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- Idea Of The Day - Please fix podcast and video discovery—because YouTube thinks I love cat videos and finance
Idea Of The Day - Please fix podcast and video discovery—because YouTube thinks I love cat videos and finance
GM. This is Needs to Exist (aka NTE), bringing you an idea that finally stops YouTube from thinking you want both quantum physics lectures and slime videos.
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Here’s what we’ve got for you today.
Daily Idea - Podcast & Video Streaming discovery.
Recommend everything

Smarter discovery for podcasts and video streaming

Inspired by @profcalnewport on the Tim Ferris Podcast
The One Liner
Netflix-style discovery for podcasts and YouTube videos.
The 140 character tweet (or X) version
Tired of bad recommendations? This app helps you find podcasts & YouTube videos like Netflix finds shows—smart, easy, and actually relevant.
The Longer Story Version
The Problem
Finding great content shouldn’t feel like digging through a junk drawer.
Ever tried discovering a new podcast or YouTube video? You either:
Get trapped in YouTube’s algorithm and somehow end up watching a MrBeast stunt video when you were looking for Ezra Klein.
Stick to the same five podcasts because finding new ones is a hassle.
Get bombarded with random recommendations that have nothing to do with what you actually enjoy.
Most platforms are built for engagement, not discovery. They don’t care if you find the right content—just that you keep clicking.
The Solution
Imagine an app that makes discovering great podcasts and YouTube videos as easy as browsing Netflix.
Here’s how it works:
🔎 Smart Discovery – No more endless scrolling. Get content matched to your interests, not just what’s trending.
🎯 Better Curation – Think Spotify playlists, but for podcasts & YouTube videos tailored to you.
📺 One App, All Formats – Podcasts & YouTube videos in the same feed, because why separate them?
🤖 AI-Powered Recommendations – Built on LLMs & embeddings so you get suggestions based on actual relevance, not random trends.
Basically, it’s like having a friend who knows your taste and just hands you the best new stuff to watch or listen to.
How We’d Build It
If we were hacking this together as an MVP in a weekend, here’s the game plan:
🛠 Tech Stack:
LLMs + embeddings (OpenAI, Pinecone, Weaviate) to map out content relationships.
Whisper API for transcribing podcasts/videos to understand themes.
RSS + YouTube API to pull in podcasts and videos.
React Native for a slick cross-platform mobile app.
⚡ Quick Wins:
Let users import their favorite podcasts & YouTube channels to train the recommendation engine.
Build an "Explore" tab that visually mimics Netflix’s UI.
Rank content based on relevance instead of popularity.
🚀 Launch Plan:
Get early adopters (people who actually struggle with content discovery).
Test recommendations with a small group, iterate fast.
Open up beta, make onboarding stupid simple.
Why It Needs to Exist
Content discovery is broken.
We live in a world where:
Spotify gets music recommendations right.
Netflix helps you binge your next favorite show.
But finding a great podcast or YouTube series is still a mess.
This app fixes that. It’s not for everyone—just people who care about good content and don’t want to waste time finding it.
Needs To Exist Pro
Because Your Current Ideas Probably Suck—Only $99/Year
2,000+ Startup Concepts and Counting: That’s right, two thousand ideas you can steal because let’s be honest—you weren’t gonna come up with anything good on your own.
Effortlessly Searchable and Categorized: You don’t even have to think. Just type in some words, and boom—ideas that are better than the garbage you were gonna pitch.
Handpicked from Hundreds of Reputable Sources: Your "brilliant" idea that you heard on a podcast is probably in here too.
Comprehensive Action Plans Included: We even tell you what to do next, because if you had any initiative, you wouldn’t need this in the first place.
AI-Powered Recommendations = Free Growth

If you have a startup idea, ask yourself: Does it make sense to add AI-powered recommendations?
Why? Because the easiest way to increase engagement and revenue is to show people exactly what they want next—before they even realize they want it.
AI-driven recommendations aren’t just for media—they work across tons of industries.
How AI Can Supercharge Your Idea
E-commerce – If your startup involves selling anything, AI can upsell and cross-sell at the perfect time. Amazon makes 35% of its revenue this way. Use Clerk.io or LimeSpot to plug it into Shopify.
Newsletters & Blogs – Building a media or content business? AI can personalize recommendations so subscribers keep coming back. Tools like Rasa.io or Mutiny handle this automatically.
Job Boards & Recruiting – Creating a job-matching platform? AI can pair candidates with jobs based on skills and experience—not just keywords. Eightfold AI is built for this.
Finance & Investing – Have a fintech idea? AI can suggest stocks, crypto, or financial strategies based on a user’s habits. Composer already does this for retail investors.
Health & Fitness – If your idea is in health, wellness, or fitness, AI can recommend workouts, diets, or supplements. Fitbod adjusts fitness plans, while Lumen personalizes nutrition.
B2B Sales & Lead Gen – If your startup sells to businesses, AI can rank leads so you’re not wasting time on the wrong prospects. Clay and People Data Labs automate this.
Why AI Recommendations Work
Helps users discover what they wouldn’t find on their own
Boosts conversions with smarter cross-sells & upsells
Creates stickiness by keeping users engaged longer
No Engineers? No Problem. Use These:
For job matching: Eightfold AI, HiredScore
Your Next Move
If AI-powered recommendations make sense for your startup, test them early. They don’t just increase engagement—they create effortless growth.
Try a tool. Track what works. Scale what sticks.
One More Meme
