Startup Ideas #440: Amazon Go for X, Launch Videos...

Welcome to Half Baked, the newsletter serving up startup ideas as hotly anticipated as YC’s 43rd Demo Day 👀 

If you want to read any previous editions of Half Baked, you can check them out on our website.

Let’s goooo 🚀 

In today’s edition:

• 💡 Taking inspiration from Amazon Go (but making it actually work)

• 📈 How startups are driving millions of impressions

• 🛠️ Using AI to create a full funnel copy system

• 🤑 From Vietnam war veteran to billionaire

• 🍻 Keeping your public conversations incredibly private

🏋️‍♀️ Amazon Go for Gyms

Dumbbells, smart gyms

The Problem: I was in the gym yesterday (rare) and for once I decided to actually record my lifts (even rarer). And here’s the thing…manual workout tracking is a pain. Apparently it’s the reason why 73% of gym-goers (including me) don't consistently log their exercises. Which got me wondering…why can’t the gym just automatically record my lifts? They have cameras everywhere, surely it can’t be that hard? Amazon (kinda) solved this problem in grocery shopping with Amazon Go. So why not solve it for the gym? Here’s what we’re thinking.

The Solution:

• In a line: A computer vision system that automatically tracks every exercise, rep, and set as you work out, creating a seamless fitness logging experience.

• Product:

  • 📹 Gyms install overhead cameras and sensors throughout the facility, similar to Amazon Go's setup but optimized for fitness equipment and movements.

  • 🤖 The system uses computer vision to identify which exercises you're doing, count your reps, track your rest periods, and even analyze your form.

  • 📱 Your entire workout is automatically logged to your app without you lifting a finger (except for the weights). Get detailed analytics, progress tracking, and personalized recommendations.

• Business Model: Monthly subscription per location ($2,000-$5,000/month) paid by gyms.

• End Goal: Potential acquisition by a major fitness chain like Planet Fitness or Equinox. You never know.

❓️Did you miss our masterclass yesterday?

Yesterday we teamed up with Shopify and ran our first-ever masterclass with Ryan Bartlett, the founder who turned $3K into $850M selling t-shirts.

Here’s what went down:

• Ryan broke down exactly how he’d start again from scratch today.

• We played “Back it or Bin it” (our own version of Shark Tank).

• He roasted a few of our subscriber’s websites (it was pretty brutal).

But the real reason we did this?

To launch the Founder Lab accelerator.

The premise is simple - prove demand for your product idea before this Sunday. Winner gets $5K in prizes.

Check out the replay of the masterclass and sign up for the accelerator!

(P.S. everyone who signs up gets instant access to our D2C playbooks and Idea Vault. The prizes are just the cherry on top)

🚀 The Startup Launch Video Era

The Trend: 2025 has been the year of the high production startup launch video. Cluely started the trend when they released this banger a few months ago. Now Poke.com is continuing it, releasing this video just yesterday. I guess making cinematic videos is the new product hunt launch…and I’m here for it.

Opportunities:

• Verticalized Production Studio: Launch a studio that exclusively makes startup launch videos with predictable pricing and delivery formats.

• AI-Augmented Launch Video Generator: Founders drop in product screenshots and messaging and get a Cluely-style cinematic launch clip with auto-generated VO, music, transitions.

✍️ Using AI to Create a Full Funnel Copy System

The Tool: Copywriting can be the difference between business success and failure. It’s literally that important. So why not get AI to help you with writing copy for your landing page, ads and emails? Here’s how you can.

Step-by-step:

1. Go to your favorite LLM (we went for ChatGPT)

2. Paste in this huge prompt and answer back with the info required

3. Tweak the copy and use it for your landing page, Facebook ads and email drip sequence

Get the prompt

💰️ Pipeline to Payday: Fundraising Secrets for Startups

Tired of vague advice and recycled startup clichés? So are we.

Tomorrow you can join this 3-hour virtual event is where founders get real answers from top investors, operators, and those who’ve actually built, raised, and scaled businesses.

In just 3 hours, you’ll:

• See what today’s investors actually want (and what gets ignored)

• Watch founders pitch live and get expert feedback in real time

• Build your investor pipeline using AI, automation, and scalable tools

You also have the chance to win $75,000+ in cash prizes and startup resources.

