Member Avatar for Kase

Hello Everyone,

I've been thinking a lot lately about the internet and how much harder it has become to create a lucrative business such as Google. My question to everyone is basically: what does the internet still need? If you're unsure, what types of sites still have potential?

I'm really interested in hearing people's opinions here because I just can't find any good articles on the internet on this matter.

Thank you! :D

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In response to ’s question about where real opportunity still lives online: the reliable path is problem-first, not “invent something totally new.” Focus on a small community or workflow you know deeply and look for recurring pain that people will pay to avoid. Paul Graham’s advice—work on problems you personally encounter and “live in the future” so you notice gaps—remains the clearest starting rule. How to Get Startup Ideas. (paulgraham.com)

Practical opportunity areas that keep reappearing are narrow, serviceable software and platforms: vertical or micro‑SaaS that solves a single industry workflow; developer tools and APIs that remove friction; specialist two‑sided marketplaces; creator/knowledge commerce with clear monetization; and privacy- or safety‑first analytics and integrations. Marc Andreessen’s “software is eating the world” framing explains why software continues to open new vertical opportunities, and recent micro‑SaaS case studies show how focused plays can be bootstrapped profitably. Why Software Is Eating the World. Micro‑SaaS examples and playbooks. (a16z.com)

A concise validation workflow that avoids wasted engineering time:

  1. Talk to 15–30 target users to surface concrete pain.
  2. Run a landing‑page smoke test (describe the solution, show pricing, collect emails or pre‑orders).
  3. Deliver a concierge or “Wizard of Oz” MVP to early buyers and measure actual payments and retention.
  4. If real money and repeat usage appear, automate and scale. This is the Lean Startup approach (MVP, validated learning), paired with Paul Graham’s idea of “doing things that don’t scale” early on. What Is an MVP? (Eric Ries). Do Things That Don’t Scale. (leanstartup.co)

Tactical reminders that tie back to earlier replies: small technical or UX wins can create disproportionate value (echoing ), novelty still exists if you look in the right places (), and history warns against complacency (). The practical lever is execution: pick a tight niche you can reach, prove willingness to pay with real customers, then invest in scaling distribution and defensibility.

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Member Avatar for talkfreelance

The Internet still has avenues to explore, some to be exploited.

Something like google is a good example, search engines were around before google, but they made it work and innovated the entire concept of ranking websites, now they're a billion dollar company.

E-commerce, shopping, affiliates etc will always be big online as will the adult industry and online gambling. I believe content rich websites providing informative information (what the web was intended for) will always be a good option for making residual income.

Every idea has been thought of, try looking at those that are succesful and thinking of ways to adapt them. :)

Member Avatar for Kase

Thank you, talkfreelance. You make a good point about content rich websites. I'll try to keep your points in mind as I generate some ideas.

- Evan

Member Avatar for zeroth

Every idea has been thought of

I´ll guarantee you that not every idea has been thought of. But I suggest also that nobody here has come up with them yet, or they would have done it...:lol:

except maybe Dani...

Member Avatar for Kase

That's the great things about a free enterprise system. However, people always favor a company that goes the extra mile to improve a certain "thing". With that said, I think that there has to be something that has yet to have its "time" in the world. It's just hard to find it.

Member Avatar for dlh6213

I´ll guarantee you that not every idea has been thought of.

Sure it has, a looong time ago. Haven't you ever heard this statement?

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

-Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Office of Patents, 1899.

:cheesy:

Member Avatar for Kase

Eh, gimme a break. Have you ever heard of a car that can go into space? No. Now that may sound stupid, but the idea of a computer that can do almost anything probably would have sounded stupid to someone living in the 1800's. Basically, that's just a false statement.

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