Do (or did) you personally use the things you've created?
Testing & dev doesn't count. Are you passionate user #1?
Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
61–70 of 108 posts
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#62I built http://isshort.com because I wanted to promote healthy link shortening, and created an API so that Twitter clients can use it. I promoted it on reddit, HN, techstartu.ps, Quora (in response to a question) and by emailing the people who were an inspiration for it (simon wilson, the people responsible for rev=canonical and rel=shortlink). I've been completely unable to gain traction for isshort.com, with 43 vis…
Are you seriously wondering why people aren't flocking to your new link shortening service? Could you possibly have picked a more crowded niche with less demand from real users and less potential for profit?
If you're going to build something, throw it live, and hope people find it, you're going to need to make sure it's something people will actually be looking for. There are lots of things like that. There are actually only a few that aren't, and unfortunately you've picked the biggest one.
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#63Earlier quoted context omitted.
People complain about link shortening on sites like HN, then turn around and use bit.ly because it's easy, just works, and gives cool real-time analytics. You're solving a problem people _say_ they have, not that they _actually_ have. Healthy link shortening is a 'nice to have', not something most folks will go out of their way to us.
But it's not something they need to go out of their way to use, is it? It's just something you set once and forget about. My API doesn't even require any authentication. :)
You're arguing technical merits, not user benefits. It's the 'set once' part that's the trick. It's really, really fucking hard to get someone to set something new one time, even if it is a good bit better.
Personally, I wouldn't start using a new tool for the benefit of the web in general when there's an immediate benefit to me for using a competing product. There's got to be a user benefit besides improving the web.
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#64When you look at how apple has succeed, it's the way of the future. They didn't provide any new functionality that wasn't on mobile devices before. They just made it simple, it's the new paradigm, design is now more important than functionality.
I'm am not an apple fan, mind you, I am an Android dev who built a podcasting app - and most of the complaints I get are "I can't figure it out" and "why is it so complicated". It is overloaded with features and some appreciate it, but some don't.
The way I think of it, is that life is frustrating at times, and people will go to great lengths to avoid that feeling of frustration. Software might do a lot but if it not quick to use then its pretty well useless. In time gone by, how many man hours been wasted trying to find that elusive checkbox in windows to fix a certain small problem.
Simplicity is the most important thing, people want life to be simple - why can't it be simple !!! That's why apple is making billions.
There is always an element of randomness though. To some people a design (e.g. my podcasting app) will seem logical, but to others it will be a frustrating mess. I am happy to have a set of users who are fairly tech capable. but I do constantly receive a hail of abuse from the less capable who really want to use it, but cant figure it out. Some people actively resent the fact that I have made them feel stupid (Saying exactly "I am not stupid", had that exact phrase about 30 times I think).
Sometimes I think 3 interfaces to a product are necessary, "simple"(only basic stuff), "cool" (medium), and "super"(everything). Different people like different things.
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#65Earlier quoted context omitted.
I've tried to use it with http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/80677/Ha... , but it didn't pick up rel=shortlink. UI is a bit weird — there is no submit button, no progress for the magic ajaxy thing. Page that explains what it's about starts with mix of obviousness and downsides.
1. Ah! With that link, it's because the attribute isn't in quotes. I'll fix that right away! 2. There is a submit button. The "isn't Short" image is a button. I'll fix that soon. Also, I'll add a progress bar. Is that something that's really detracting from people using the site, though? 3. How would you restructure the blog post about it?
Button should look like a button (have affordance). "isn't short" is not a good label — it's not a command (you isn't short URLs?).
If button gives click feedback and you can shorten in 1-2 seconds, then you might not need a progress bar.
Explain on the page, in something that can be read in 4 seconds, what is that any why should anybody use it (problems you solve that others don't).
Assume nobody reads the blog post.
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#66My projects are mostly based on features that are missing or misimplemented in the existing products. This is your first problem. First, features do not sell software . If there were a Ten Commandments of customer acquisition in the Internet age that would be #2 right after "Google is your god, you shall have no others." People use software and use websites because of the benefit that you credibly propose to bring to…
> features do not sell software I've always thought that, but Joel Spolsky did an excellent talk where he made the exact opposite point. Skip to 25:00: http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2010/08/19.html
I think you misread the grandparent if you think Joel's point counters Patrick's. Yes, your software needs to have features. That's a given, and it's not what we're talking about here.
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#67My projects are mostly based on features that are missing or misimplemented in the existing products. This is your first problem. First, features do not sell software . If there were a Ten Commandments of customer acquisition in the Internet age that would be #2 right after "Google is your god, you shall have no others." People use software and use websites because of the benefit that you credibly propose to bring to…
Features absolutely do sell software if the demand already exists. If you are entering an existing market, where the product category is known -- your set of features (not # of features) is a big part of what will drive sales. StackOverflow, for example, was sold on features. Look at the early pitches -- it's a reddit+wiki replacement for Experts Exchange. Developers already knew that PHPBB and EE sucked for Q&A. The…
experts exchanges was ripe to be taken down because they tried to charge money for access.
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#68My projects are mostly based on features that are missing or misimplemented in the existing products. This is your first problem. First, features do not sell software . If there were a Ten Commandments of customer acquisition in the Internet age that would be #2 right after "Google is your god, you shall have no others." People use software and use websites because of the benefit that you credibly propose to bring to…
Found this sentence confusing: "One of their problems is that other people are cooler than they are because those people have technology that they haven't used yet."
You're saying early adopters want try to be impressive by using new technology? That one of early adopters' "problems" (that you are trying to provide a solution to) is jealousy?
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#69Try answering these questions:
Who is 'they' ? How many are "they" ? right now , where are "they"? Do you know even one of the "they"?
Ahh, its so much easier to give advise . If it makes you feel any better, I am also trying to find my version of "they".
In the meanwhile, get Steve Blank's Epiphany book and keep reading and applying until you have found the "they".
Good Luck !!
Re: Ask HN: I built it, "they" didn't come...
#70It could be that you just need to stick with it longer. If you are not out of funds, keep refining your product and trying to market it. Thats what I would do.