Item — HN Reader

> One of the biggest things holding people back from doing great work is the fear of making something lame.

Any evidence to back up this claim? Maybe it's true for SV where there are a lot of angel investors. For me, the biggest blocker for starting a "lame" idea is money. Ideally, Fuck-You Money + capital to prove the business model.

An example of lame idea: A new footwear company. The main goal would be to optimize for minimal waste. Shoes designed to last 10x the time. The would cost more to purchase, but the cost per month would be the same - so something like a subscription model would need to be in place.

2 comments

If the shoe lasted 10x as long, why would you need a subscription? Buy it once, no need to buy it again for 10 years?

Because the initial price would be steep. Let's say you spend $70 dollars on shoes and they last 2 years, so that's $350 for 10 years. It would be hard to design a single pair of shoes, especially at the beginning, at lasts 10 years. The goal would be to replace that pair after 5 years.

No one would pay $350 for a pair of shoes from an unknown company, but if I'd offer them for $3/month it's a different story.

I spend $15 on shoes and they last a year and a half, even though I'm a runner. That's about $100 for 10 years.

And if they stop paying they return the shoes? This sounds more like a loan than a subscription.

I mean you can already buy really nice expensive leather shoes that will last a long time. To last even longer you buy two pairs and alternate them. You can also then get the sole redone if the upper remains in good shape.

Is there a company that give you 10 years warranty?