In partnership with

GM. This is Needs to Exist (aka NTE), delivering you a startup idea that’ll make QuickBooks suck less, one micro-app at a time.

NTE Pro - $99/year gets you the keys to 4,810 startup ideas with new ones dropping like your favorite newsletter on caffeine.

Most people stall at “I should build this…”
NTE Zero to One helps you skip the spiral and ship something real.

Check out all the past newsletters here

Here’s what we’ve got for you today.

• Daily Idea - QuickBooks, But Better

• I Love It, But

If You Like NTE…
Check out Jabroni Capital, a newsletter where startup takes meet financial chaos, written like your smartest friend after two espresso martinis.

It’s sharp, weird, and way more fun than it should be.

Fix QuickBooks For Real Business

Ready to turn this idea into a cashflow machine? NTE Zero to One can help you build it.

Inspired by @austin_rief

The One Liner

Custom QuickBooks apps for the stuff Intuit forgot.

The 140 character tweet (or X) version

QuickBooks is great... until it isn’t. This studio builds niche, high-margin apps for overlooked workflows, think Salesforce AppExchange for accountants.

The Longer Story Version

The Problem

QuickBooks is like a Swiss Army knife, works for most jobs, sucks for specialized ones.

If you’re a growing business, there’s always that one thing QuickBooks doesn’t do:

• A custom approval flow for POs

• Syncing weird inventory logic from Shopify

• Tracking job costs by crew & location

• Or just... making the damn UI not look like 2008

You call your accountant. They shrug.
You call QuickBooks support. They say “we’ll pass it along.”
Now you're duct-taping Zapier, Google Sheets, and prayer.

Truth is, every mid-sized business has unique accounting quirks but nobody’s building for them because Intuit isn’t agile, and custom dev feels expensive.

The Solution

This studio builds micro SaaS apps that snap into QuickBooks like Lego.

It’s not a product. It’s a factory of products, each solving a niche, annoying, overlooked need.

Here’s how it works:

• Find common pain points across verticals (construction, retail, DTC, agencies)

• Build tiny apps with deep QuickBooks API hooks

• Sell them like Shopify plugins: $19–$199/mo, high LTV, low churn

• Bonus: Eventually, license them back to Intuit 👀

Imagine a Notion of mini-QuickBooks apps. All clean. All plug-and-play. All solving the “last-mile” problem.

How We’d Build It

Stage 1: Indie Hacker Mode

• Tools:

  • Use FusionAuth for fast user auth

  • LedgerGurus API docs for dev insights

  • Retool to prototype internal dashboards

• Focus:

  • Build 1–2 “internal painkillers” (e.g. multi-entity reports, advanced approval flows)

  • Launch quietly in QuickBooks communities (Reddit, Facebook groups, /r/accounting)

  • Get 10 paying users per app to validate

Stage 2: Studio Mode

• Tools:

  • OpenPipe to fine-tune GPT for finance workflows

  • Loophole Labs for low-latency serverless infra

  • QuickBooks SDK + webhook integration

• Focus:

  • Turn into a dev studio: templates, scaffolding, shared API modules

  • Launch 1 new app/month

  • Grow via SEO + bookkeeping influencers + CPA newsletters

  • Start bundling apps by vertical: “QBO for Contractors” pack, “QBO for DTC” pack

Stage 3: Platform Mode

• Tools:

  • Convex.dev to manage dynamic state across apps

  • LaunchDarkly to test features with live users

• Focus:

  • Let accountants & ops leads request + spec apps

  • Build self-service wizard to customize/build their own apps

  • Become QuickBooks’ unofficial AppExchange (before Intuit builds one themselves)

Why It Needs to Exist

Because no one wants to switch from QuickBooks, they just want it to work better for their unique little business.

This is a goldmine of “boring money.” Every app is a tiny, uncrowded niche but they stack. And QuickBooks has 5M+ customers, many of whom already spend thousands a year on accountants and custom workarounds.

So instead of building “the next big thing,” maybe just build 100 small things that actually get used.

That’s leverage.
That’s recurring.
That’s real.

You didn’t mean to pitch it

But someone asked, “What would you build if you had the time?”

So you told them.
They nodded. “That’s actually smart.”
You laughed it off… but deep down? You knew it was.

Later that night, you opened a doc.
Typed the name.
Wrote a few notes.
Felt that little jolt of this could be something.

But then Monday came. And the idea… paused.

NTE Zero to One exists for that exact moment.
Not when you’ve raised money.
Not when the deck is done.
But when your gut says go and life says “maybe later.”

We help you build before the spark fades.
It’s $49 to turn a “someday” into “done.”

👉 Let’s give that idea a shot.

