Fly Local, a specialty air travel aggregator, was founded with the aim of simplifying and enhancing travel experiences in Alaska. The co-founders, Tyler Flagg, Spencer Flagg, and Mark Lepczyk, wanted to create a platform that focused on unique airlines and destinations within the region. The challenge was to design a user-friendly interface that would empower travelers to discover and book adventurous travel experiences. They also wanted to drive traffic to their partner air carriers and eliminate empty searches. However, given their small staff and the time-sensitive nature of their data, they needed a solution that was not only sophisticated but also easily manageable by a layperson.

The founder of Follow the Weather, Chris Whitehead, identified a gap in the market for a tool that allows users to search for holiday destinations based on weather conditions. With the COVID-19 pandemic causing many people to take holidays at unusual times of the year, there was a need for a simple, user-friendly tool that could provide information on where it would be sunny and hot during different months. The challenge was to create this tool without investing too much time and without the need for extensive coding skills.

Free Rooms, an online gaming platform, was founded by Corina Perjan during the COVID-19 lockdown. The platform offers virtual single and multi-player escape rooms with an immersive experience. The challenge was to create an interactive and engaging gaming platform that could be accessed remotely, without the need for any downloads or installations. The platform needed to support multiple devices, with an optimal experience on laptops. Additionally, the multiplayer escape rooms required an in-built video chat feature to enhance the gaming experience. However, Corina did not have any programming knowledge, which posed a significant challenge in building a fully functional website.

Freelancers often face challenges in standing out from competitors when applying for projects. The process of communicating with clients and managing their experiences can be time-consuming, non-transparent, and non-billable. On average, freelancers are only able to bill 53 percent of their time, with the remaining 47 percent being spent on non-billable operational tasks and administrative work. This imbalance in billable versus non-billable hours can significantly impact a freelancer's income and productivity. The challenge was to find a solution that could help freelancers optimize their workflow, reduce non-billable hours, and provide clear communication and transparency to their clients.

The rise of social media platforms has paradoxically led to increased feelings of loneliness among heavy users. According to a survey, 73% of heavy social media users report feelings of loneliness, and three out of every five Americans are lonely. Despite the promise of social media to connect people, it has failed to facilitate real friendships. The act of scrolling through a feed is no substitute for human connection. The challenge was to create a solution that encourages people to put down their phones and spend time with friends in real life. The founders of FreeTime, both product managers, had a clear vision for such an app but lacked the necessary coding skills to build it. They also had specific requirements for the app, such as user profile pages with clean URLs based on usernames, which most no-code platforms could not meet.

The founder of Futureshop, Marc Brodeur, faced the challenge of creating an online shopping platform that made it easier for users to find products made with sustainable materials. The goal was to transform the way people shop online, focusing on sustainability and environmentally friendly methods. The challenge was not only to create a platform that could handle a large number of products but also to incorporate sophisticated features such as different data types, filtered searches, an editor back-end portal, and user accounts with favorites. The platform needed to be user-friendly, allowing visitors to easily search for products, browse through a directory, and add favorites to their accounts. Additionally, the platform needed to provide a seamless transition to the ecommerce site of the product's brand for purchase completion.

GetUrban, an app developed by founders João Vitor Fagundes and Vinicius Heinz Knaesel, was created to address the challenge of connecting skilled labor to people who require building services. The founders recognized a gap in the market where individuals and businesses struggled to find reliable, skilled labor for their building needs. The process of finding the right professional with the necessary skills and expertise was often time-consuming and inefficient. Furthermore, professionals in the building industry lacked a platform where they could showcase their skills and services, making it difficult for them to reach potential customers.

GIFadvice, a platform for building and sharing interactive advice guides, was founded by Ry Parken, who has a background in art, economics, graphic design, and marketing. The platform was designed to allow users to explain their decision-making process by adding GIF images to their advice guides. However, the platform faced a challenge in its initial stages. The process of creating and publishing a 'Getting Started' video was found to be too dull and boring. This posed a problem as it could potentially deter users from engaging with the platform. Furthermore, the platform was initially intended to be developed by hiring a developer, which could have led to increased costs and time consumption.

The founder of Giftenizer, Oleksiy Matveyev, was faced with the common problem of receiving unwanted gifts or struggling to find the perfect gift for loved ones. This challenge was further compounded by the need to surprise the recipient without revealing the chosen gift. Additionally, Oleksiy wanted to create a solution that would not require extensive coding knowledge or time-consuming backend development. He needed a platform that would allow him to focus on the user interface and logic of the application, rather than the technical aspects of coding.

The gig economy, encompassing services like Uber and delivery platforms like DoorDash and Instacart, has been growing rapidly. However, gig workers often struggle to understand their net hourly earnings, especially after accounting for expenses such as gas and vehicle depreciation. In many cities, gig workers earn less than the local minimum wage after expenses, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further driven down pay for many workers across various platforms. The primary challenge was the lack of a tool that could help gig workers estimate their hourly net earnings and compare them with other gig workers in their city.

