The Only 4 Startup Ideas That Actually Work
A simple check on where your startup lives could change its entire trajectory
By Saul Garlick
When you strip away all the pitch decks, jargon, and hype, startup success boils down to a deceptively simple truth: most products fail because they don’t deliver real value. If you’re not solving a core problem or tapping into a deep human drive, the market won’t care—no matter how sleek your app or how visionary your vision board.
For a while investors and advisors of startups were obsessed with one question: Is your idea a vitamin or a painkiller? In other words: Is your product a “nice-to-have” or a “need-to-have”. Apart from the reality that wants and needs have never dictated American consumption (I’ll start there), I don’t think that question was a very good one. It’s too binary, it doesn't explain why Netflix succeeded, or Facebook, or Pinterest. It doesn’t explain why we go to the movies, or why we buy fair trade coffee. Basically, I believe the framework behind the question is reductive to the point of being unhelpful.
So, what does work? After studying thousands of startups, talking to founders, and being in the trenches myself, I’ve come to believe there are four types of startup solutions that have a real chance of breaking through the noise:
1. Make the Customer Money
This is the holy grail for B2B startups and why the “ROI calculator” lives on so many SaaS landing pages. It works for B2C as well–and explains the proliferation of ebay in the early days and every other online marketplace. If you can clearly show that your product helps your customer earn more revenue—whether by closing more deals, improving ad conversions, or optimizing pricing—you’re directly tied to their growth.
Why it works: Revenue is universal. Even if the budget is tight, if you can credibly promise more revenue, decision-makers will listen.
Examples:
HubSpot → Helps businesses grow leads and close sales.
Shopify → Enables merchants to generate online income.
Stripe → Simplifies online payments to unlock new revenue.
2. Save the Customer Money
This isn’t as sexy as helping someone make money, but in tough markets or mature industries, cost reduction is king. Startups that help people or companies cut expenses—on labor, materials, time, or overhead—can become indispensable.
Why it works: Every company wants to protect their margins. And every consumer wants to stretch their dollar.
Examples:
Zoom → Replaced expensive business travel with video calls.
Gusto → Saves companies time and money managing payroll and benefits.
Robinhood → Eliminated trading fees for retail investors (sort of).
3. Improve the Customer’s Quality of Life
This category often gets overlooked in startup circles because it sounds “soft.” But improving someone’s health, mental well-being, time with family, or sense of safety is as powerful as making or saving money—sometimes more so.
Why it works: People will pay for what protects or enhances their daily lives. The urgency is emotional, not just financial.
Examples:
Calm → Helps reduce anxiety and improve sleep.
Peloton → Combines fitness, convenience, and community.
Whoop → Gives athletes personalized insights to improve recovery and health.
4. Entertain the Customer
Humans are wired for stories, play, and connection. If your startup helps people escape, laugh, compete, or feel something meaningful, you’re not selling a product—you’re selling an experience. And that’s incredibly sticky.
Why it works: Entertainment taps into core emotional needs: identity, belonging, joy, curiosity. People will make time (and spend money) for it.
Examples:
TikTok → An infinite scroll of dopamine and creativity.
Netflix → On-demand storytelling at scale.
Fortnite → Turned gaming into social performance art.
So, Which One Are You Building?
If you’re working on a startup—or investing in one—ask yourself which of these four values it delivers. If the answer is “none of the above,” it might be time to revisit the drawing board. But if you’re hitting at least one, and doing it better or differently than others, you might just have something real.
Great startups aren’t built on trends. They’re built on value.