[ladybro]

Solve a problem that you or people around you have.

I know It's frustrating to hear that over and over again, but you have to actively keep your eyes open to the inefficiencies around you ("live in the future") and eventually you'll discover a problem that needs solving.

PG's essay on this is a good one that helped me choose what to work on: http://www.paulgraham.com/startupideas.html

[icebraining]

My problem is that the people around me have no money to pay for the solution. How do you get around that?

[Mz]

That probably isn't literally true. If you come up with a solution that is worth more to them than the cost to them, people will find the money.

And if it is literally true, then you look at uncoupling monetization from the end point user. There are a number of ways to do that. Historically, TV was supported by ads. Viewers bought TVs, but broadcast stations did not directly charge viewers for watching TV. Instead, they broadcast for free, but included ads.

It is another layer of complication, but it isn't outright a charity model. Plenty of for profit businesses have a less direct monetization strategy than simply charging the end user for their use of it.

[icebraining]

If you come up with a solution that is worth more to them than the cost to them, people will find the money.

Yes, that is true. Unfortunately, that essentially means competing with the things that cost them currently, and that's mostly rent and basic utilities, which are heavily regulated markets dominated by state-supported companies. You could sell to them, but then it's no longer "solve the problems of people around you" but solve the problems of huge corporations, which is quite different.

You're still right, it's just a discouraging prospect.

Plenty of for profit businesses have a less direct monetization strategy than simply charging the end user for their use of it.

That's also very true. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with ads, since I dislike the concept, but recognize that I and many others who couldn't afford online services have greatly benefited from the redistributive effects of ads. Still, I wouldn't use them as my revenue source.

Unfortunately, except for ads and a fremium model, I don't see many ways to do this decoupling.

[Mz]

It is a problem space I am abundantly familiar with. I certainly feel your pain. The fact that I want to offer solutions for people with serious problems that keep them trapped in poverty helps contribute to my own lack of funds.

I do have ads on my websites. I also have a tip jar and Patreon. I don't make much money, but I make more than I used to.

So, I get that you probably feel like your problem is being dismissed. It isn't. I am right there in the trenches with you and telling you what I know from long, hard firsthand experience.

You haven't given any details, so I can't try to give specifics. I can only speak in generalities, because you are only speaking in generalities.

I may not be the best person to talk to about how to make money. I don't seem especially talented at that. But I may know a lot more than most people on HN about trying to solve problems that seem impossible to monetize, and I am making headway on monetizing them anyway, against long odds.

[icebraining]

No, no, I don't think you're being dismissive! I appreciate that you've taken the time to reply seriously to my whiny rant.

I haven't given details because I don't really have any, it's just a general feeling of foreignness I've had since I started reading HN and about startups. Even now that I technically could, I'd frankly feel ashamed of spending money on most of the tech trinkets that get advertised here, let alone dedicated my life to building them. And yet, I also know this is just relative - my $250 laptop is an extravagant expense for actually poor people - so I don't judge those founders. I just wish there were more startups for working-class people from where to draw inspiration.

Anyway, thanks for your patience and support :)

[Mz]

What you are describing is an error in your internal mental models, not objective reality. It is a thing I also wrestled with.

Until earlier this month, I was homeless. I spent nearly six years on the street. I still am quite poor.

Like a lot of homeless people, I had income, just not enough to purchase a middle class lifestyle. I made choices about how to spend my money. I bought cheap tablets because I make my money online. I don't make much, but a cheap tablet could readily pay for itself in short order.

I also blog. Among other things, I try to provide health information for people with CF. There is a drug for CF that costs around $300k annually, so there are people providing high priced solutions for this same problem space. My difficulties in making money aren't actually the fact that people with CF have no money. This is not stopping drug companies from putting out very expensive medications for the condition.

So, there are reasons why I, personally, cannot up and charge people with CF big bucks for my help. But those reasons are not actually because they simply don't have the money, even though it is true that people with CF tend to be dirt poor.

While homeless, I shopped sometimes at second hand stores that had a lot of homeless clientele and I got payday loans. That was an eye opening growth experience for me.

If you provide real value and the right price point, even poor people can buy your product. If you think this is not true, you are dealing with some kind of emotional baggage, not actual market reality.

Best.