Many startups fail because they solve problems that aren't significant or don't resonate with real-world needs. Meanwhile, professionals in industries like banking, insurance, and law face daily inefficiencies that could be solved by innovation—but these problems often go unnoticed. There's a clear gap between the pain points experienced in these industries and the startups or investors looking for opportunities.

How This Could Work

One way to bridge this gap could be by creating a service that systematically identifies and documents real-world problems in antiquated industries. This could involve:

• Building a network of industry professionals to uncover pain points through interviews or surveys
• Validating these problems by assessing their frequency, impact, and market potential
• Compiling them into detailed reports that include problem descriptions, market size, and potential solutions
• Selling these reports to venture capitalists, accelerators, or startups looking for validated problems to solve

Optionally, the service could also facilitate paid consultations between industry experts and startups for deeper insights.

Potential Benefits

This approach could create value for multiple stakeholders:

• Investors would gain access to pre-validated problems, saving time on idea sourcing
• Startups could build solutions around real, validated problems, increasing their chances of success
• Industry professionals would get a platform to voice their pain points and potentially see them solved
• Traditional industries could benefit from innovative solutions addressing their inefficiencies

Getting Started

A simple way to test this concept might be to:

1. Identify 2-3 target industries and recruit 10-20 professionals per industry
2. Conduct interviews to gather problems and create sample reports
3. Approach a small number of investors to validate demand and pricing

If successful, the service could expand by developing a digital platform for problem collection and offering subscription-based access to the database.

This approach differs from existing models like VC scout programs or idea marketplaces by focusing specifically on curating validated problems from traditional industries rather than identifying startups or solutions.