Giverrang, a local marketplace app, was founded with the mission to boost small businesses and increase local spending. The app rewards members with cash back for spending at local businesses, providing a platform for shoppers to discover local products and experiences, and for merchants to increase local visibility and sales. However, the founder, Mark Walerysiak Jr., faced a significant challenge in developing the app due to the high cost of traditional development. His background in journalism and creative writing, and experience in mass media and community and economic development, did not provide him with the technical skills required to build the app himself.

Golifo, a social ticketing app, was founded by Laurence Mourasse, an ex-corporate in the events industry. The challenge was to create a platform that would help people connect, network, and unlock event offers reserved for groups. The founder recognized that most people do not like to attend events alone, even when the content is great. Therefore, the need for a platform that would allow people to connect early, network, and unlock group offers was identified. The app was designed to be a managed marketplace where ticket owners could post and manage group offers, using Golifo as a social marketing channel to increase ticket sales. However, the founder being a non-technical woman in her forties, faced challenges in deciding the right platform and tools to build the app.

The founder of goodgigs, Dale Wilkinson, identified a gap in the job market where mission-driven companies and professionals with a desire to create social impact struggled to connect. The challenge was the lack of a unified platform where job seekers could easily find companies working on causes they were passionate about. The traditional job portals were not efficient enough, requiring users to endlessly scroll through job listings. Furthermore, these platforms did not cater specifically to the social impact industry, making it difficult for professionals to find roles that matched their skills and vision. The challenge was to create a platform that would not only connect companies and professionals but also catalyze the social impact these companies could create by making it easy to find talent aligned with their mission.

Goodstead, a financial planning robo-advisor, was created to address the challenges faced by the common worker in saving money for the future. The current economy is not well-equipped to help people save money, and fewer people have access to retirement plans through their employer or union than ever before. People are changing jobs more frequently and often aren’t offered retirement solutions. The founder and CEO of Goodstead, Robert Swigert, wanted to help regular people achieve financial independence by providing them with planning tools, financial education, and investment management, all from the convenience of a mobile handset.

GoSaily, a web app that connects private sailboat owners to sailor crews, was initially built with code in 2015. However, the founders, Stefano Failla and Paola Ginella, faced challenges in maintaining the platform due to high costs and time-consuming processes. The Italian sailboat market was relatively small, and GoSaily had to compete with well-funded competitors who were willing to invest heavily in web and social media marketing. The platform had gained a niche in the market, but the business model was not economically viable. The founders were looking for a solution that could reduce the running costs of the platform while maintaining the same number of features that GoSaily users already had. In 2018, due to personal reasons and lack of time, the founders decided to temporarily close GoSaily and switched to a simpler Wordpress site for promoting their local sailing activities.

Gumball, co-founded by Steven Rho and Roger Greene, was created to address the challenges faced by brands in managing and tracking the success of their influencer marketing campaigns. The founders, who do not have programming backgrounds, identified that influencer marketing, when done right, can be a highly effective way for brands to market their products. However, managing these campaigns can be time-consuming and it can be difficult to determine which campaigns are effective and which ones are not. The challenge was to make it easy for brands of all sizes to run and measure the effectiveness of their influencer marketing campaigns, ensuring they get the most value for their investment.

The urban housing crisis, particularly in Paris, has been a significant challenge for millennials seeking affordable, furnished, and community-oriented housing. The traditional process of finding a suitable place to live is often time-consuming, complex, and lacks transparency. The founder of HackerHouse, Stephane Bounmy, identified this problem and sought to create a solution that would simplify the process and make it more accessible for millennials. As a full-stack developer with experience in startups in San Francisco and Paris, Stephane had the technical skills but found building a platform from scratch while running the company to be a daunting task.

The founders of Harmony Visualizer, Lillian Zhu, Anna Shih, Gargi Panatula, and Olivia Wang, were first-year Computer Science students at the University of Washington when they decided to build an app that provides users with a visual keyboard platform. The goal was to create a tool that could show how different musical notes can be harmonized in different keys. However, despite their computer science background, they lacked experience in frontend development and were concerned about the complexities of programming features like syntax and repositories. They needed a solution that would allow them to implement their ideas effectively without the stress of traditional programming.

Felipe Abello, the founder of HelloGuru, was a non-technical individual with a deep fascination for technology and computer science. Despite his business background and experience working at a startup, he felt frustrated by his inability to code and the significant time investment required to become a proficient developer. He was also aware of the growing demand for no-code skills in companies and startups. Recognizing the gap between non-technical individuals and the need for software development skills, Felipe sought an alternative solution that would empower non-technical individuals to build software without traditional coding.

The traditional tutoring model often requires a significant time commitment from both students and tutors, which can be a barrier for those seeking quick, targeted help. This is particularly true for students who may only have a single question or a specific problem they're struggling with. The challenge was to create a platform that could connect students with tutors for single-question tutoring, providing a more efficient and cost-effective solution. The platform needed to be user-friendly, fast, and compatible with an AI API to determine the subject, difficulty, and prices of questions to match questions to tutors.