I Love It, But…

Three smart people. One idea they agree is solid. And then they each try to kill it.

The Idea:
A specialized studio that builds niche, high-margin apps for QuickBooks users, solving unscalable pain points that Intuit never will.

Think:

• “Track job costs across multiple subcontractors”

• “Advanced PO approval for regional managers”

• “Custom dashboards that don’t suck”

Each app is tiny. Boring. High-retention.
Sell them like Shopify plugins. Stack that SaaS MRR.

Everyone nods. Then the knives come out.

Panelist 1: The Operator

“I love it but it’s just glorified consulting unless you productize hard.”

You’re solving real pain. I’ve been the person duct-taping QuickBooks to Google Sheets and screaming into the void. I'd pay for this.

But here's the risk:
You start taking custom requests from random dental clinics and suddenly you're building 14 versions of the same thing and none of them scale. Your "app studio" becomes a custom dev shop with prettier branding.

You’re either SaaS or services. Pick a lane.
Otherwise, enjoy being profitable... and miserable.

Panelist 2: The VC

“I love it but where’s the billion-dollar path?”

This is a cashflow machine, no doubt.
But is it fundable?

There’s no network effect. No real moat. QuickBooks’ API is open to anyone. So what stops 20 other mini-studios from doing the same?

You can’t own QuickBooks users. Intuit still does. If you get too good, they’ll either copy your apps or buy you and toss you into the "deprecated features" graveyard.

You’re building on rented land. And your landlord is 10,000 lbs and named Intuit.

Panelist 3: The Indie Hacker

“I love it but this could get boring fast.”

Yes, it’ll print. Yes, it’s needed.
But let’s be honest, do you want to wake up every day fixing some HVAC company's invoice template logic?

This isn’t AI. It’s not changing the world.
You’re not going viral on Product Hunt with “App That Adds Another Column to QuickBooks Reports.”

If you’re okay with being quietly rich, cool. But if you’re here for the love of the game, the dopamine hits, the “holy sh*t this just blew up on Hacker News”...
This ain’t that.
This is slow burn wealth. With spreadsheets. And client support emails.

Final Thoughts

They all agree:
✅ It solves a real problem
✅ People will pay
✅ Margins are great
✅ Opportunity is bigger than it looks

But also:
⚠️ You better systematize FAST
⚠️ You’re not the platform, Intuit is
⚠️ You’ll win quietly, not loudly

And honestly? That’s kind of the point.

Verdict:
It’s not sexy.
It’s not viral.
But it’s the kind of business that quietly buys your freedom.

Build this. Just don’t get stuck in service hell.

What If You Shifted Just 15% of Your Ad Budget?

Prime Day is behind us, and Q4 is right around the corner. If you’re rethinking how to get more out of your Amazon ad budget, now’s the time to run the numbers.

Use our Affiliate Shift Calculator to model how reallocating a portion of your Amazon ad spend into affiliate marketing could improve ROAS without increasing your overall budget.

You’ll get a custom forecast built by a real affiliate expert (not a generic tool), tailored to brands doing $5M+ in revenue. Here’s how it works:

• Submit a few key data points from Seller Central

• Our team models your affiliate forecast

• You receive a custom scenario showing what affiliate could unlock

With another Prime Day expected in October, it’s the right moment to reassess your media mix. See what’s possible when you pay for actual outcomes.

See Your Affiliate ROAS Potential

The Year is 2028. You See Your Idea on TechCrunch.

It has a new name. A new founder.
Same damn concept.

You scroll. You squint. You whisper, “I literally thought of this.”
But you didn’t build it.

They did.

This isn’t a guilt trip. It’s your warning shot.
You’ve got taste. Curiosity. A notes app full of ideas.
You just need one good push. Like this:

#1 – Skill Swap Kiosks
Haircuts for bike repairs. Spanish lessons for résumé help.
This idea places physical barter kiosks in cafés, coworking spaces, and campuses.
It’s Craigslist meets farmer’s market energy but IRL and with vibes.

#2 – Curated Podcast Playlists You Can Share
Spotify is great. But you can’t gift someone “the perfect startup arc” or “AI 101.”
This tool lets you build thematic podcast playlists with clean landing pages.
Think: Linktree, but make it intellectual.

#3 – Flight Delay Refunds, Automated
Ever tried to claim compensation from an airline?
It’s like arguing with a wall, while jetlagged.
This startup forwards your itinerary, tracks your flight, and auto-files your claim.
Passive income… from pain.

All of these are real ideas.
And they’re just 3 out of 4,810+ in the NTE Pro vault.
Ideas that are strange, sharp, specific and still up for grabs.

$99/year. New ideas drop constantly.
Build one before someone else does.

👉 Click here. Future-you will say thanks.

One More Meme