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My First Million

My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

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AI-Powered Dynamic Road Pricing Platform

For: City governments and transportation authorities

Buildability

The Problem

Roads are always congested because we pay for them once through taxes then feel entitled to unlimited use, like if grocery stores worked the same way

The Solution

Dynamic pricing system for roads that charges more during peak times and routes, with rebates flowing from high-payers to low-payers to address equity concerns

Why Now?

EVs eliminating gas tax revenue, AI enabling smart traffic optimization, successful Manhattan congestion pricing pilot showing feasibility

Build MVP in 7 Days

Day 1

Simple route planning app showing fast/expensive vs slow/cheap options

Day 2

Mock-up of dynamic pricing dashboard

Day 3

Traffic data analysis for one city corridor

Day 4

Basic economic modeling of rebate system

How to Validate

Survey commuters about willingness to pay for faster routes
Analyze existing toll road usage patterns
Interview transportation authorities about pain points
Test route optimization algorithms on public traffic data

Revenue Model

10% commission on all road usage fees collected, SaaS fees for traffic optimization software

Competitive Moat

Government contracts, network effects from multi-city deployment, AI traffic optimization algorithms

Risks to Consider

Political opposition from 'tax the rich' angleTechnical complexity of real-time pricingPrivacy concerns around location trackingRegulatory approval timeline