Co-Star's Playbook for Founders
How "decision hygiene" became a $3B category — and why timing tools are the next founder productivity unlock
Automation-Ready SaaS
Software and AI-powered startup ideas that automate workflows or replace manual tasks. High-margin, scalable models built for solopreneurs and developers who want recurring revenue from digital tools, APIs, or lightweight SaaS products.
Calm's Missing Category: Dream Incubation Marketplace
Sleep content hits 2M hours monthly, MIT proved you can steer dreams with audio, and creators need new monetization surfaces. Monetize the one place creators still don't own: your unconscious mind.
The Shopify Moment for AI Labor: Owning Worklines on MuleRun
MuleRun hit 600K users offering promotional economics to fill their marketplace. Workline owners capture value; single-agent builders get commoditized.
Review Gardening Agents: Build the Revenue Layer for Google Business Profile
Turn every Google review into repeat visits. Shops hit 90% response rates and capture 10-30 VIP contacts monthly from reviews alone.
Return Prediction Agents: The “KeepScore” Heist In Shopify
Retailers face $850B in returns annually, yet no Shopify-native tool scores risk pre-fulfillment. Build the underwriting layer merchants desperately need.
Build The PDGA For Padel (And Other Emerging Sports)
Padel facilities are multiplying faster than operational infrastructure. The ratings and portable identity layer is contested but not yet owned—and it's worth more than the booking system.
Build a $20M/Year Business Certifying Air
Brain function drops 2–4% in stuffy rooms. Biohackers measure it publicly. Coworking operators need verified proof before members start asking questions.
The Creator Pension Fund Heist
Spotter raised $200M proving creator catalogs are worth billions. YouTube shipped localization tools that grow them. The operating company is still unbuilt.
Blueprint for Dogs (The Protocol Play)
Before Loyal's longevity drug launches in 2026, build the subscription protocol that owns 'Healthspan Age' for 94 million pet households.
The Black Book: Build a Private Intel Network for the Anti-Viral Economy
TikTok made gatekeeping valuable again. Build a paid trust network for recommendations that never go viral—and charge venues for access.
TurboTax for HVAC Rebates
California contractors are losing $8,000 rebates to paperwork errors while waiting 90 days for payment. Both problems need middleware.
DoorDash Just Opened the Taste Graph Gold Rush. Here's How You Win.
DoorDash's Zesty proves taste graphs beat social graphs. Beli and Letterboxd validated the model. The infrastructure layer is wide open.
Build the AI Music Passport Agencies Will Pay $999/Month For
Universal and Warner legitimized licensed AI music while Spotify mandated disclosures. Agencies deploying tracks commercially need compliance documentation that doesn't exist yet.
The PrayScreen Playbook: 90 Days to $50k MRR on Organic TikTok
VCs poured $175 million into faith apps, validating what religion knew all along: obligation beats motivation. The micro-niches are wide open.
Snack Drop Hunter + Data Play
QSRs run $200K limited drops with no real-time visibility. Build the verified hunt map that becomes their demand oracle.
Build the Training Layer Series B Companies Actually Need
L&D headcount down 4%, external training spend up 23%—Series B companies need workflow training that auto-updates when their SaaS tools change.
Strava for Mental Resets (How to Monetize Dopamenus)
Everyone's selling dopamine menu templates. The real opportunity: build the social layer where people discover, fork, and share their reset rituals.
Search In The AI Age (Build What Google Can't)
AI-generated content now sits at 17-19% of search results. RAG teams manually rebuild allowlists. Build the trust graph as infrastructure before specialized data providers do.
The Stripe Play for AI Companion Apps (Collect the $5M Compliance Toll)
New York and California mandated crisis detection for AI companions. 337 apps need compliance infrastructure by January. None want to build it themselves.
Blue Collar "Moneyball" Recruiting
Gen Z wants trades, contractors need workers, but matching infrastructure is prehistoric—measurement layer wins, not another job board.
Agent-Ready Infra for Local Business (Don't Do AIO)
AI assistants are shifting from ranking links to selecting winners. Multi-location businesses will pay six figures annually to become the trusted source agents call first.
Governance AI for Self-Managed HOAs
373,000 volunteer-run associations managing $120B annually with amateur controls and predictable fraud patterns, creating structural demand for purpose-built governance infrastructure.
TikTok-to-SKU for Micro-Trends
Enterprise pays $50K+ for trend detection. Microbrands need execution speed. The gap is infrastructure that delivers shippable SKU packs instead of dashboards.
"Oh-Shit" Bar for WordPress
Most newsrooms use AI daily but lack pre-publish safety gates. When prompt remnants ship to print, screenshots go viral and Legal starts asking questions.