AI Summary
5 min readFrom Water Sommeliers to Mac Apps: Three Startup Ideas Worth Stealing
The episode opens with a surprising discovery: Martin Reese, a water sommelier who spent 20 years in restaurants, is now blowing up on social media. Greg and Jordan have both seen his TikTok videos—he walks into Costco and reviews different bottled waters. The hosts use this as a launching point: "That just goes to show you, you can be whoever you want to be." The throughline of the episode is that the best startup ideas often come from noticing friction in everyday life, then building something simple that removes that friction—whether it's a directory, a productivity tool, or a merch service.
The Sommelier Framework and the Directory of Clean
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Rebrand & Water Sommelier Trend** - The hosts introduce the podcast's new name, "The Startup Ideas Podcast," and discuss the trend of niche expertise, using the example of Martin Reese, the "water sommelier."
- 2 (03:03) **Live Oasis: A Water Directory Business** - Jordan shares a website called Live Oasis, a directory of water brands with tap water ratings, and the hosts critique its paywalled business model.
- 3 (08:38) **The "Sommelier for X" Framework** - The conversation shifts to the trend of becoming a niche expert, using the "water sommelier" as a model for other categories.
- 4 (12:57) **Live Oasis Reimagined: The Directory of Clean** - Greg critiques the Live Oasis business model and proposes a pivot to building a "directory of clean," a broader trend he compares to the "low-fat" movement of the 80s and 90s.
- 5 (14:43) **Startup Idea: Lightweight, AI-Formatted Notes App** - Jordan pitches a startup idea for a note-taking app that combines the speed of Apple Notes with the formatting power of Notion, using AI to auto-format text.
- 6 (19:28) **Startup Idea: The "Upside Down" Desktop App** - A simple Mac app idea for a hidden, alternate desktop that stores files in a visually chaotic but organized folder, improving computer performance.
- 7 (23:51) **Startup Idea: Premium "Brand in a Box" for Swag** - A business idea for a service that provides high-quality, cut-and-sew merchandise (hats, hoodies) and fulfillment for internet-native companies, moving beyond basic print-on-demand.
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Show Notes
I’m joined by Jordan Mix, Operating Partner at Late Checkout, to discuss some of the best business ideas on his mind: a productivity app that will kill Notion, the “upside down” desktop app, a brand-in-a-box service for internet-native companies, and so much more.
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