Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

2 Episodes Tracked
3 Ideas Found
98 Reach Score

Latest Business Ideas

Drone-Based Wildlife Hazing Service

The panel discussed — and a reporter confirmed — using drones with loudspeakers to haze and deter wolves from farms. That maps directly to a service business: a managed drone-based wildlife deterrent service for farms, ranches, and conservation agencies. Implementation would include procuring or retrofitting drones with high-decibel directional speakers, building a library of effective deterrent sounds (and ensuring licensing or using generated/cleared audio), training pilots and operators, and offering scheduled or on-demand patrols. The service could be sold as monthly subscriptions (regular patrols + incident response), per-visit fees, or selling the hardware plus software for self-operated customers. This solves the problem of livestock predation and provides a non-lethal, humane deterrence option. Target customers include ranchers, livestock operations, state wildlife agencies, and conservation NGOs. Specific tactics: run pilot programs with a small group of farms to gather efficacy data, instrument sites with motion sensors or trail cameras for outcome measurement, ensure compliance with aviation (FAA/CAA) and wildlife regulations, and partner with agricultural co-ops for distribution. Important operational considerations mentioned or implied: avoid copyrighted audio for deterrence (use licensed or bespoke sounds), and prepare for regulatory/ethical scrutiny. The offering is best started as a service (managed operations) before scaling to productized hardware/software.

Service High Score: 6.8/10

From: WWDTM: Pedro Pascal

Brand-Sponsored Wedding Marketplace

The episode describes a real example of a couple who secured Hellman's mayonnaise as a corporate sponsor for their wedding. That incident points to a concrete business idea: build a marketplace or broker platform that connects couples planning weddings with brand sponsors in exchange for coverage, product placement, or promotional rights. The service would package sponsorship opportunities (tiers: in-kind product, partial sponsorship, exclusive brand sponsor) and match them with brands seeking targeted experiential marketing and user-generated content. Implementation can begin as a curated broker model: assemble a portfolio of brand-friendly wedding profiles, approach brands/PR teams with audience demographics, and negotiate sponsorship terms and creative deliverables (social posts, promotional rights, filming/recording permissions). This solves the affordability problem for couples and gives brands a novel, content-rich channel for marketing. Target users are cost-conscious couples and mid-to-large consumer brands (food, beverage, bridal fashion, home goods) seeking unconventional experiential marketing. Specific tactics: launch with a manual MVP (email marketplace + curated pitch deck), iterate to a lightweight platform (multi-vendor marketplace or managed marketplace on Sharetribe/WordPress), provide legal templates for media rights and mascot/branding guidelines, and run pilot events to collect case studies (Hellman's as a sample case). Revenue models: commission on sponsorship deals, subscription for brand accounts, or flat placement fees.

Marketplace Medium Score: 7.0/10

From: WWDTM: Pedro Pascal

DTC Facial Shapewear (Face Wrap)

This idea is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) facial shapewear product — a 'face wrap' or jaw/neck compression garment marketed as non-surgical contouring and support. The episode references Skims' new seamless sculpt face wrap (collagen yarns, Velcro fasteners, ear slits) as an example. An entrepreneur could implement this by designing prototypes (knit or woven fabrics that include collagen-infused yarn or other skin-friendly materials), producing small batches via contract manufacturers or specialized textile mills, and launching an online store (Shopify/Amazon) plus an influencer-driven pre-order or Kickstarter campaign to validate demand. It solves the problem of consumers seeking affordable, non-invasive face-lifting alternatives and a better way to manage sagging jawlines/neck support without surgery. Target customers are beauty/anti-aging consumers (primarily adults 30+), early adopters in the DTC beauty space, and consumers seeking 'sleep' or 'recovery' wear. Specific tactics mentioned or implied by the transcript: highlight product features (collagen yarns, ear slits, sleepability), use strong visual demos and influencer trials, sell as a lifestyle/beauty accessory, provide sizing guidance and clear returns, and leverage social proof. Tools and channels for an MVP include Shopify, Instagram/TikTok influencer kits, low-volume manufacturing partnerships (small runs), and paid sampling to beauty micro-influencers. Compliance includes clear marketing claims (avoid unproven medical claims) and textile labeling.

Product Medium Score: 7.2/10

From: WWDTM: Pedro Pascal

Recent Episodes

WWDTM: Heather Gay

Host: Peter Sagal

1 week ago Listen →

Get Business Ideas from Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

Join our community to receive curated business opportunities from this and hundreds of other podcasts.