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Idea Of The Day - You can build Wikipedia, but only the facts you actually need

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Needs To Exist
March 18, 2025

GM. This is Needs to Exist (aka NTE), today delivering you a startup idea that makes knowledge instant.

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Here’s what we’ve got for you today.

  • Daily Idea - Wikipedia, but shorter.

  • Keep It Simple

Wikipedia, but instant and concise

Inspired by this tweet by @shaanvp

The One Liner

Wikipedia, but shorter. Simple answers, no fluff.

The 140 character tweet (or X) version

Tired of skimming endless Wikipedia articles? This AI tool gives you instant, digestible summaries—so you get answers, not information overload.

The Longer Story Version

The Problem

Wikipedia is great… until you actually need an answer.

Ever searched for something simple and ended up lost in a sea of unnecessary details? You just wanted a quick answer, but instead, you got a history lesson, an advanced physics explanation, and a list of obscure references.

Most people don’t have time (or patience) to sift through 2,000 words to find the one sentence they actually needed.

There’s a reason people search “Wikipedia [topic] TL;DR” or “explain like I’m 5.” Because information is only valuable if it’s accessible.

The Solution

What if you could get straight-to-the-point answers without wading through endless paragraphs?

Here’s how it works:

  1. Ask a question. Type it in like a search engine.

  2. AI does the work. It scans Wikipedia, filters out the fluff, and delivers a crisp, clean summary.

  3. Boom—instant knowledge. No scrolling, no guessing, just answers.

Think of it as a CliffsNotes version of Wikipedia. Just the facts, no rabbit holes.

How We’d Build It

The tech stack:

Bonus: Add voice input + ChatGPT plugin support to make it even more frictionless.

Why It Needs to Exist

Because knowledge should be easy to access, not buried under a mountain of text.

Google gives you links. Wikipedia gives you novels. This gives you answers.

It’s not for everyone—some people love deep dives. But for students, busy professionals, and anyone who just needs the TL;DR? This is a game-changer.

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Simplifying Existing Platforms

The best startup ideas don’t come from thin air. They come from deleting the annoying parts of something people already use.

Think about it:

  • Craigslist → Airbnb (Rentals, but trust-based)

  • Lycos → Google (Search, but actually useful)

  • BlackBerry → iPhone (Phones, but without 37 buttons)

The pattern is obvious: Take something clunky, remove the friction, and win.

If you want to spot the next billion-dollar idea, steal these three dead-simple brainstorming techniques (plus a few tools most people don’t know).

1. The “Delete” Method

👉 What happens if you remove the most annoying part of X?

  • Uber deleted the awkward taxi dispatcher.

  • Stripe deleted the nightmare of dealing with banks.

  • Airbnb deleted the trust issues of renting from strangers.

How to find opportunities:

  1. Search Reddit (r/mildlyinfuriating, r/startups, r/Entrepreneur) for complaints about popular products.

  2. Use Rewind.ai (Mac only) to record your browsing sessions—see what sites waste your time.

  3. Check Trustpilot’s 1-star reviews for products people want to love but don’t.

Example:
People love using DoorDash, but restaurants hate the fees. What if you built "DoorDash, but for independent restaurants only"—helping them keep more profit while still offering delivery?

2. The “99% Rule”

👉 What do 99% of users actually use from this product?

Most platforms are bloated. Users stick to one core function while ignoring the rest.

  • Excel? Most people use 5% of the features.

  • LinkedIn? 99% of users just treat it as a résumé.

  • BlackBerry? People just wanted email on their phone—not 37 buttons.

How to find opportunities:

  1. Use SimilarWeb to check which pages get the most traffic on a site.

  2. Run a Hotjar heatmap to see what people actually click on.

  3. Ask Claude 3 or GPT-4 to summarize thousands of product reviews—what do users mention most?

Example:
People use PowerPoint for one thing: basic presentations. What if you built "PowerPoint, but dead simple"—no clunky features, just clean, modern slides?

3. The “Shortcut” Hack

👉 What do people Google because a platform makes it too hard to find?

  • “How to cancel Audible” → Audible makes it hard to leave.

  • “How to delete Facebook” → Facebook doesn’t want you gone.

  • “How to find a good freelancer” → People want curated, reliable talent.

How to find opportunities:

  1. Use AnswerThePublic to find the most-searched “how to” questions.

  2. Check Ahrefs/SEMRush for high-search, low-competition keywords (goldmines).

  3. Look at Google’s auto-suggest when typing “[Platform] how to…”

Example:
Freelancers and clients hate Fiverr’s fees—they take a huge cut. What if you built "Fiverr, but without middlemen"—letting freelancers keep more of what they earn?

TL;DR: Your Next Startup Idea is Hiding in Plain Sight

You don’t need a revolutionary idea. You just need to make something simpler:

✅ Delete friction (DoorDash → Local-friendly delivery service)
✅ Focus on the 99% use case (PowerPoint → Simple, modern slides only)
✅ Shortcut the hard parts (Fiverr → No middlemen taking a cut)

Startups aren’t about building something new. They’re about making something obvious.

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