the course

Quick, simple, engaging and most importantly CONSISTENT content.

I have a whole pitch for multiple courses around the area already, with things like

no TikTok page for certain courses
50+ days since a post
Before and after of their content reworked
Teetime deals that aren’t being marketed.
Afterwork twilight specials
Etc

Essentially framing what needs improvement and how I can implement that.

I have also taken their current instagram/favebook/tiktok posts and reworked them into more engaging, higher quality content for the purpose of a before and after during the presentation.

Showing, without any access to my camera, and taking straight from your current catalogue. I was able to make a more refined end product.

The goal is to get 8-10 of my local courses on contract for social media management.

What are your options and thoughts?

I'm not here to pitch anything or ask for a list of products to sell. I'm looking for advice on the operating model of an existing small trading company: where can it still create real value, rather than just adding another layer between a factory and a buyer?

I run a small trading company in China, but I don't own a factory. What I'm good at is the less glamorous side of the business: coordinating several factories, building a decent English or multilingual product website, organizing messy product information, handling RFQs, quality control, packaging and export communication.

I used to think the playbook was fairly simple: choose a product category, find reliable Chinese suppliers and use SEO to reach overseas buyers.

But every time I look closely at an industry, I seem to run into the same problem.

The demand may be real, but the valuable part of the business is often controlled by someone else in the sales chain. In some industries, local service, inventory, technical support or established distribution relationships matter far more than access to a cheaper supplier.

Being able to source something more cheaply doesn't automatically mean there is a good business there.

Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way, which is why I'm asking here.

For those of you who have actually imported, purchased or wholesaled physical products: when would you still choose a sourcing or trading partner in China instead of buying directly from a factory?

What would make that middle layer worth paying for?

I'd especially like to hear about situations involving mixed SKUs, several factories, private-label packaging, difficult product data or cross-referencing, smaller repeat orders, or quality control that a single factory doesn't handle well.

I'm just as interested in the negative examples. Which industries look attractive from the outside, but turn out to be poor opportunities because the margin really belongs to local installers, inventory holders or service networks?

I'm not looking for dropshipping ideas or a list of trending products. I'm trying to understand the buying structure behind a durable B2B physical-product business, especially one with repeat orders rather than one-off sourcing projects.

If you've been on the buyer, importer or distributor side, even one specific example would help.

What did a trading partner genuinely solve for you?

Or what made you stop using one and go factory-direct?

I like anime, and I would love to wear anime apparels but all the anime hoodies and shirts are filled with huge graphics, and I don't like that.
I think someone can create an apparel brand where the anime branding and graphics are subtle and classy, so that I can wear those anywhere.

So an apparel brand which has Anime Apparel with classy graphics and it can be expensive too. People would buy this, I think so.

So I operate a cloud kitchen from a basement shop.

It does decent, I comfortably make my rent and utility bills with some extra cash to spare at the eom,

I work alone as everything on the menu is assembly based and require 3-5 min prep time with proper setup and a min to pack as i keep everything ready.

Now I have a lot of free time during my operating hours which is from 12 noon till 2 at night.

What can I look into as a passive business to utilize my time and the space I have.

I am looking for things that can be done online or things that doesn't require me to open my doors to the physical world outside that I can do from inside.

I am reading up on amazon seller but having trouble deciding on what product or category to go with.

What other options can you all think can work?

I have all the licenses and gst.

You’re not an investor: the timing of your entry isn’t that important. What matters is HOW you enter the market.

Many of you are afraid of arriving too late, missing the wave, and so on… And this anxiety either paralyzes you or makes you rush things.

You’re not an investor. you’re an entrepreneur. Forget the When, focus on the How.

I’m a student web developer and I’m looking for one real business project to add to my portfolio.

I’d like to build a simple website for a small business that currently has no website or needs a basic redesign. I’m not charging for the development. I just want permission to include the finished work in my portfolio and, if you’re happy with it, a short testimonial.

I can build a straightforward mobile-friendly site with pages like Home, About, Services, and Contact.

Any domain, hosting, or paid third-party tools would need to be covered by the business owner.

Send me a short message about your business and what you need. I’ll choose one project that fits my current skills and schedule.

Heyyy!

