3 Startup Ideas: Mouse Jigglers, Employee Monitoring Softwares and Photoshop Copycats
12 Jul 2024 (2 months ago)
Devices helping the overemployed cheat on their bosses
- Mouse jigglers simulate mouse movement to make it appear that an employee is actively working, allowing them to bypass employee monitoring software.
- Employee monitoring software, such as Hubstaff, is used by many employers to track remote workers' productivity.
- Companies like Tech 8 USA capitalize on this trend by selling mouse jigglers and other devices that help employees circumvent employee monitoring software.
- Despite ethical concerns, Tech 8 USA has experienced significant success.
22M ARR side hustle catching mouse jigglers
- Hubstaff, an employee monitoring software, started as a side project in 2019 or 2020.
- The founder shared his revenue milestones publicly on Indie Hackers, reaching $10,000, $50,000, and $200,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) before the pandemic.
- During the pandemic, Hubstaff's revenue exploded to $22 million in ARR.
- The founder used to share metrics publicly but stopped as the company grew too big.
- Hubstaff has over 15,000 paying customers.
- The speaker expresses concerns about employees using mouse jigglers to fake productivity.
- Considers using employee monitoring software to detect such behavior.
- Acknowledges the ethical implications of employee monitoring.
- Isaac, the moderator of the subreddit r/overemployed, launched a website called overemployed.com.
- The website promotes the "overemployed" lifestyle, where individuals work multiple remote jobs simultaneously to achieve financial freedom.
- Isaac's website offers various resources, including reviews of mouse jigglers, personal finance tools, and access to a paid Discord community.
- The overemployed community has grown significantly, with over 60,000 members on Isaac's Discord server.
- Members openly discuss strategies for managing multiple jobs and share tips on how to avoid detection by employers.
- The community provides a sense of belonging and support for individuals pursuing the overemployed lifestyle.
Is this a good strategy for financial freedom?
- The "overemployed" trend involves individuals working multiple jobs simultaneously, often in the tech industry, which raises ethical concerns and may not be sustainable or effective in the long run.
- It is important to consider the ethical implications and potential consequences before engaging in such practices.
- The speaker shares an anecdote about a student who spent hours creating a perfect cheat sheet instead of studying, highlighting the inefficiency of such an approach, which is similar to the concept of "overemployment."
Big Desk Energy
- Tyler Den, founder of Beehive, created a popular Spotify playlist called "Big Desk Energy" and turned it into a newsletter to gain insights into his customers' pain points.
- By using his own product, Tyler gained valuable insights into user interactions and preferences, enabling him to make informed decisions about product development and improvements.
- Beehive's success stems from Tyler's ability to identify a niche market (individuals with cool personal websites) and create a tailored tool that meets their specific needs.
- The speaker highlights three startup ideas: mouse jigglers, employee monitoring software, and Photoshop copycats, and achieved success by undercutting the market price for mouse jigglers.
- The speaker considers having a personal website and listening to Kid Rock as strong indicators of someone being interesting.
Life hack: Intentional internet consumption
- To consume information effectively, create an "info diet" with diverse sources and explore early blog posts or interviews of successful individuals like Brian Koppelman to gain insights into their strategies.
- Write about what fascinates and inspires you rather than trying to strategize the writing process. Genuine passion captivates readers and makes writing more enjoyable and effective.
- There are two approaches to business: the calculated strategic approach, which involves market research and demand testing, and the fascination-driven approach, which involves working on things that genuinely interest you.
- The fascination-driven approach is more successful because it generates excitement and genuine care for solving problems.
- Stay unique and avoid toning down your content to appeal to a wider audience. Packaging and presentation should align with the content's essence rather than solely focusing on maximizing clicks and views.
Indie hacking on steroids
- Clement P created a free Photoshop alternative called Photopea, earning around $300,000 per month.
- CL developed Pikimove, a free alternative to Adobe After Effects, which gained significant popularity on social media platforms.
- Pikimove provides all the features of After Effects without requiring a subscription fee.
- A mysterious individual with a limited online presence created a unique and impressive After Effects project that caught the attention of a YouTuber.
- The project showcased the creator's dedication and artistic approach to programming, taking approximately a year and a half to complete.
- Despite not personally using After Effects, the YouTuber acknowledged the exceptional nature of the project and expressed admiration for the creator's talent and dedication.
Shaan tries a self-driving car, becomes evangelist
- Self-driving cars are now operating in San Francisco, offering a driverless transportation experience.
- Despite the slightly higher cost compared to Uber, the writer was willing to pay for the convenience of the driverless feature.
- Minor issues, such as the car not stopping immediately, are understandable given the early stage of the technology.
- The writer finds the self-driving feature of their Tesla X to be a redeeming quality, making them feel more comfortable than manual driving.
- The future of transportation involves driver assistance and autonomous vehicles, potentially making car ownership obsolete as ride-sharing services and autonomous vehicles become more prevalent.
Secondary effects of autonomous vehicles
- Reduction in traffic-related deaths.
- Improved traffic flow due to autonomous vehicles' precise driving.
- Increased car utilization rate, leading to fewer cars on the road and reduced parking needs.
- Enhanced productivity or relaxation during travel time in self-driving cars.
- Comparison of autonomous vehicles to elevators and airplanes in terms of trust and safety.
- Belief that autonomous vehicles will become significantly better in the future.
- Preference for cars with driver assistance features.
Ryan Serhant’s Netflix show
- The Netflix show "Owning Manhattan" follows real estate broker Ryan Serhant as he leaves his brokerage to start his own firm and become the top brokerage firm in New York.
- The show combines luxury real estate, big money deals, agent drama, and Serhant's confident, successful, stylish, and charming personality.
- The show highlights the intense competition in the real estate industry.
- Jonathan, a 25-year-old model-turned-YouTuber, is described as cocky and arrogant, but Ryan believes in his talent despite concerns about his attitude and behavior.
- Jonathan's unique style, including neck tattoos, attracts attention but raises doubts about his credibility in certain business settings.
Don’t try to be noticed; try to be great.
- Ryan's quote about focusing on greatness rather than seeking attention resonates with the speaker and others.
- The speaker acknowledges his large fan base of young men and expresses surprise at his basic TV choices, emphasizing the importance of non-intellectual pursuits and relaxation.
- Despite initial reservations, the speaker finds Ryan to be genuine and not a scam artist.
- A YouTube video discusses three startup ideas, but the main focus is on a real estate agent who has successfully built a business and media empire by using a Netflix show as a marketing tool.
- The agent's strategy involves creating entertaining content that inherently markets his business, similar to the Kardashians' use of media to build their beauty empire.
- The agent's success demonstrates the concept of "content market fit," where standalone entertainment can generate business opportunities.
- Despite his intense personality, the agent's work ethic and dedication are praised.