3 Side Hustles In a Trench Coat

Investor and writer Paul Graham-style pitch critic observes that many startup pitches, particularly new AI-driven software for tradespeople like plumbers, are actually "3 side hustles in a trench coat" — a single company claiming to be accounting software, scheduling, payroll, marketing, websites, sales tracking, and a CRM at once. The observation highlights a recurring pattern in which B2B companies tack on unrelated B2C features or promise to do everything, rather than focusing on one business.

So, I listen to a lot of pitches. One thing that I notice frequently is that there are pitches that are a business, and pitches that are 3 side hustles in a trench coat. This is a little hard to describe, but you know it when you see it. It’s the B2B company that nonetheless has a B2C social media application tacked on. Or the product that does everything. Lately I’ve been seeing this archetype a lot with software for the trades - I suppose in part because that demographic is underserved, and a number of AI juiced founders are trying to serve it now. The pitch goes like “We’re accounting software for X let’s say plumbers Also, we do scheduling, and payroll, and marketing, and websites, and sales tracking, and we’re a CRM.”