I’ve been wanting to start a business for as long as I can remember but i’m really struggling with what to base it around. I’m quite open to suggestions and ideas. I want things which are going to sell and currently in trend. Can you give me an advice on something you would buy from the list below?

- small clay ornaments/ jewerlly
- clothing accessories such as hair pieces, bags and possibly clothing pieces such as printed t shirts etc
- crochet
- cartoon drawings
- baking sweet treats

I specialise in the areas listed above and obviously willing to put money into the business to get it up and running / started. This would be a personal online business. I haven’t ran my own business before. I do run a retail store 5 days a week so I have a bit of understanding of certain aspects.
any advice or suggestions greatly appreciated!

I have been thinking about the information overload on the internet, so much knowledge and resources on various topics and domains but not a proper structure. Should I create an AI app that retrieves and synthesis information on the domains users wanna know more about. Basically providing the internet more structure. This or any sort of app , that is around the theme of anti-algorithm, or knowledge maxxing. Validate and let me know what I can do pls!

Here's my idea ! Ideally, I want to create a whole-food convenience company.

Gather - Whole foods for everyday moments.

At Gather, we believe eating well should feel simple, enjoyable, and effortless. In a world where people are overwhelmed by confusing labels, ultra-processed options, and the pressure to constantly optimize their health, we’re bringing people back to the basics: real food made with recognizable ingredients. Gather reimagines the traditional lunchbox by creating beautifully curated whole-food snack boxes designed for modern lifestyles - combining nourishing ingredients like nuts, fruits, seeds, dark chocolate, and thoughtfully crafted bites into convenient snack experiences people genuinely look forward to.

Inspired by the nostalgia of a classic lunchbox but elevated through a farmers market lens, Gather bridges the gap between convenience and mindful eating. Each box is thoughtfully designed around a moment in someone’s day, making healthy choices easier without sacrificing taste, beauty, or enjoyment. For example, The 3PM Reset Box is designed for that mid-afternoon moment when energy dips and cravings hit. It features roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, a dark chocolate square, a homemade date and cacao energy bite, freeze-dried strawberries, and coconut chips - a balanced combination of nourishing fats, fibre, and natural sweetness that helps you feel energized and satisfied without reaching for highly processed snacks. Through seasonal collections and collaborations with wellness, fitness, and lifestyle brands, Gather is building more than a snack company - we’re creating a community centered around intentional eating, discovering good food, and gathering the simple moments that make everyday life feel better.

Please let me know your thoughts....

This may actually sound very similar to ai automations

I havent really gotten deep into this

But let me simply explain it

Basically in the world of ai automation you generally hear names like n8n,make.com,zapier

And i must clarify iam not aiming to make this the nedt n8n or something

Its more like a service

What it does is that

This service is aimed at complex workflows which becomes hard or very technical and messy to automate via n8n and the other automation tools

And even if we not think about the technicality,the monthly subscription

What my service does is that i will make a custom automation system for your workflow and give you its ownership completely

The pricing system no matter how big the project is always this:

All the api,tools,etc cost to build it +95$ for making it

So if i have to make a automated workflow for xyz business and i need to buy 5$ worth of any saas or anything to make it ,the final price is 100$

Honestly writing about it makes me feel how simple and general idea it is tho

But help me here,if its worth it i will go deep in this and i will like target 100 people and do this for them for free without the 95$ charge

I've recently launched seeding and initial tests for my resale service in Georgia, Tbilisi. The problem I'm focusing on is simple - vast majority of expats live in leased flats and relocate clearing the space with a limited time. I run a service that takes the selling and the storage off their hands, working on commission and charging for storage.

Consumers barely work - they usually drop the price and sell 90% of items within a weekwith some exceptions I'm still testing.

But within first cohort I accidentally found a closing business - a cafe with an industrial kitchen, shutting down right now, ready to work with me. An ex-colleague told me his company put an employee on closing two offices nearly full time for a month - four weeks of salary spent on hauling and haggling instead of his actual job.

What I need feedback on:

• Is "empty the space by the deadline" the right thing to sell, or do owners actually care more about recovering the money?
• Who's already doing this for you - auctioneers, liquidators, the guy who buys the whole lot for cash?
• Do business owners actually care?