Problem #20 Workout Aid

Note: This would never work out for someone who is not in a workout routine.

Imagine, that you are a person who tries to stay fit and has a regular gym membership. Right now you have to pay extra to get a trainer, and trust me - you should get one. A trainer can really make sure that you are doing your workout right, and getting all that effort in the right places. Now what happens once the trainer package is over? Most of the time, people go on to continue doing that, there is no push to add more weights, or push yourself to continue ahead on the curve. 

The other use case is the person who bought one of those all-in-one gym equipments for the home, and do the treadmill and workout from home. There is no way that they can get a trainer onboard.

There is also the fact that the #1 issue that gyms in the country are facing is that, trainers are hard to find, and be trained and retained.

Today if you look at any of the trainer apps out there for mobile or tablets, they all seem to circle around non-machine excercises (pushups, crunches, etc). Ask anyone who works out and they'll tell you that there are far easier ways to no a push up that doesnt count, than to do one in a machine as its equivalent.

The Solution is a Smartphone/Tablet app, which takes a device like the All-in-one gym machine, and asks a few questions like, when was the last time they worked out, the reps that they usually do etc, and ask some goals - there are routine to stay just fit (if you are), there are routines to lose weight, and there are routines to build muscle. It would be brilliant if the app can suggest, depending on what your goal is, how much you should be pushing yourself each day.

There are apps like the 6 Week training app, this would be more or less the same, except that the routines would revolve around the workouts you can do in a machine.

Target: Anyone who is self motivated, and probably has gym equipment at home.

Problem #19: Klout for Retail Shoppers

I have been thinking of a way to phrase this problem statement and the best I could think about is Klout + Retail Shoppers.

So, Let me describe my scenario: Till Apple came along, Sony owned my purse. I have enough gadgets from them and i truly loved that company (till they messed up the Vaio). Disgressions aside, I am a proud owner of several Sony devices, including a PS3, Televisions, some audio equipment etc. I do stop by the store from time to time to pick up new PS3 titles. But despite all this, whenever i walk to any Sony store, they treat me like the chances of me buying anything are very low.

I dont blame them, they are facing far too many window shoppers. In fact, most of the retail outlets for brands, meet window shoppers than serious shoppers. While the early storekeepers and aids are alert and willing to help the first few that walk in, soon enough they realize that there are more window shoppers and they ignore everyone in mass.

If I walk into a retail store, which is a brand, and i am a previous customers, I do expect, and demand some better attention - for the sake of the brand surviving, and in building an experience.

Is there a way there can be a system that can alert, identify a store keeper when a customer walks in - with history. Over a period if time, like Discus (that identified real commenters vs spammers), the system can also show me potentials (if I am the showroom owner of an Audi and someone who owns a Car whose aspirational category is an Audi, then it will alert me accordingly, so that the sales representative would know what to upsell the customer) and ignore the maruti owner.

 - @vijayanands

Problem #18 Augmenting the Deaf, to respond to a Honk or Cry

Deaf People are not allowed to drive in India. In the west and in a lot of other countries they are, but in a country like India, traffic is dictated by Honks (and loud Honks at that) and since Deaf people cannot respond to a honk, they are considered unsafe on roads.

There is also another scenario. Dhruv Lakra of Mirakle Couriers tells us that deaf people when they give birth to a child face the most challenging of moments. They dont go to sleep - apparently they always stay close to the child because its impossible for them to know when the child is crying. Imagine that!

Problem Stated by : Dhruv Lakra, Mirakle Couriers

Solution: One way to do it would be to give a bracelet of sorts, that will vibrate when it hears a noise, or a honk so that the mother, the driver, whoever it is can know that there is something going on around them. If a deaf person can feel a honk and respond, imagine if, they can be allowed to drive!

 A design team has even made sketches here.

Problem #17: Something Better than Websites.

So you can have the best A/B tested site on the Planet. You can optimize conversion for a subgroup of people. You can follow the methodologies of going for vast and enormous amounts of data, optimize for the early adopters, or give the testimonials way of doing things to convert. But you cannot escape the lazy bag. No matter what you do, and how much elaborate information you give on the website, if there is a phone number on the site, you will get a call, and the question that will make Troll Face, Bleed!

"So, what do you guys do?"

How would you solve the problem.

I'd imagine this is a edge audience case, most of them might not even be your target audience, if your copy is right. In which case, you might want to educate them, low cost, just so that you are building your long tail of customers who are in no way immediate. 

Question: Whats the solution?

Problem # 16: Reverse SEO

There is one side of the world that is looking to ensure that content is discovered. On the other hand, the Internet never forgets - people do stupid things, upload, write things that they shouldnt and then its there on the web forever. Will there be a service which will help make some of those things undiscoverable - if not atleast harder to dig up. 

While the service might not be a big issue for most average citizens, it is a much needed service who has in anyway touched the public limelight - for one Salman Khan of Khan academy would have wanted Bill Gates to NOT find the other Salman Khan without a shirt when he tries to look him up :)

- Vijay Anand