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The big idea: Solve New York’s deficit with naming rights
New York City has a growing budget deficit and not a lot of time to fill it. Is the solution to put signs on everything in Manhattan?
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The big idea: Pay to skip annoying ads
Streamers ask that you either go ad-free or watch poorly targeted insurance commercials. What if viewers could signal which ads they hate to watch?
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The big idea: Spread out New Year’s resolutions
It’s a cliche that gyms get packed with hopeless newbies every January, doomed to cancel their memberships. Smoothing out demand might give them a…
The big idea: Make everything harder to use
Taking the time to do something is a signal that you value it. What should we do when AI automates that away?
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The big idea: Jury duty for institutional investors
We let groups of strangers decide the fate of defendants in the criminal justice system. What if we let them decide asset allocation for pension funds?
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The big idea: Let college students buy drinking licenses
Underage drinking already happens. What if states could redirect it to supervised venues while funding the interstate highway system?
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The big idea: Hobbies through acquisition
After a COVID-driven boom in hobbies, billions of dollars in investment is sitting in America's closets. What if there was a better way to sell them?
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The big idea: Charge less for low-rated Uber drivers
Uber regularly kicks off drivers that fall below a ratings threshold. What if they made them cheaper instead?
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Creating a tariff-free coffee substitute
With coffee prices skyrocketing and tariffs adding to the pain, does it make sense to start looking locally?
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The big idea: Marriage-backed bonds
For many couples, getting married means a guaranteed tax break. Why can't they use it to pay for their wedding?
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Turn flights into wine tasting rooms
In a tough environment for the American wine industry, it might be time for some radical new ideas. Are 50mL airplane bottles the future of wine?
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The big idea: a tip jar for scenic neighborhoods
A big idea to compensate residents of tourist towns for the externalities that tourists bring.
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