In the modern era, creators are the backbone of entertainment. However, there was a gap in the market for a platform that allowed fans to connect directly with their favorite creators for personalized advice. This was the challenge faced by Cole and Katie Zucker, co-founders of Hey Hero. They wanted to create a platform that would not only allow fans to connect with creators but also provide a new form of monetization for the creators. The challenge was to build this platform quickly and efficiently without compromising on quality.

Hidden City Hunts, founded by Adam Lack, was faced with the challenge of creating an interactive scavenger hunt game that could be played on a mobile browser. The goal was to provide users with an engaging and educational experience while exploring new places. The challenge was to develop a system that would allow users to choose a trail, book it, and then play the game on their smartphones. The game needed to be designed in such a way that it would provide cryptic clues for players to solve and discover hidden gems, all while learning interesting facts. The system also needed to have a scoring mechanism that would record each game's points and time, allowing players to rate their achievements.

The founder of Honeyglider, Mads Schmidt Petersen, identified a significant challenge in the travel industry. The majority of Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) prioritize the needs of airlines over passengers. This is because OTAs receive their revenue from airlines, which over time, drives them to focus on pleasing the airlines rather than creating a better product for the passengers. This situation often leaves passengers struggling to find reasonably priced flights, a process that can take days or even weeks. The Honeyglider team, being expats and avid travelers themselves, experienced this issue firsthand and sought to find a better way to support travelers in their quest for affordable flights.

Implement, a learning marketplace offering live online courses and affordable one-on-one coaching, was facing challenges in scaling its operations. The platform, which allows independent experts to provide video-based lessons over multiple days, was initially built on Wordpress using Woocommerce and Elementor. However, this setup was not scalable and was causing the loss of users due to the need to redirect them to external tools. The company was considering raising funds to hire a developer, as they did not have a tech founder on the team. The challenge was to find a solution that would allow them to build all the features they needed without having to rely on external tools or manual operations.

Incentiv was founded by Matthew Haller, a former management consultant for Deloitte, who identified a significant problem in the business management application sector. He noticed that many companies were spending millions of dollars on custom solutions to support their sales teams, only to discard these solutions before they went live due to changes in business strategy. This wasteful and inefficient process was particularly prevalent in the area of commission calculation for small and medium-sized businesses. These companies needed a way to automate the commission calculation process, provide real-time insights into rep earnings, organize all sales contracts, and automatically provide insights and analytics on commission budget expenditure.

Freelancers often struggle with managing their finances and sending invoices, which can lead to poor financial planning and decision-making. They often lack clear answers to questions such as “How much money am I making this month?” or “Will I reach my financial goal at the end of the year?” This lack of clarity can push freelancers to make poorly informed decisions, hindering the success of their freelance career or business. Additionally, creating, managing, and sending visually striking invoices or proposals can be a time-consuming and complex process for freelancers.

The traditional startup fundraising model has been a source of frustration for many founders, including Trevor Goss, the founder of Intro2. The process of finding the right investors, creating a target list, navigating through LinkedIn for introductions, and following up on emails is time-consuming and often unproductive. Goss experienced these challenges firsthand while trying to find investors for his previous startup. The struggle to balance the roles of a CEO, operations manager, customer service, revenue generation, product development, and legal affairs further compounded the problem. The lack of a streamlined, efficient, and effective way to connect startups with potential investors was a significant challenge that needed a solution.

The founder of Isitu, Thomas Yeddou, identified a significant challenge faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) - understanding their financial situation. Many SMEs struggle to get a clear and precise vision of their finances, which can lead to uncertainty and lack of confidence with financial partners. This lack of clarity can also hinder the ability to plan and prepare for the future. The process of obtaining a complete financial statement of a company can be time-consuming and complex. Furthermore, Thomas, an ex-corporate banker, wanted to start his business and launch an app but had no knowledge about coding.

JustOKRs was founded by Chris Wagner with the aim of providing an efficient tool for managing professional objectives and key results (OKRs) for companies, teams, and individuals. The challenge was that most popular OKR software was expensive, bloated, and often lost focus on performance management instead of concentrating on making a really great OKR tool. The goal was to create a tool that was laser-focused on only making the best OKR tool, inspired by the ease of using Google Docs or Sheets to track OKRs. The tool needed to add the ability to easily score OKRs, assign ownership, and align OKRs across a company.

The fitness industry has been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with gyms and fitness centers being forced to close down. This situation created a challenge for fitness trainers who were left without a platform to offer their services, and for fitness enthusiasts who were left without access to their regular fitness routines. Brothers Nicolò and Sebastiano Ammendola, based in Italy, recognized this challenge and saw an opportunity to create a solution that would allow fitness trainers to continue offering their services and fitness enthusiasts to continue their fitness routines from the comfort of their homes. The challenge was to create a platform that would be easy to use for both trainers and users, and that would allow for live and recorded fitness sessions.