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Howdy Founders 🤠,

There’s one phrase I’ve clung to throughout my journey as a founder,

“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”

For me, a lot of my preparation has been around learning new things and creating small projects that speed me up later. For example I made a boilerplate git repo for building NextJS apps with Stripe and Firebase so I could setup new SaaS ideas in 5 minutes instead of re-writing everything from scratch.

This let’s me go from idea to MVP super quickly (although sometimes to my downfall, I own a few too many domains now). When “opportunity” hits I’m more “prepared”

I personally think there are some interesting opportunities / niches in user generated media via AI. So I decided I would make a basic image gen app and use the code as a NextJS image gen boilerplate!

Let's Talk About:

• Opportunities in AI around Generating Media 🎥

• Small Business and Marketing Fears 😱

• Idea of the week 💡

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Opportunities in AI around Generating Media

Lately I’ve been obsessed with searching for underserved keywords with tools like SemRush. I recently discovered the “AI Card Generation” demand that isn’t really being served at all right now.

Check out these keywords, decent traffic volume with super low Keyword Difficulty

How does this tie into luck = preparation + opportunity?

I don’t know if anything will come from this but I’m investing in the future of niche image generation platforms. I built an image gen platform of my own using NextJS and Replicate for the AI backend to turn prompts into images with Flux

This first go around cards may not be it, but now I’ve got a repository with all the hard work of setting up image generation done. It’s basically just a prompt change and we can generate anything else.

What other niches can you think of that might be interesting?

Small Business and Marketing Fears

In other news, I just threw a birthday party for my soon-to-be six-year-old! It was a blast—we rented a bounce house from a local small business and set it up in the backyard. At the peak of the party, I had about 20 to 30 kids and adults running through my house. Chaos? Absolutely. Worth it? Definitely.

How does this relate to business? Well if you’re a freak like me you talk about business with everyone and anytime you see small business owners at work you can’t help but chat their head off while they’re trying to do their job.

We rented the bounce house from a wonderful couple here in Austin. As a bonus, they threw in the Hawaiian ice machine, complete with cups and a variety of syrups to create custom flavors. All of this for about $350—a steal if you ask me. Naturally, my curiosity got the better of me, and I had to dive into the financials of their operation.

I found myself asking:

• "How much does a bounce house cost to buy?"

• "How many rentals do you do in a day?"

• "What's your marketing plan?"

They were gracious enough to indulge my interrogation. Business is booming for them—they had around seven bookings just that day! But here's the real insight I gleaned from our conversation.

I suggested, "You could probably secure repeat customers easily by keeping track of birthdays and marketing to them annually, right?"

Surprisingly, this hadn't occurred to them. They primarily rely on Facebook ads and have joined various millennial mom groups but don't market to previous customers via email. When I asked why, they gave a response I've heard from many founders:

"I don't want to spam or annoy them."

Here's the important thing to remember, and I shared this with them as well: If a customer isn't converting from your ad or email, it's not because they read it, pondered it, and decided against it.

Consider this:

• 65% of the time, they're not even reading your email.

• 34% of the time, they read it and intend to buy again but get distracted.

• 1% read it and feel annoyed.

You probably don't want that 1% as customers anyway. So go ahead—share your content, market your services, get your name out there. Chances are, most people don't even know you exist yet, and your content is vanishing into the digital void.

Idea of the Week 💡

Title: Local Business Collaboration Platform

Concept:

A platform designed to connect local small businesses for collaboration on joint promotions, events, and cross-marketing opportunities. By fostering partnerships, businesses can expand their reach, share resources, and strengthen their community presence.

How It Works:

• Business Networking:

  • Local businesses create profiles highlighting their services, target audience, and collaboration interests.

  • The platform uses this information to suggest compatible partners (e.g., a bakery partnering with a coffee shop).

• Collaboration Opportunities:

  • Provides a directory of upcoming local events where businesses can participate together.

  • Facilitates the creation of joint promotions like bundled deals or co-hosted events.

• Resource Sharing:

  • Offers tools for creating co-branded marketing materials, such as flyers, social media posts, and email campaigns.

  • Includes templates and guidelines to make the process seamless.

• Communication Tools:

  • In-platform messaging and forums allow businesses to discuss ideas and plan collaborations.

  • Regular webinars or workshops on effective partnership strategies.

• Analytics and Feedback:

  • Tracks the performance of joint initiatives, providing insights on customer engagement and ROI.

  • Allows businesses to rate and review partnerships to build a trusted network.

Why It's a Good Idea:

• Expands Customer Base:

  • By partnering with complementary businesses, you can tap into each other’s customer networks.

• Cost-Effective Marketing:

  • Sharing marketing efforts reduces individual costs and maximizes impact.

• Strengthens Community Ties:

  • Encourages a supportive local business ecosystem, benefiting the wider community.

• Enhances Customer Experience:

  • Offers customers added value through unique collaborations and events.

• Competitive Edge:

  • Differentiates local businesses from larger chains by providing personalized, community-focused offerings.

So there you have it—a glimpse into my world of perpetual preparation and opportunistic adventures. From dabbling in AI-generated greeting cards to grilling bounce house entrepreneurs about their marketing strategies, it's all part of the journey.

Remember, luck isn't some magical force; it's the byproduct of being ready when opportunities present themselves. Whether it's having a boilerplate project ready to launch the next big thing in AI media or spotting gaps in small business marketing tactics, preparation is key.

I'd love to hear from you:

• What niches do you think could benefit from AI-generated media?

• Have you ever discovered a business opportunity in an unexpected place?

• Do you have thoughts on pricing models for platforms like aiGenerated.cards?

Feel free to hit reply and share your insights, ideas, or even your own stories of preparation meeting opportunity.

Until next time, keep exploring those niches, don't shy away from striking up conversations (even at birthday parties), and remember—sometimes the best opportunities are just a casual chat away.

Love you 🙂,

Ronald