1. Want to make a lot of money? Find an out-dated system where grunt labor is worth a lot less than the technology the grunt labor uses, and target this gap mercilessly (call centers)
Finding such a system would require you to have some experience with it, knowing the current problems, and then build a solution for it.
This is the case in the article.
Which is not easy I'm guessing, at least as a developer.
Oh for sure, there have been numerous articles featured here that illuminate how sometimes it takes a business + developer mentality - in the form of different people - to tackle an issue, innovate, and end up with a profitable venture. That's pretty much what I think about with the well-worn maxim of "build a better mouse-trap."
I guess what the framing of the story reminded me of would be somebody looking at the modern shovel, used to dig ditches, and "invents" a new version that reduces the physical strain on the user just enough to get the US Department of Labor to change the mandatory break and lunch times mandated for manual labor, and realizing savings or additional profit through that channel.
I mean, sure, inventing new systems and devices is a really worthwhile avenue, no dispute here! This particular story though, it doesn't quite sit well. Maybe it's from years working as a wage slave and feeling a little bit exploited, but I think there's some implications worth considering outright.
Finding such a system would require you to have some experience with it, knowing the current problems, and then build a solution for it. This is the case in the article. Which is not easy I'm guessing, at least as a developer.