9 Huge Startup Opportunities in the AI Boom

9 Huge Startup Opportunities in the AI Boom

Author: Greg Isenberg May 18, 2026 Duration: 1:08:23
I sit down with my friend Jonathan Courtney, a.k.a. Jicecream, to dig into the 9 biggest startup opportunities I see right now across B2C, AI, mobile, and IRL. We each pick ideas, trade reactions, and pressure-test them live. The conversation ranges from agent-first "action apps" to elder tech, third spaces, hobby retreats, pet health, AI-native media, and the case for selling AI "junior employees" to small businesses. Listeners walk away with a concrete map of where to build in 2026, plus the framing I use to decide which niche is worth marrying. Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 01:14 – Idea 1: Unscripted Creator Shows (Twitch model for tech) 07:50 – Idea 2: Action Apps: AI Agent Native Apps 16:39 – Idea 3: Loneliness and IRL Communities 26:47 – Idea 4: Elder Tech: Building for 65+ 33:21 – Idea 5: Adult Hobbies 38:17 – Idea 6: AI Employee and AI Agents 45:33 – Idea 7: Personalized Nutrition/Health 53:08 – Idea 8: Pet Health and AI for Animals 57:34 – Idea 9: AI-Native Media Companies Done Right 01:03:18 – Stacking Ideas: Live + Retreats + Entrepreneurs 01:07:22 – Final Thoughts The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/ FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/ FIND JONATHAN ON SOCIAL Unscheduled CEO Podcast: https://www.unscheduledceo.com/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jicecream LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-courtney-4510644b/

Greg Isenberg, the CEO of Late Checkout who has previously advised platforms like Reddit and TikTok, hosts a twice-weekly conversation designed to spark entrepreneurial thinking. The Startup Ideas Podcast is less about dry business theory and more about opening a window into the process of identifying opportunities. Each episode serves as a catalyst, presenting listeners with actionable concepts and the reasoning behind them. You'll hear Greg dissect market gaps, consumer behaviors, and emerging trends, translating them into tangible ideas for potential ventures. The aim is to build a consistent habit of creative exploration, pushing beyond the initial "what if" to consider the "how" and "why." This podcast functions as a regular dose of inspiration for anyone feeling stuck in a rut or simply curious about the mechanics of building something new. It’s a resource for aspiring founders, side-hustlers, and innovators who appreciate seeing the blueprint before the ground is broken. Tuning in means joining a forward-thinking dialogue where the next big idea might just click into place.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Startup Ideas Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Andrew Wilkinson: AI Agents run my business and life [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:02
If you want more workflows and tactics to build a business with AI, check out this free workshop: https://www.ideabrowser.com/workshop I sit down with Andrew Wilkinson and we go deep on how he's restructured his work, hi…
The $1M+ Solo AI Agent Business (Full Course) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:55
Nick agreed to personally set up your Orgo in a 15 min call: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/orgo_ai I sit down with Nick from Orgo to break down exactly how to run a one-person AI agent business that can realistically cl…
7 tiny AI agent ideas I built with Genspark Claw [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:52
Get started building your tiny AI Agent business with Genspark Claw: https://www.genspark.ai/?utm_source=po&utm_campaign=GregIsenberg In this solo episode, I share seven tiny, cash-flowing startup ideas you can build wit…
My AI Design Workflow That Doesn't Ship Slop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:01
I sit down with Meng To for his second appearance on the pod to dig into design md, Google's newly open-sourced format for capturing the soul of a design and porting it across every medium and tool. Meng walks me through…
Hire a team of AI Agents [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:27
I'm joined again by Imran Muthuvappa to walk through how to build your own AI Chief of Staff using a tool called Nebula. Imran shows me how to spin up specialized agents that handle the work a real chief of staff would d…
How to win with AI Agents in 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:54
Limited BONUS: First 1,000 builders get $1,000. Claim yours while supplies lasts.: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/hyperagent I sit down with Howie Liu, co-founder and CEO of Airtable, to talk about the agent economy and…
Codex clearly explained (and how to use it) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:13
I sit down with Riley Brown to get a hands-on tour of OpenAI's Codex, which he argues is the most powerful single interface for using AI agents today. Riley walks me through how Codex unifies vibe coding, knowledge work,…
ChatGPT Images 2.0 Is Here. I Tested Everything. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:15
In this solo episode, I walk through ChatGPT Images 2.0 and show exactly how to use it to build creative assets that move a business forward, from brand visual directions to UI mockups to apparel mockups and editorial il…
Hermes Agent clearly explained (and how to use it) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:00
I sit down with Imran Muthuvappa to get a hands-on walkthrough of Hermes Agent, a personal AI agent that ships with built-in memory, 40+ tools, and pre-installed skills out of the box. Imran walks me through why he migra…
Claude Design blew my mind [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:59
I go live and get my hands dirty with Claude Design, Anthropic's new design tool in research preview. Across roughly an hour, I run a real workflow end-to-end: pulling a product idea from Idea Browser, generating wirefra…