Need Protection: Are Crazy SaaS Ideas The Next Big Thing?

In the ever-expanding universe of Software-as-a-Service, new and innovative ideas that aimed to disrupt the world have come and gone such as AI-generated therapy or cloud-based legal services. But now, a new player has entered the game with what may be the most extreme idea yet: Protector, an app that lets you hire armed bodyguards as easily as ordering an Uber or getting a pizza.

Need personal security for a meeting? Need an armed escort while carrying cash? Want to impress your friends on a night out? Just open the app, select your desired level of protections, and a fully armed guard will be at your location in minutes.

This is Protector’s value proposition, and while this idea sounds straight out of a dystopian science-fiction novel, it is a very real app. The crazy thing about SaaS is that sometimes, crazy works.?

Is SaaS Entering Its "Crazy Era"?

The history of successful SaaS startups is littered with ideas that seemed too ridiculous to work. Who would've thought 30 years ago that people would be able to turn their own cars into taxis (uber), pay for a subscription to shave (Dollar Shave Club), and order food from an app on their phone (Deliveroo)? What once seemed outlandish and crazy is now mainstream.

But now, we might be seeing a new trend, the rise of extreme SaaS concepts. From AI-driven personal assistants that negotiate bills to apps that let you hire private security on demand, the limits of SaaS are being pushed further than ever before. But these crazy ideas almost always have a basis in reason and tap real problems that exist. For Protector, it taps the two truths that the personal security industry is growing due to increased insecurity in major cities and the fact that people love on-demand convenience, meaning that an executive who always thought hiring security was a hassle now no longer has to worry about the logistics of bodyguards and can simply get protection whenever he needs it.

Whether it’s celebrities, business executives, or everyday citizens in high-crime areas, there’s an undeniable market for easily accessible personal protection. In some ways, it’s surprising this idea didn’t appear sooner. But it also raises the question: Is the future of SaaS all about taking crazy bets?

The Future: More Wild SaaS Ideas Ahead?

If Protector succeeds and manages to get past regulators, legal issues, and safety issues, it could very well set off a wave of “extreme SaaS” startups meaning business built on the basis that no idea is crazy as long as there’s a market for it.

Some of the ideas to come might sound absurd now, but so did Airbnb, Uber, and even subscription-based razors. What if the next great SaaS unicorn is born from an idea that sounds completely insane today?

The Protector app might be controversial but it signals something more important: SaaS could be heading into its “crazy era”. As mainstream markets begin to saturate, companies may begin to embrace the wild and absurd to stand out.

Crazy SaaS might just be the next big thing. AI lawyers defending you in court for $10.99 a month might be just around the corner!