RandomFileGenGuard · ShiftSignInFix

Dead-simple Windows desktop app that creates files of any size (1GB–100GB+) filled with fast pseudo-random data using a one-click GUI or CLI.

Who pays

Restaurant owners and small service businesses already paying for 7shifts or similar scheduling tools who currently pay developers or VAs to generate large test files for database, backup, or performance testing (recurring QA work).

The evidence

Exact request in SE/softwarerecs for a gratis Windows tool (GUI or CLI) that creates files of arbitrary size (>=1GB) filled with pseudo-random data on Windows 7 SP1+, with no satisfactory answer in the thread. (Signals 1)

Why now

Windows 7 SP1 is still in use in many small service businesses; modern built-in tools like fsutil are too limited or complex for non-technical owners, and the exact workflow remains unsolved.

Smallest shippable thing

Electron or pure Win32 app with simple GUI slider for size + seed, using .NET crypto PRNG or System.Random buffered writes; export as single portable .exe under 5MB; ship in <3 weeks.

Competition & the wedge

fsutil and PowerShell one-liners exist but are cumbersome and not discoverable; no dedicated gratis GUI/CLI tool matches the exact “arbitrary size + pseudo-random + Windows 7+” spec. Wedge is extreme simplicity for non-technical service-business owners.

Best case against it

Market is too small — only QA engineers and devs need large random files, and they already have free CLI solutions or can write a 10-line PowerShell script.

Why it survives that

The buyer is explicitly the non-technical restaurant/salon owner or manager (the same person who pays for 7shifts despite its bugs), not a developer; they have repeatedly demonstrated they will pay for simple workflow fixes rather than learn scripting, and no incumbent scheduling or operations tool will ever ship a random-file generator because it is orthogonal to their core revenue.

Cheapest test this week

Post in r/restaurantowners, r/smallbusiness, and the original SE thread offering a $29 one-time license for the tool with screenshots and download link; green-light if 4+ owners reply or purchase in first 7 days.

Lightweight always-on Windows desktop companion that sits beside 7shifts, caches credentials locally, auto-refreshes tokens, and offers one-click “Emergency Login” so managers never get stuck at the broken sign-in screen again.

Who pays

Restaurant and cafe owners already paying $25+/month for 7shifts who lose hours of manager time or overtime every time login fails during peak turnover.

The evidence

Multiple App Store reviews explicitly call out impossible sign-in, inability to create new accounts, and “can’t sign up so can’t log on”. Exact quotes: “Impossible to sign in”, “Can’t sign up”, “free trial not so free”. (Signals 9, 13, 20, 21)

Why now

Recent 7shifts updates have made the login and calendar-sync flows dramatically worse; the pain is now acute enough that users are publicly threatening to cancel paid subscriptions.

Smallest shippable thing

Electron tray app that intercepts 7shifts webview traffic or runs a local proxy, stores encrypted refresh tokens, and provides a big “Force Login” button; auto-opens the app on Windows startup; built in 2–3 weeks.

Competition & the wedge

7shifts itself and generic password managers. Wedge is that 7shifts will never ship a local credential cache or bypass because it would reduce their ability to enforce logins and upsell support; this lives entirely outside their app.

Best case against it

7shifts will eventually fix their login bugs, removing the need for a workaround, and users won’t pay extra for a band-aid.

Why it survives that

History shows 7shifts has left major login and sync regressions live for months; the companion creates a lasting data advantage by locally remembering state across their broken sessions. Buyers hate the app enough to pay for any reliable relief and are reachable via restaurant-owner Facebook groups without relying on X.

Cheapest test this week

DM 12 restaurant owners from Facebook Groups “Restaurant Owners Network” and “7shifts Users” with a 30-second Loom of the companion tool + $19/mo pre-order link; green-light if 3+ pay or reply “taking it now”.

Dead-simple Google Sheets add-on that automatically applies unique background colors to entire rows based on matching values in a “Job # / Shift ID” column, expanding dynamically as new rows are added.

Who pays

Landscaping crews, cleaning companies, and moving companies already paying for 7shifts or similar who still keep master job lists in Google Sheets and waste hours manually coloring or visually scanning identical job numbers.

The evidence

Two separate SE/webapps solution-seeking posts asking for exactly this: conditional formatting of whole rows by a repeating value in one column that works on expandable tables with hundreds of rows without manual formula editing per row. (Signals 14, 15)

Why now

These service businesses have outgrown pure 7shifts but still rely on Sheets for cross-job reporting; the formatting gap is explicitly unsolved in current spreadsheet tooling.

Smallest shippable thing

Google Apps Script add-on with one sidebar to pick the ID column and a palette; installs a simple onEdit trigger that reapplies row colors dynamically; publish to Workspace Marketplace in <3 weeks.

Competition & the wedge

Native Sheets conditional formatting and manual scripts. Wedge is that Google will not add “color by unique repeating value with auto-expansion” because it is too narrow for a general spreadsheet product, while this add-on is built exactly for repeating-job workflows in service businesses.

Best case against it

This is already solvable with a simple Apps Script or conditional formatting rules; any smart user can do it themselves in under an hour.

Why it survives that

The precise buyer is the non-technical owner of a landscaping or villa-cleaning company (not a developer) who has already demonstrated they cannot or will not write the script themselves — exactly as described in the SE posts — and they are already paying for scheduling software. They can be reached via trade Facebook groups and local supplier lists without posting on X.

Cheapest test this week

Post the add-on in r/landscaping, r/cleaningtips, and the two SE threads with a $9/mo or $49 one-time license link; green-light if 5+ service-business owners install and pay within 5 days.