Secure your spot now and learn what the top 1% of founders are doing in 2025 to build their businesses.

Register Now

🌐 From Vietnam War Veteran to Billionaire

The Idea: Back in the late 90s, Bob Parsons, a veteran of the Vietnam war, had just sold his first software company for $64 million and thought he was set for retirement. But after a year of golfing and relaxing, he got bored. The internet was exploding, and Bob saw how confusing (and expensive) it was for regular people to get online. So in 1997, he launched a scrappy little company called Jomax Technologies to make domain purchasing more affordable. This would eventually become GoDaddy.

The Execution:

• 1997: Bob founded Jomax Technologies. The original MVP? Affordable domain registration at a time when competitors charged $70+ per year. Bob priced at under $10.

• 1999: Bob realised they needed to rebrand. After a brainstorming session, an employee suggested “Big Daddy,” but the domain was taken. They went with GoDaddy instead.

• 2003–2005: GoDaddy started running cheeky Super Bowl ads that turned the brand into a household name overnight. Controversial? Yes. Effective? Absolutely.

• 2006–2010: Expanded aggressively into web hosting, SSL certificates, and website builders, upselling existing domain customers. By now, GoDaddy controlled nearly 50% of the domain market.

• 2011: Private equity giants KKR, Silver Lake, and TCV buy a majority stake in GoDaddy at a $2.25B valuation. Bob steps down as CEO but stays on the board.

• 2015: GoDaddy went public on the NYSE under ticker GDDY, raising $460M. By then, it had 13 million customers and 62M domains under management.

• Today: GoDaddy is worth around $20B and is showing no signs of slowing down.

The takeaway? GoDaddy shows that sometimes the biggest wins come from making the boring stuff fun (and cheap). By wrapping domain registration (a dry utility) in bold branding and pricing it for the masses, Bob turned an unsexy idea into an iconic business.

🔍️ Founder Finds

• 🛠️ AI Tool: A senior Google director has released the greatest document on LLMs of all time. Check it out.

• 📚 Must-Read: Ramp has just hit $1B in ARR…and they’re just getting started.

• 📹 Must-Watch: Brian Chesky just gave a 20 minute masterclass on Founder Mode

• ✖️ Trending Tweet: Meet YC’s latest batch of startups (demo day is today btw)

• 💬 Founder Quote: "Data beats emotions." Sean Rad (Tinder)

🔦 Reader Spotlight: Meet Damon and Mark

What are you building? We’re Damon and Mark and we’re building Modern Operators. Think of it as the operating system for growth-stage businesses, helping $1M–$30M founder-led companies scale smarter with AI, frameworks, and automations.

How did you come up with the idea? I’ve built and exited multiple companies by leaning on strong operations, and Mark’s scaled brands through growth marketing. We realized the real opportunity was combining those strengths into a framework founders can plug into their business.

Biggest challenge right now? Convincing founders that AI isn’t a “nice-to-have.” We’re showing that AI can be a founder’s chief sidekick, not just a tool for cranking out emails or captions.

How can Half Baked readers help? Follow us on LinkedIn, subscribe to our newsletter, and share it with founders who want to scale without chaos. And if you’re ready to revamp your operations, book a call, to see what AI can do for your business.

Connect with the founders: Damon | Mark

P.S: If you want your startup or project featured, click here!

🍺 Drunk Business Idea: Call Muzzle

• Ever been on the phone in public and realized everyone now knows way too much about your tax return? Wish you could gossip freely about Karen from HR without becoming the office podcast?

• Meet Hushme™, the world’s first wearable muzzle for phone privacy. Strap it on, soundproof your secrets, and look like a futuristic Darth Vader doing customer support.

• Hushme™ – because your business should stay your business… and your face should stay everyone else’s nightmare.

Vote

• ✅ Yes this actually exists

• ❌ Nope you totally made this up

👋 That’s All Folks!

Before you go just a few public service announcements:

• Have an idea you want feedback on? DM me to discuss it or book in for Office Hours here.

• Looking to sponsor Half Baked? Just fill out this form and we’ll get back to you asap.

See you soon,

John and Darragh | The Half Baked Team