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Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

patio.so

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Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#11

Post by angry_moose »

pruetj wrote: post #6

I like the idea. The rental section has a lot of potential imo. It makes me wonder if there’s room for the personal property rental business in tools like there is for housing and cars. I do a lot of DIY and tend to acquire a lot of the tools I use if I think they are generic enough or I’ll repeat a similar job in the future but there’s also jobs I do where I’ll happily borrow from a friend. For example, I just built…

Tool libraries are starting to take off. Ours is $35/quarter and gives you free access to their full library:

https://mtl.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#14

Post by GouacheApp »

mrlatinos wrote: post #10

Based on the title, I assumed there would be some association between rental and DIY tutorials. Perhaps showing the necessary tools to accomplish the task with rental links? The tutorials become something like an all-in-one kit. I also think you could commoditize the tutorials themselves, rather than just sourcing from YouTube. Great idea with a lot of potential!

Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback! You're absolutely right — connecting rentals directly to DIY tutorials is exactly the vision. We want to turn every tutorial into a “DIY kit,” where you can learn how to do something and rent the exact tools needed nearby.

We’re also going a step further with our quiz section — think of it as Duolingo for home improvement. Instead of just watching tutorials, you learn step-by-step through interactive quizzes across topics like plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and more. It’s early days, but the goal is to make learning and doing as seamless as possible.

https://patio.so/quiz

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#15

Post by GouacheApp »

angry_moose wrote: post #11
pruetj wrote: post #6

I like the idea. The rental section has a lot of potential imo. It makes me wonder if there’s room for the personal property rental business in tools like there is for housing and cars. I do a lot of DIY and tend to acquire a lot of the tools I use if I think they are generic enough or I’ll repeat a similar job in the future but there’s also jobs I do where I’ll happily borrow from a friend. For example, I just built…

Tool libraries are starting to take off. Ours is $35/quarter and gives you free access to their full library: https://mtl.myturn.com/library/inventory/browse

That’s awesome — $35/quarter for full access is such a great deal, and tool libraries like yours are doing amazing work for local communities!

Unfortunately, not every city or neighborhood has a tool library yet. That’s one of the reasons we built Patio — to make tools more accessible wherever you are. We’re also working with tool libraries to feature their listings and provide tools to help manage inventory, grow memberships, and reach more people.

If you’re interested in collaborating, feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so — would love to chat!

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#16

Post by GouacheApp »

angry_moose wrote: post #12

I feel like you need to make sure the rental side is the first thing people see. My initial reaction at being dumped on the "Explore" section was "this is just a spammy pinterest style link aggregator thing".

Totally fair point — and really appreciate the honest feedback.

Our goal is to build a platform where people can learn, educate, rent, and share tools within a community that loves DIY. The “Explore” section is part of our effort to surface great tutorials and ideas, but we hear you — the rental experience should be front and center.

We’re working on making that more clear from the start. Thanks again for the insight — it really helps us improve.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#17

Post by GouacheApp »

nothercastle wrote: post #13

How does this work and how do you deal with theft fraud and damage.

Great questions — and ones we hear often.

Patio is a community-driven platform that helps people rent and share tools locally while also discovering DIY tutorials and resources. We focus on trust with verified profiles, user reviews, and local connections.

We're also working on adding insurance options to better protect tool owners and renters, along with features like ID verification and deposits to reduce risk.

If you’re interested or have ideas, feel free to reach out at julien@patio.so — would love to chat!

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#18

Post by StrandedKitty »

Please add more contrast to the black nav panel at the bottom. It took me like a minute to spot it because it was lost in the visual mess that the article previews create. At first I thought all this website does is article and video aggregation because all I saw was a list of categories and an endless feed.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#19

Post by GouacheApp »

StrandedKitty wrote: post #18

Please add more contrast to the black nav panel at the bottom. It took me like a minute to spot it because it was lost in the visual mess that the article previews create. At first I thought all this website does is article and video aggregation because all I saw was a list of categories and an endless feed.

Thanks a ton for the feedback — that's super helpful.

You're absolutely right about the nav getting lost — we’re working on improving the contrast and layout so it’s clear from the start that Patio is more than just content aggregation.

In addition to tutorials and articles, Patio includes a marketplace where people can rent tools and share or sell surplus building materials. There’s also a quiz section designed like Duolingo, where users can learn DIY skills interactively — from electrical and plumbing to woodworking and more.

Were you on mobile or desktop when you noticed the issue? That’ll really help us improve the experience. Thanks again for the great insight!

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#20

Post by mrlatinos »

GouacheApp wrote: post #14
mrlatinos wrote: post #10

Based on the title, I assumed there would be some association between rental and DIY tutorials. Perhaps showing the necessary tools to accomplish the task with rental links? The tutorials become something like an all-in-one kit. I also think you could commoditize the tutorials themselves, rather than just sourcing from YouTube. Great idea with a lot of potential!

Thanks so much for the thoughtful feedback! You're absolutely right — connecting rentals directly to DIY tutorials is exactly the vision. We want to turn every tutorial into a “DIY kit,” where you can learn how to do something and rent the exact tools needed nearby. We’re also going a step further with our quiz section — think of it as Duolingo for home improvement. Instead of just watching tutorials, you learn step-…

Very cool. The rental part is less exciting to me, simply because I live in a more rural area. When it comes to P2P sharing, it's better to just have relationships with your neighbors and share/barter directly. That isn't to say I wouldn't use the rental feature. Just that the tutorial / diy "recipes" feature seems to have a more near-term usefulness to me, as it doesn't require proximal adoption.

I wish you luck!

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