Telehealth or health-related startups are a no brainer and they are seeing a lot more attention and momentum, but I'm curious to learn HN perspective on less obvious opportunities.
Disinfectant/hygiene products
Sex toys and adult entertainment
Meditation/self development resources (finding purpose)
Webinars and online education
Self organisation tools
Lifestyle/outdoor equipment post quarantine
Chewing gum, lip gloss, deoderant, dental hygiene products post quarantine
Products that quell loneliness or provide comfort, feeling of connection - chocolate, alcohol, soap operas, music
Online entertainment, especially ones that replicate social connection, like shared gaming or shared movie watching (check out Whereby.com YouTube video feature...)
Potentially virtual reality meeting spaces like university campus, conferences
I reckon nearly everyone is struggling with at least one of:
Uncertainty about the future
Feeling of disconnection from others
Disruption in routine, no consistency
Lack of structure, standards, no opportunity to exercise authority or feel as part of hierarchy
Who can solve these will have a winning product...
When UI benefits are exhausted, consumer behavior will change dramatically. People will come out of this a lot more conscious about what they're spending money on. The fact that unemployment in the US is expected to peak at 20% means a lot of the country (and world) will have been affected. How will consumer demand look for the years to come after the pandemic?
We may not see a quick comeback in terms of employment because companies will be looking to replace productivity through automation as insurance against future disruptions. Additionally, small businesses which employed a large percentage of people will have been devastated by the economic shutdown. Many will have folded and won't be there when the economy resumes again.
In terms of socialization, bars and restaurants aren't going to magically reappear. It's going to take time, years in some areas, to rebuild downtown.
I think one thing is for certain: there are a lot of opportunities for tech to fill the gaps, but it won't be the same consumer world as it was before the pandemic. It's hard to predict what exactly those opportunities are-- this is uncharted territory.
Cities are screwed.
Banks will be loaded thanks to bailouts and further consolidate.
You may see a leftward political swing and unrest as safe healthcare, education, insurance, government and corporate jobs get zapped.
Some of these effects will be cascading. Millions of people will be off COBRA in a couple of months. Those health insurance premiums that keep hospitals, doctors, pharmacies, and insurance people employed will create a trickle down.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1IUTHX2kTagUUV88HUJCk...
https://www.womply.com/blog/data-dashboard-how-coronavirus-c...
I'm sure there are some opportunities in stock market, financial sector, Forex, but I am not knowledgeable about those sectors.
IT: collaboration and automatization processes.
Commerce: online stores.
Services: food delivery, goods delivery