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I wasted $40k on a fantastic startup idea

(tjcx.me)
851 points swyx | 1 comments | 18 Jan 21 20:01 UTC | HN request time: 0.251s | source
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eightysixfour ◴[18 Jan 21 21:50 UTC] No.25827086[source]▶
I remember reading this the last time and it was posted and I still think the core failure is that the author didn't actually recognize the issue he was solving. He thought the problem was choosing the most effective medicine when the real problem was decision fatigue looking at endless shelves of things that all seem to do the same thing. Those two problems sort of look the same, but the latter cannot be resolved by selling the tool to doctors in their offices.

The tool should have been designed (IMO) as a consumer tool, either a kiosk at CVS/Walgreens/pharmacies to assist with OTC med selection or possibly as a website with ads/referrals. I would absolutely choose a pharmacy over another as a result of them having something to help through that process, especially when I have a headache.

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1. dugmartin ◴[19 Jan 21 01:08 UTC] No.25828789[source]▶
My million dollar medicine idea: print the dosage info in huge type on the bottle (e.g. "Take 2 every 8 hours") with more detailed info in smaller type on the back side of a peel away label.

The only time I use headache medicine is when I have a headache and that is the exact time I don't want to be trying to read a huge block of 6 point type to see how many I should take. (A couple of times in the past I've written the dosage in Sharpie on the piece of masking tape that I wrap around the bottle but I'd rather it was done for me as I'm lazy)