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- Idea Of The Day - You Can Build a Tool That Funds Your Neighborhoods Dreams
Idea Of The Day - You Can Build a Tool That Funds Your Neighborhoods Dreams
Needs To Exist
January 22, 2025
GM. This is Needs to Exist (aka NTE), today we make you the king of your neighborhood.
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Here’s what we’ve got for you today.
Daily Idea - Fund Local Dreams
Faceless Video Tricks
Your Neighborhood, Your Dream Funded
Inspired by this tweet thread
The One Liner
A platform for neighborhoods to fund businesses and amenities.
The 140 character tweet (or X) version
Imagine a tool that lets neighborhoods crowdfund to bring in Trader Joe’s, parks, or whatever they’re missing. Fixing local gaps, together.
The Longer Story Version
The Problem
How often do you hear this? “Our area could really use a Trader Joe’s.” But then… nothing happens.
Communities struggle with coordination problems. Everyone agrees it’d be great to have better amenities—a grocery store, a park, a café—but no one knows how to make it happen.
Sure, people talk about it, but without a clear process to turn ideas into action, the opportunity dies in the group chat.
And businesses? They’re often interested but need proof of demand before committing.
The Solution
A platform that brings neighborhoods together to turn “what if” into “when.”
Here’s how it works:
Propose the Dream: Any resident can start a project—like attracting a Trader Joe’s or building a community garden.
Pool Resources: Others chip in financially, using a “dominant assurance contract” model: if the project doesn’t hit its target, everyone gets their money back.
Signal Demand: Businesses see a community’s commitment upfront—reducing their risk and speeding up decisions.
It’s like Kickstarter, but for fixing your neighborhood.
How We’d Build the MVP
No need to over-engineer—start small, prove demand. Here's how:
Google Forms for Proposals: Let residents submit project ideas through a simple Google Form.
Stripe for Payments: Collect pledges securely using Stripe. Refund if the project doesn’t hit its funding target.
A Notion Page for Transparency: Track live funding progress, FAQs, and updates in a public Notion doc.
Zapier for Automation: Connect everything—automatically update backers when milestones are hit.
Email Marketing via Mailchimp: Keep the community engaged and drive pledges with regular updates.
How We’d Build It - Once MVP is Proven
Core Crowdfunding Platform: Use Stripe or Plaid for secure, scalable payment collection.
Smart Contracts for Assurance: Leverage Ethereum or Solana for dominant assurance contracts, ensuring funds are released only if targets are met.
Geolocation Services: Add Google Maps or Mapbox APIs to tie projects to specific neighborhoods.
Proposal Builder: Create an intuitive UI with drag-and-drop elements to let users design project pitches.
Data Insights for Demand: Use public data APIs (like Census or Zillow) to give businesses a detailed picture of local demographics.
Community Engagement Tools: Integrate Slack-like discussion boards and voting widgets for collaboration.
Business Outreach Module: Develop CRM functionality to help organizers pitch directly to businesses or city planners.
Why It Needs to Exist
Because waiting on someone else to fix your neighborhood isn’t working.
This platform flips the script—letting communities prove demand, pool resources, and take action. It’s not just about building amenities; it’s about building pride and connection.
If we can fund indie films, charity causes, and startup dreams, why not our neighborhoods?
The future isn’t top-down. It’s you. It’s us.
Let’s bring this to life.
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Faceless Videos - A Startup Trick?
As highlighted in Practical Ecommerce, faceless videos are revolutionizing how businesses create content. These videos use animations, visuals, and voiceovers to engage audiences without requiring someone to appear on camera.
Faceless videos are the ultimate hack for startups trying to move fast, test ideas, and get results without breaking the bank. They’re simple, cheap, and effective—and thanks to AI, anyone can create them.
Forget about the expensive cameras, big production teams, and awkward on-camera moments. Faceless videos use animations, visuals, and voiceovers to tell your story, showcase your product, or pitch your idea. No face required, just impact.
Why Faceless Videos Matter for Startups
Video is king. People are more likely to watch, engage, and share a video than read a 1,000-word blog post. But most startups skip it because “video is expensive” or “we don’t have the skills.”
Not anymore. AI tools like ChatGPT, Pictory, and ElevenLabs make faceless video production so simple it’s almost unfair. Whether you’re pitching investors, testing a new product idea, or explaining your vision, faceless videos get the job done—fast.
Here’s How Startups Can Use Faceless Videos
1. Pitch Investors Without the Boring Deck
No one wants to read 40 slides. A 60-second video can explain the problem, solution, and market opportunity in a way that grabs attention. Imagine walking into a meeting and playing a polished explainer video that does the talking for you.
2. Test Ideas Without Building Anything
Want to know if your product will sell? Run a faceless video ad. You can mock up a prototype, create a quick explainer, and run it on Meta or Google. If people click or sign up, you’ve got validation. If they don’t, tweak the idea or move on.
3. Turn Content Into Engagement Machines
Got a blog post, a Twitter thread, or even a newsletter? Convert it into a faceless video and post it on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube. Videos get more reach, more shares, and more engagement—aka more attention for your brand.
4. Educate and Convert Customers
FAQs, how-tos, and feature walkthroughs are prime content for faceless videos. Explain your product in 90 seconds, show customers how to use it, or break down your return policy. People love clarity, and videos deliver.
Tools: Loom (screen recording), Canva (editing), ElevenLabs (voiceovers)
5. Build Hype Before You Launch
Launching a product? Use faceless videos to tease features, share benefits, and create buzz. Post them on social, send them to your email list, or use them in ads to collect pre-orders before you even go live.
Tools: MidJourney (visuals), Webflow (landing pages), Mailchimp (email campaigns)
Why Faceless Videos Work
They’re scalable. Use AI tools to produce dozens of videos without a team of editors.
They’re engaging. People love videos—it’s the fastest way to grab attention.
They’re versatile. Ads, pitches, FAQs, or content marketing—faceless videos fit everywhere.
What’s the Catch?
Faceless videos are great, but they’re not perfect. If you’re in a trust-heavy business (coaching, consulting), having a real person on camera might work better. And while faceless videos are easy, you still need to put in effort to make them polished and effective.
The Takeaway
Faceless videos are the ultimate startup hack. Whether you’re validating an idea, pitching investors, or growing an audience, they’re fast, cheap, and effective. AI tools do the heavy lifting—your job is to use them smartly.
Start small. Pick one idea, make a video, and see what happens. The opportunities are endless, and the barriers? Gone.
One More Meme
