AI Summary
5 min read9 Startup Ideas to Make $1M+ in 2024
The Cricket That Started It All
The episode opens not with an idea, but with a proof. A listener named Cody Schneider had pitched an idea on a previous episode: build a library of SVG files for cricket enthusiasts, using AI to generate the designs. A listener named SVG Collections took it, built it in 72 hours using off-the-shelf tools (Shopify, Midjourney, an AI vectorizer), and already had two paying customers. He's running Facebook ads, getting 50-cent emails, and drip-nurturing them into a paid subscription at $3.99/month. "This is the exact execution of what I envisioned," Schneider says. The business has near-zero marginal cost—just Meta ads. The insight: there are 10 million cricket users, and this founder is "a barnacle on the whale" of a massive, validated audience. "There's zero doubt anymore," Schneider says. "It's now just execution."
The Core Framework: Ride a Wave, Don't Educate the Market
The episode's central thesis emerges early: "I'm looking for a larger trend that I can attach myself to, because I don't want to ever educate the market. You're trying to sell things that people already want to buy." Every idea that follows is a variation on this principle—find a platform shift, an underserved niche, or a validated behavior, then build a service or product that plugs into it.
Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.
Read Full Summary →Free • No credit card required
Never miss an episode of The Startup Ideas Podcast
Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
What you'll learn
- 1 (01:12) **Opening & The Cricket SVG Success Story** - Cody shares how a listener built a functioning SaaS business (SVG Collections) from a previous podcast idea, using AI tools and a freemium model.
- 2 (06:15) **Idea 1: LinkedIn Video Agency for Founders** - A done-for-you service capitalizing on LinkedIn's new video feed, which is a blue ocean for B2B content.
- 3 (16:35) **Idea 2: AI Automation Consulting for SMBs** - Capitalize on the exploding search volume for "AI automation" by offering setup and embedded automation services.
- 4 (22:51) **Idea 3: AI Graphic Designer (Brand-First Asset Generator)** - A SaaS that takes a brand style guide and instantly generates usable marketing assets (thumbnails, headers, ads).
- 5 (29:31) **Idea 4: Done-for-You Founder Newsletter Service** - Interview founders weekly, turn transcripts into a newsletter, and grow the list by scraping their existing social followers.
- 6 (36:11) **Idea 5: YouTube Thumbnail & Title Library (Data-Backed)** - A subscription library of proven thumbnail/title combinations, scraped from top-performing YouTube videos.
- 7 (50:18) **Idea 6: Canva Video Captioning App** - A simple Canva plugin that auto-captions videos using Whisper, with karaoke-style options.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Join us for an engaging conversation with Cody Schneider, Co-founder of Swell AI, as we explore a wide range of startup ideas and business opportunities. In this episode, we dive into the potential of LinkedIn short-form video agencies, SaaS startup opportunities, and why AI graphic designer can be huge. Cody shares his insights on why building an audience is crucial for any founder's success. Whether you're aiming to launch your first million-dollar business or are curious about cutting-edge entrepreneurial strategies, this episode is packed with actionable advice and inspiration. Don’t miss this essential guide to launching a successful startup!
Want more free ideas? I collect the best ideas from the pod and give them to you for free in a database. Most of them cost $0 to start (my fav)
Get access: gregisenberg.com/30startupideas
🚀 My FREE 5 day email course to learn how to build a business of the future using the ACP funnel:
https://www.communityempire.co/free-course
🎯 To build your own portfolio businesses powered by community you might enjoy my membership.
You'll get my full course with all my secrets on building businesses, peer-groups to keep you accountable, business ideas every single month and more!
Spots are limited.
https://www.communityempire.co/
📬 Join my free newsletter to get weekly startup insights for free:
https://www.gregisenberg.com
70,000+ people are already subscribed.
FIND ME ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
FIND CODY ON SOCIAL
Cody’s startup: https://www.swellai.com/
X/Twitter: https://tinyurl.com/5fjdn8d7
LinkedIn: https://tinyurl.com/28e89f5r
To scale your revenue faster with conversion-focused creative sign up to https://designscientist.com
Episode Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
06:17 Startup Idea 1: LinkedIn Short Form Video Agency
16:34 Startup Idea 2: Automation Agency
22:52 Startup Idea 3: AI Graphic Designer
29:32 Startup Idea 4: Newsletter in a Box
36:12 Startup Idea 5: Youtube Thumbnail Builder/Directory
45:34 Startup Idea 6: Content as a Service
50:10 Startup Idea 7: Canva Subtitler
52:59 Startup Idea 8: Airline Deals Aggregator
1:00:05 Startup Idea 9: Quickbooks for specific niche
1:07:47 The Goal of SIP
1:11:50 The Power of the Internet
1:16:26 High level Content Strategy
More from this podcast
The Startup Ideas Podcast →