Ask HN: How feasible is a Personal Development startup?

1 SMAAART 0 5/24/2025, 2:34:59 PM
I have read about 700 self-help books from happiness to confidence to depression; and the vast majority suck because they are akin to sugar pill: they convince the reader that whatever their problem is it's not their fault, but it's someone else's fault, the system, society whatnot. And the reader eats this left and right, and they are willing to pay 19.99 for what is practically an alibi for life.

Life coaches are a joke.

Most executive coaches are a scam.

But, there are some valid "techniques" that work at getting results, the only problem is that they require a lot of work, hold the individual accountable, and therefore they are not popular.

I have identified a few, and - looking back at my life - certain things have helped me claw my way out of generational poverty and now doing OK financially; getting rid of my depression; managing my anxiety; and - overall - living a very satisfactory life.

Looking around online, most everyone is unhappy, and with many unfulfilled wishes. From a business perspective it's a huge untapped market; untapped because the solutions don't work.

So, my question to this forum is: am I delusional to think that I can put together a program, under the freemium model, whereas my basic "tools" are out there, for free (open source license), for anyone to use; and then have certain "services" under the tiered subscription model.

Individuals who get benefits greater then the cost would gladly participate, everyone else can continue on their own merry life.

I only need 1,000 true friends after all, and I can use the lean startup methodology.

So, be brutal HN, aside from being hard AF, do you find any fault in this thinking?

Any tips besides eventually applying to Y Combinator?

Thank in advance.

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