Welcome to Half Baked, the newsletter serving up startup ideas as often as big tech companies are launching AI browsers (yep, anotha one) 🙄
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Let’s get into it 🚀
In today’s edition:
💡 An idea to help non-coders hire 10x developers
📈 A mildly terrifying chart that’s probably nothing
🛠 Using the DEPTH method to 10x your prompting skills
🤑 Building an 8 figure business in 3 years
🍻 The ultimate phone case for the modern gentleman
⌨️ Developer Hiring for Non-technical Founders
Git hired
The Problem: It’s a tale as old as time itself. Someone has a killer app or SaaS idea, but since they can’t code, they can’t build it. So they go around trying to find someone to build it for them. Maybe it’s a friend, maybe it’s a dev shop, no stone is left unturned. But here’s the problem…as a non-technical founder, how do you evaluate how good someone is at programming? 30% of early-stage startups fail due to poor technical execution or hiring the wrong dev team. It’s time to solve this once and for all. Here’s how.
The Solution:
In a line: An AI-powered tool that evaluates a developer’s code, communication, and credibility - then translates it into plain English for non-technical founders.
Product:
🤖 Founders upload a coder’s GitHub link, code sample, or interview transcript that wants to work with them.
🧠 The AI reviews the codebase for clarity, structure, and best practices, then scores their skill level from 0 → 100 and gives commentary in plain English, e.g., “Clean backend code, but lacks test coverage and documentation.”
⚖️ Founders can stack up multiple candidates and get an “AI verdict” on who’s best for their needs.
Business Model: Pay-per-evaluation (e.g., $10–30/report) or subscription for unlimited reviews.
End Goal: Sell to a large technical hiring or dev-tool platform (e.g., AngelList, Toptal etc.) for a 4–6× revenue multiple
Rate this idea:
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📈 This Chart is a Little Terrifying…
The Trend: For decades, the stock market and job openings moved in lockstep - booming together and slumping together. But since 2022, that relationship has been on the rocks. Since then the S&P 500 is up 75%, while job listings have plunged 33%. Why? High interest rates and tariffs have cooled hiring, while AI-fueled tech stocks have driven nearly all market gains. In short: Wall Street’s soaring, Main Street’s struggling. But I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about…
Opportunities:
AI Upskilling Marketplace: A platform that helps workers transition into AI-augmented jobs, offering micro-certifications, employer matching, and real project experience.
Corporate Reskilling-as-a-Service: A B2B SaaS that helps companies retrain employees in automation-era skills.
💬 Using the DEPTH Method to 10x Your Prompting Skills
The Tool: Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are only as smart as the prompts you give them. If you’re not getting great results, it’s probably not the AI - it’s the way you’re asking. The fix? Use the DEPTH Method (in conjunction with Wispr Flow of course) Here’s how it works.
Step-by-step:
Go to ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude
Structure your prompt using these principles:
D - Define Multiple Perspectives
E - Establish Success Metrics
P - Provide Context Layers
T - Task Breakdown
H - Human Feedback Loop
Check out this example prompt to see how it works
Use this method for prompting going forward to get better and better outputs from AI
Pro tip - use Wispr Flow to prompt 4x faster by speaking.
🤖 The Simplest Way to Create and Launch AI Agents and Apps
Imagine if ChatGPT, Zapier, and Webflow all had a baby. That's Lindy.
With Lindy, you can build AI agents and apps in minutes simply by describing what you want in plain English.
From inbound lead qualification to AI-powered customer support and full-blown apps, Lindy has hundreds of agents that are ready to work for you 24/7/365.
Stop doing repetitive tasks manually. Let Lindy automate workflows, save time, and grow your business.
🧂 Building an 8 Figure Business in 3 Years
The Idea: Ross MacKay, the founder of the multi-million dollar plant-based chicken company Daring Foods, and George Heaton, co-founder of the £100m revenue British luxury fashion label Represent, were no strangers to the demands of high performance. Both were high performance entrepreneurs who were obsessed with physical fitness. However, they both independently discovered a common enemy that was holding them back: dehydration. But after adding electrolytes back into their daily routines, they experienced a surge in energy, endurance, and mental clarity. That’s when they saw an opportunity, to create a premium, science-backed, and clean-label electrolyte drink with an optimal mineral ratio. This was the idea for Cadence.
The Execution:
2022: The journey began. Ross and George started developing the concept for Cadence, aiming to create a product they would want to use themselves. This was the scrappy, early stage. The company was bootstrapped, with the founders pouring their own resources into the business.
April 2024: Cadence officially launched in the UK with a direct-to-consumer model. In a bold move, Ross MacKay stepped down as CEO of Daring Foods to fully commit to his new venture. Just a month later, Cadence launched in the United States, bringing its unique hydration solution to a new market.
July 2024: The brand bypassed traditional retail and secured partnerships with high-end fitness clubs and the exclusive Soho House hotel chain, placing their product directly into the hands of their customers.
Late 2024: The strategy paid off. Cadence experienced explosive growth, selling out its inventory three times and scaling production from an initial run of 100,000 cans to 1.5 million to meet demand.
2025: Having proven the concept and built a loyal following, Cadence secured its first major investment, a 7-figure sum from renowned entrepreneur and investor Steven Bartlett, valuing the business at 8 figures.
All of which goes to prove that, with the right go-to-market strategy, you can scale new businesses incredibly quickly.
🔍 Founder Finds
🛠️ AI Tool: Manus is giving away 1 trillion free tokens for building AI web apps. Go go go.
📰 Headline: OpenAI has just acquired Sky, an AI interface for Mac
📚 Must-Read: Great essay on the importance of being original in business
✖️ Trending Tweet: Apparently,according to these four charts, we’re not in an AI bubble. I’m a little skeptical.
💬 Founder Quote: “Everything feels impossible until one day it doesn’t.” Chris Savage, Wistia
🍺 Drunk Business Idea: Shoe Horn Phone Case
Ever find yourself struggling to slip on your shoes? Wish you had your trusty shoe horn on you at all times?
Introducing the Phone Horn™, the revolutionary smartphone case that moonlights as a fully functional shoehorn. Protect your precious device from drops while protecting your precious heels from finger-induced shoe damage.
Phone Horn™ - a phone case with more sole.
Vote
👋 That’s All Folks!
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