Regarding the second question: I'm not sure what should count as "natural", but couldn't you just work with examples where the solution set condition in an adjoint functor theorem fails? The solution set <i>is</i> a weakly initial set in a comma category. For example, there is no left adjoint to the underlying-set functor $U$ from complete Boolean algebras to sets, and in particular no free complete Boolean algebra on a countably infinite set. But the category of complete Boolean algebras is small-complete and $U$ preserves all small limits. So it's the solution set condition that fails, and therefore the comma category $$\mathbb{N} \downarrow U$$ has no weakly initial set. Edit: After reading David's request for really simple, I offer instead $Ord^{op}$, where $Ord$ is the class of ordinals ordered by inclusion. I acknowledge the influence of Laurent's answer.