What Web Service/Software Startup Ideas do you have?

Here’s a couple of my ideas from the last week (noticeable inspiration drawn from this blog).

1) Disposable phone numbers. A new phone number that redirects to your existing number, its easy to buy, and easy to cancel. Also has the option to send busy signal back to the caller when the owner does not wish to be disturbed. A simple solution for people who need to give out their phone number often, but want to be able to turn of non-important calls while remaining available to VIP’s.

2) E-mail authentication. One of the major reasons for e-mail spam (in my mind) is that the POP3 and other protocols driving the e-mail system are weak by design. It is simply too easy to send unsolicited e-mail while hiding your true identity. As spam filters get more and more aggressive they also filter out some of the mail you actually wish to receive – waiting for reply on an important mail that was never received can be frustrating. What I suggest is not a system to end all spam, but rather a system to make sure that wanted e-mail will always get through. In time, and if widely adopted, such system would also ease the burden of filtering out spam mails. Here comes the system specs:

An application must be developed that authenticate outgoing mail by attaching a form of digital signature. This application must integrate seamlessly on top of the smtp and pop3 protocols in a way that does not require any setup or plugins to be installed with the e-mail client. Think of it as a transparent proxy that authenticates all e-mail that passes through. This application has two version a desktop version to authenticate an individual user, and a server version that will authenticate e-mail as originating from a given coorperation/organisation.

The hard part comes at the receiving end, where the mail server spam filters must be setup to always allow authenticated mail to pass through – I’m not sure exactly how to do this in the best way, but it might require developing special software for the most commonly used spamfilters, or at the very least prepare tutorials in how to setup these filters to disregard authenticated e-mail. (but not disregard e-mail that pretends to be authentic.)

In order for the system to become widely adopted the authentication digital signature must be free. Further the authentication system should not be proprietary and owned by a single company, but rather be based on an opensource distributed server system. A system where anyone can install and setup their own authentication service, but to have effect their authentication service must become trusted by the auth-server used by the receiving part.

Now go ahead and develop these ideas, and feel free to pass me a buck if you become millionaire from them.

I actually posted this on TechCrunch forums like 3 days before you launched this blog, I think that some entrepreneurs would have plenty of ideas buzzing around that they would like to share, I have a few good ones, I would be happy to contribute once I have some spare time to type them up in a digestible format (not my Visio/Excel/Notepad scrawl).

Maybe even make something where entrepreneurs can share there ideas ad then find a team based on the idea, if someone has been stewing over the idea and has it planned out then they would not have to worry about people stealing there idea as they would be much more prepared (as has been said before every idea that is worthwhile has probably been thought of before or is in planning).

Have readers post there ideas, you can check it and then have it posted (or add them all and have them voted up) and make it so they can have private and public comments so people can have more in depth convos about the ideas.

Maybe even hook in with Advisor Garage (or build a similar product but for entire team building).

Here was my post on TechCrunch:
http://forums.techcrunch.com/forums/thread.jspa?messageID=5722&#5722
“I think that getting people to respond with there ideas for a new start-up and the best start-up wins, this might help some new entrepreneurs both to the person who wins (who was the most creative and sharing) and the ideas some entrepreneurs might get from it, it may even help to develop a new and successful start-up, I am sure some people must have ideas they either can’t or won’t execute on that may turn out to be brilliant ideas for the right person.

Maybe make it a weekly thing and spice it up with some Web 2.0 interactive voting so there is no ‘judge’.
One vote per person per day/week and the user must have at least 20 posts to vote.”

A website with an 800 where you can call in, enter a unqiue pin, and record voice. The service would then be able to transcribe and email you an mp3 and script of whatever was recorded. So you’d first go to the website and enter in your email address, then you get the 800# and pin, and then when you call, it emails you the recording. It’s called ReallySimpleRecording.com or something. It can be used to record phone conversation by transferring this service in, it can be used to dictate notes or memos. It can be used for phone interviews. You monetize by subscription and possible preroll ads in audio. Go forth and plunder.

Daniel — I just ran across this site http://www.buildv1.com/

Steve, check out http://www.cambrianhouse.com/
They have been around since Feb 2006.

Cambrian House Mission Statement

Cambrian House’s mission is to be home for a community who comes together to build products the world wants, and collectively shares in the profits.