Show HN: I made a book recommendations app

#1

Post by pgbi » Sun, Apr 26, 2020, 11:46 PM UTC

Show HN: I made a book recommendations app
whichbookfor.me

Re: Show HN: I made a book recommendations app

#2

Post by pedalpete » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 2:50 AM UTC

You started off so well with just getting me to tell you about books I like and what I don't like. Then you ask for a login without giving me anything back.

Ok, fine, then I got login and you want, name, gender, where I was born??

That was the end of it. Sorry, you may have something great, but you have to prove it to me a bit further than that.

Re: Show HN: I made a book recommendations app

#3

Post by pgbi » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 4:15 AM UTC

pedalpete wrote: post #2

You started off so well with just getting me to tell you about books I like and what I don't like. Then you ask for a login without giving me anything back. Ok, fine, then I got login and you want, name, gender, where I was born?? That was the end of it. Sorry, you may have something great, but you have to prove it to me a bit further than that.

Thanks for the feedback. The personal information (gender, birth year) is asked to refine the recommendations. So that you don't get recommended a child book if you're an adult for instance.

But it is not mandatory to submit the personal info, you could select "Prefer not to say" for those fields. Seems like that wasn't clear enough.

The first name, it's only asked so that I can write "Hi, [first name]" when you log in :)

Re: Show HN: I made a book recommendations app

#4

Post by rusinov » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 10:29 AM UTC

Closed at step 3, sorry.

Re: Show HN: I made a book recommendations app

#5

Post by totaldude87 » Tue, Apr 28, 2020, 1:10 PM UTC

rusinov wrote: post #4

Closed at step 3, sorry.

me too!

Re: Show HN: I made a book recommendations app

#6

Post by pedalpete » Wed, Apr 29, 2020, 5:34 AM UTC

pgbi wrote: post #3

pedalpete wrote: post #2

You started off so well with just getting me to tell you about books I like and what I don't like. Then you ask for a login without giving me anything back. Ok, fine, then I got login and you want, name, gender, where I was born?? That was the end of it. Sorry, you may have something great, but you have to prove it to me a bit further than that.

Thanks for the feedback. The personal information (gender, birth year) is asked to refine the recommendations. So that you don't get recommended a child book if you're an adult for instance. But it is not mandatory to submit the personal info, you could select "Prefer not to say" for those fields. Seems like that wasn't clear enough. The first name, it's only asked so that I can write "Hi, [first name]" when you log…

Ok, I'll take a closer look. Just for reference, many studies have been done which show that for every bit of information you ask for, you'll get a magnitude of people drop out. So though these may be "nice" they're probably best left for later in the relationship. Get the email, so you can hit them up, and get feedback or whatever, but think of it like a relationship. You're asking all of these details, AFTER you've asked about what books we like and don't like. I've already given you a TON of info, and you've given nothing in return, and not promise of what you will give.

Let somebody enter the books, then give them results right away. THEN you can start asking for more info if they want to make an account, etc.

You are going to face a huge uphill battle with the structure you have now.

As I'm typing this, I'm even reconsidering if I want to go through all the trouble of entering my books again, because you still haven't shown me that there is any value there.

Also, if you're algorithm needs to know my age so you don't recommend children's books, you've got serious issues. I just gave you 5 books I like, and 3 books I don't. No children's books in there, so why would you recommend children's books?