10 Startup Ideas You Should NOT Build in 2024

Welcome to the world of startup fantasies, where every entrepreneur sees themselves as the next Steve Jobs, but alas, not every idea is a golden ticket. As Roasty the Fox, I've sniffed out some of the most questionable startup ideas for 2024, and trust me, you'll want to read this before you pitch your next big thing. With an average score of 1.0/100, these ideas make you wonder if their creators had a few too many coffees or simply forgot to hit the 'think it through' button. So, buckle up and join me as we delve into the top 10 startup ideas you should definitely not build.

#1: FAILURE: Build failed with an exception

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
Ever heard of a startup idea that's just a stack trace? No? Well, welcome to "FAILURE: Build failed with an exception." This isn't a startup idea so much as it is a cry for help from a beleaguered CI/CD pipeline. You've got zero market, zero product, and all the existential dread of a build gone horribly wrong. When your pitch is just a Gradle error, you're not disrupting anything but your own sanity. A startup should inspire, not induce anxiety attacks with XML layers. Instead, why not create a tool that fixes AndroidManifest.xml errors automatically? Now that's a problem worth solving.
Verdict: Not a startup: just a cry for help from your build system.

#2: Boom shakalaka

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
You know things are bad when the best part of your startup idea is a sound effect. "Boom shakalaka" is less a business proposal and more an auditory hallucination. Without context, pain point, or even a target audience, this submission is noise pollution at best. If your elevator pitch is just a sound byte, you're more likely to be whisked away to the basement of oblivion than the penthouse of innovation. Pro tip: if you want to be taken seriously, start by articulating a clear problem and a solution that doesn't just echo sports commentary.
Verdict: Not an idea: just noise.

#3: Exsel

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
"Exsel", is it a typo, a Freudian slip, or an attempt at branding that even your subconscious doesn't endorse? It's hard to say, because there's absolutely no context provided. If this is stealth mode, you're so stealthy even you don't know what's being built. The absence of a problem, user, or market makes this the startup equivalent of a blank napkin. If you can't articulate what "Exsel" stands for, it's time for a pivot. Maybe start with a problem, a user, and why anyone outside your immediate family should care.
Verdict: A name isn’t a startup, it’s a placeholder for your next idea.

#4: Help me

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
When your startup pitch is literally "Help me," you can bet it’s more of a distress signal than a business plan. This isn't an idea; it’s a plea for assistance with absolutely no context, problem statement, or target audience. Even the laziest AI-generated scam has more depth. Before you hit 'submit' again, try defining the problem and the urgent need you’re addressing. "Help me" won’t get you funding, but a clear, articulate vision just might.
Verdict: Not an idea: it's a distress signal.

#5: uber

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
Pitching "uber" as a startup idea in 2024 is like saying you want to reinvent gravity. Not "Uber for X," not a twist, just "uber." Unless you have a time machine to 2009 and a vault of patents, this isn't a startup; it's a Wikipedia entry. It's a crowded graveyard out there for ride-hailing wannabes, with regulatory hurdles and market saturation. If you must, narrow it down to a hyperlocal niche with a real pain point. But let's face it, anything less is just wishful thinking.
Verdict: You just described a $100B company like it’s your weekend project.

#6: Vetanvil.com

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
A domain name isn't a startup idea, yet here we are with "Vetanvil.com", essentially a digital squatter's dream. Without context, a problem, or even a semblance of a business model, this is a GoDaddy receipt, not a venture pitch. If you want feedback, show us a problem you’re solving, a market you’re addressing, or a reason for existence beyond cyberspace real estate. Until then, "Vetanvil.com" is just another URL in the idle domain graveyard.
Verdict: A domain name is not a startup. Try again.

#7: Yes

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
"Yes," the monosyllabic marvel that tells us absolutely nothing. With no context, no problem, and no target market, this isn't a business idea, it's a shrugged shoulder in written form. If you’ve got aspirations of launching a platform for one-word affirmations, think again. Innovation requires more than a vague nod; it needs a problem, a solution, and, ideally, at least one more word.
Verdict: This isn’t an idea, it’s a typo.

#8: This website

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
"This website" is an anemic placeholder that offers less insight than a fortune cookie. With two words and zero substance, it’s a non-starter. If you think this is how you pitch your groundbreaking idea, you're more likely to raise concern than capital. Next time, bring a problem, a target user, and at least the semblance of a solution to the table. Otherwise, this is the digital equivalent of a 404 error.
Verdict: You brought a napkin to a knife fight.

#9: fas

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
Is "fas" a slip of the keyboard, an abbreviation, or perhaps you just fell asleep mid-pitch? With no context or clarity, this is not a startup idea, it’s the death rattle of coherent thought. If this was meant to be a stealth launch, congratulations on achieving ninja-level obscurity. Real pitches require more than three letters; they need a problem, a market, and a solution. Until then, "fas" is just a typo masquerading as an idea.
Verdict: Not an idea, just noise.

#10: Hello

Score: 1/100
Creator: Anonymous
"Hello" is the ultimate minimalism of startup pitches, it's just a greeting, nothing more. If you've got a billion-dollar idea hiding behind that greeting, it's well-disguised. No problem, no solution, not even a whisper of a user. This isn't a startup; it's a tech version of staring blankly and waving. If you want to be taken seriously, start by telling us about the problem you're solving and for whom.
Verdict: Not an idea, just a noise.

Conclusion

In the wild world of startups, not every idea is a diamond in the rough, some are just rough. From stack traces to sound effects, these submissions represent what happens when creativity takes the day off. The pattern is clear: ideas need substance, a problem to solve, a user to serve, and a method to the madness. Without these, you're not building a startup; you're just building up your own frustration. So, my entrepreneurial comrades, take this as a cautionary tale. Validate your idea, define your market, and for the love of innovation, bring more than a sound effect or a typo to the table. As Roasty the Fox, I challenge you to do better. Validate, iterate, and if you've got an idea worth sharing, make sure it's more than just a greeting.

Written by David Arnoux.
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