An essay by John Melonakos
Startup Ideas that I Dropped During Undergrad
When evaluating various startup ideas, there are many filters to apply. It is a very selective process. The idea that is selected may likely become the next decade of your life, so the bar needs to be high.
During my undergrad, I tried a number of startup ideas. Here are some of ideas I tried and why I left those behind:
- Tutor Matchmaking Website – several of my undergrad buddies started this and invited me to join. I felt like there were too many “friends” getting involved already, too many other distractions (like studies and getting married), and was not thrilled by the tutoring business.
- VHS to DVD Conversion Business – I thought it would be cool to help families digitize their videos. I took out a $60 ad in the local paper and did not receive a single call. I realized it was not going to be a simple deluge of demand and gave up.
- Handheld Chemical and Biological Warfare Agent Detector – During my senior year of undergrad, I joined the Torion Technologies startup as one of the earliest employees. I left because I was just a hired hand and did not have the chemistry skills needed to offer centrally valuable contributions.
Tomorrow I will share the graduate school ideas that I left behind before settling on AccelerEyes.
What ideas did you explore before settling on your current startup?