Turning Others’ Problems into Profits—The Billion-Dollar Opportunity

What if you could take someone else’s problem, flip it, and make billions? That’s precisely what some of the world’s biggest brands have done. They turn excess inventory, unwanted products, and surplus goods into massive profits.

In India, businesses have mastered this art, too.

OLX, Cashify & eBay

• The Problem: People accumulate too much stuff—phones, gadgets, clothes, and furniture. They don’t want it, but someone else might.
• The Profit Play: Platforms like eBay, OLX, and Cashify help people resell items they no longer need—turning clutter into cash.
• The Result:
  • OLX became India’s go-to platform for reselling everything from cars to furniture.
  • Cashify allows users to sell old phones and laptops for instant cash, refurbishing them for resale.
  • eBay facilitated $73B worth of resale transactions last year and pocketed $10B in profits.

Fashion Factory

• The Problem: Big brands often overproduce. Whether it’s clothing, handbags, or home décor, they’re left with extra stock they can’t sell at premium prices.
• The Profit Play: Stores like Fashion Factory scoop up surplus inventory at throwaway prices and then sell it at deep discounts.
• The Result:
  • Fashion Factory sells items from Nike, Puma, Levi’s, and Biba at 40-70% discounts.
  • Such an arrangement allows customers to buy branded fashion at a fraction of the cost.
  • This “problem” helped Fashion Factory generate considerable revenues in 2024.
  • Many factory outlets are doing exceedingly well.

Metro Cash & Carry & JioMart Wholesale

• The Problem: Many premium brands would rather not associate with bulk-buying retailers because they think it damages their premium image.
• The Profit Play: Instead of negotiating with big names, Costco, Metro Cash & Carry, and JioMart Wholesale go straight to manufacturers. They buy bulk quantities at deep discounts and pass on savings to consumers.
• The Result:
  • Metro Cash & Carry provides bulk discounts on groceries, electronics, and kitchenware to small businesses.
  • JioMart Wholesale sources directly from manufacturers, offering lower-than-market prices.
  • In the US, Costco made $242B in 2023, proving that cutting out intermediaries is a money-making strategy.

Uber & Ola – Monetizing Idle Cars 🚗

• The Problem: Many people own cars but don’t use them 24/7.
• The Profit Play: Uber & Ola let car owners and drivers make money from their vehicles instead of letting them sit idle.
• The Result:
  • Uber made $37 billion in 2023

Airbnb – Making Profit from Empty Homes 🏡

• The Problem: Hotels are expensive, and many have unused rooms or vacant apartments.
• The Profit Play: Airbnb built a platform for homeowners to rent out spare space instead of leaving it idle.
• The Result:
  • Now worth over $90 billion
  • Hotels hate them, but travellers love them

The Lesson? Someone Else’s Problem Can Be Your Profit!

• Factories overproduce? Buy their extra stock and sell it cheap.
• Big brands don’t want to work with you? Go straight to their manufacturers.
• People hoard stuff they don’t need? Build a platform to resell it.
• Make money from things people ignore, waste, or don’t use fully.

It’s all about adding value to something that others consider a burden.

Because one person’s problem is another’s billion-dollar opportunity.