Products I'd Pay For, 2020 Edition – Dominic Monn

The term "gig workers" was coined by Uber drivers, delivery people, couriers and data labellers. But the term should go further and also include "experts" of their industry, and if you have the background, you can build a very niche platform around it.

(8) Expert gig workers

This one sounds ambitious, but I've seen several people go through the process of this now, and while it takes some upfront investment (a couple $1,000s) and a bit of courage to do something physical, it's also a pretty safe way to make a return.

(7) Local Communities for "Solo-Workers"

A decade or so ago, people started realizing that every single idea on the internet has been done before. What started was a trend towards hyper-niching. Nowadays, you can find very specific blogs on Labrador Training raking in 200,000 monthly users, but if you'd start a "Dog Training" site today, you would never get to that point.

Earlier this year I was looking for this and didn't find an adequate solution. I believe that the Reddit-/HN-way of leading a community is quite productive. As the connection between a chat and a forum, it provides the perfect mix between a casual exchange and productive discussions.

(5) A niche HackerNews generator

Looking back, I've found that the things that really move people show up as Twitter Trends first. This is the place where I learn about the latest natural disaster, an active shooting or more often than not, the birthday of a K-Pop idol.

A trend I saw in 2019 was to implement carbon offset charges, even in small businesses. People started donating based on revenue during a promotion, or planted a tree for every $10 they made. A good initiative!