--- title: 'Steal these ideas to build new products' date: 2025-03-12 excerpt: 'Pouring through an extensive list of publicly accessible APIs to find new ideas for your next product.' tags: [product, founder, apis] canonical: https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/steal-these-ideas-for-your-next-product --- # Steal these ideas to build new products ## The Big Idea Ideas are easy, but focus and execution are hard. There are endless public APIs with real problems waiting for you to solve - all you need to do is find an audience and start shipping. ## Steal These Ideas to Build New Products As cofounder of [APIs You Won't Hate](https://apisyouwonthate.com), I've seen the playbook work repeatedly: Find public data. Solve a specific problem. Ship it. From [global news APIs](https://apisyouwonthate.com/podcast/building-an-api-for-global-news/) to [accounts payable management](https://apisyouwonthate.com/podcast/how-mercoa-built-a-platform-for-accounts-payable/), the winners aren't inventing data-they're making it useful. Friends - these opportunities are *everywhere*, waiting for someone to execute. ### Why This Matters: Value > Hype It's tempting to chase AI quick wins, but remember: - Existing data streams = sustainable business opportunities - Value-add to available information = competitive edge - Focused problem-solving > tech novelty ### Case Study: Weather Data Weather apps are commodity products since [Apple killed Dark Sky](https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/31/21201666/apple-acquires-weather-app-dark-sky-shut-down-android-wear-os-ios) (RIP). There are plenty of untapped goldmines, like [NOAA](https://www.weather.gov/documentation/services-web-api) and [OpenWeatherMap](https://openweathermap.org/api) data for *specific* use cases that people will pay for. **The opportunity:** Niche weather apps for specific use cases: - For pilots: Visibility conditions and wind patterns - For gardeners: Frost alerts and growing condition forecasts - For skiers: Snow quality predictions based on temperature patterns ![NOAA and OpenWeatherMap APIs](https://res.cloudinary.com/mikebifulco-com/image/upload/q_auto:eco,f_auto/v1/newsletters/steal-these-ideas-for-your-next-product/weather) ### Steal These Ideas #### **1. Nutritional Intelligence with Edamam API** [Edamam](https://www.edamam.com/) provides extensive APIs for nutritional data and analytics. The generic "calorie counter" app is done to death. **The opportunity:** Build specialized nutrition tools for: - Athletes tracking specific macros for performance - People with medical conditions requiring dietary monitoring - Parents checking if school lunches meet nutritional requirements ![Edamam API](https://res.cloudinary.com/mikebifulco-com/image/upload/q_auto:eco,f_auto/v1/newsletters/steal-these-ideas-for-your-next-product/edamam) #### **2. Geolocation Magic with OpenAQ** OpenAQ offers real-time air quality data from thousands of stations worldwide. **The opportunity:** Create targeted apps for: - Real estate buyers evaluating neighborhood health metrics - Parents of children with respiratory conditions planning outdoor activities - Researchers correlating air quality with public health outcomes ![OpenAQ API](https://res.cloudinary.com/mikebifulco-com/image/upload/q_auto:eco,f_auto/v1/newsletters/steal-these-ideas-for-your-next-product/openaq) ### The Secret Sauce: 3 Traits of Successful API Products 1. **Specific audience** - Target a niche who will benefit from your product 2. **Context transformation** - Don't just display data; interpret it and add value 3. **Workflow integration** - Make your product available whenever and wherever it will be most useful ...and price it accordingly. If you're saving news editors thousands of dollars every week, aim higher than $3.99/mo. --- ## Stop paying the app store tax. Sell your app on the web with lower fees and full control. As a merchant of record, Paddle handles payments, taxes, and compliance - so you can focus on what matters: building your app. Paddle acts as the reseller of your app, offering a solution similar to the App Store or Google Play Store but optimized for successfully selling your mobile app on the web, with significantly lower fees. [Start selling smarter with Paddle.](https://www.paddle.com/resources/mobile-app-monetization-guide?utm_medium=website\&utm_source=partner\&utm_campaign=core_conversions_fy2025_web_monetization_brand_awareness\&utm_content=tiny-improvements) --- ## Resources for finding new ideas ### Single APIs in your area! There's a great collection of APIs waiting to be used on GitHub called [public-apis](https://github.com/public-apis/public-apis) ### Free design resources I came across [Unblast](https://unblast.com/) recently - self-described as *A growing library of free design resources made by the world's best designers.* Can confirm - it is an exceptional collection. Give it a look as you build your brand or collateral. ### A chicken in every pot, and an SVG for every noun [The Noun Project](https://thenounproject.com/) started with a simple goal: create a visual language for the world by building a repository of single color icons *for every noun.* Hell yeah. I use it *all the time.* You can use any icon on the site for free with attribution; licensing is either a dirt cheap per-icon fee, or a very reasonable monthly subscription. --- The future is in your hands. Go on and build something great. Give 'em hell, Mike ## More from mikebifulco.com - [The Strangler Fig Pattern: Rebuild Everything, without losing your mind](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/stangler-fig-pattern) - [Lessons I Learned the Hard Way](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/lessons-i-learned-the-hard-way) - [Founder Math: When to Stop Searching and Start Choosing with the 37% Rule](https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/optimal-stopping-problem-for-founders) --- Written by Mike Bifulco. Originally published at https://mikebifulco.com/newsletter/steal-these-ideas-for-your-next-product