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Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

punishme.app

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Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#41

Post by Retr0id »

MarkVenison wrote: post #38
Retr0id wrote: post #11

It would be more interesting if you pre-approved the transaction for some set date in the future (the task due date), which you cancel on completion of the task. This also guarantees "punishment" in the event that you forget about it. I would genuinely consider using something like this iff ~90% of the money went to a charity of my choice (with the rest as a platform/transaction fee)

This is exactly what I wanted to do. But I didn't know how. I looked into it with Stripe and they said they would have to authorize a payment every day and if this happens on a big scale it could trigger some bad stuff and lock it from working. Then I thought maybe I can create a community where if you don't post a message proving you did it this will trigger the transaction, but again it was very complicated. This i…

I don't know for sure if this would work, but it's pretty common for services to have a monthly subscription where the first month is free. You could maybe set up something like that, which either gets cancelled by you just after the end of the first month, or cancelled by the user at some point before then. (where "month" is some arbitrary duration)

Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#42

Post by Retr0id »

landgenoot wrote: post #16
Retr0id wrote: post #11

It would be more interesting if you pre-approved the transaction for some set date in the future (the task due date), which you cancel on completion of the task. This also guarantees "punishment" in the event that you forget about it. I would genuinely consider using something like this iff ~90% of the money went to a charity of my choice (with the rest as a platform/transaction fee)

So just schedule a bank transfer to your charity? 100% will go to them if you don't cancel.

Setting up a scheduled bank transfer is exactly the sort of task that would spend too long on my todo list in the first place.

Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#43

Post by MarkVenison »

Retr0id wrote: post #41
MarkVenison wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is exactly what I wanted to do. But I didn't know how. I looked into it with Stripe and they said they would have to authorize a payment every day and if this happens on a big scale it could trigger some bad stuff and lock it from working. Then I thought maybe I can create a community where if you don't post a message proving you did it this will trigger the transaction, but again it was very complicated. This i…

I don't know for sure if this would work, but it's pretty common for services to have a monthly subscription where the first month is free. You could maybe set up something like that, which either gets cancelled by you just after the end of the first month, or cancelled by the user at some point before then. (where "month" is some arbitrary duration)

I have been thinking about this as a "daily" habit kinda of thing, instead I think you're seeing it as a "monthly" goal kinda of thing. Maybe your view is easier so people don't have to subscribe and unsubscribe every day, but they can do so once per month.

So for example let's say I create a subscription, first month free.

My goal is to not drink alcohol for the whole month.

So let's say I do drink alcohol > I don't cancel the subscription and get automatically charged. If I don't drink it > I cancel it.

But then next month I would have to sign up again if I want to keep using this method let's say.

Will this mass subscribing and canceling on a daily/weekly/monthly basis annoy Stripe? I was reading from someone who did a similar app that 95% of people will say they achieved their goal. So that would be a 95% subscription cancellation rate.

Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#44

Post by Volundr »

Retr0id wrote: post #42
landgenoot wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So just schedule a bank transfer to your charity? 100% will go to them if you don't cancel.

Setting up a scheduled bank transfer is exactly the sort of task that would spend too long on my todo list in the first place.

I think there's an interesting bit of human psychology on display here, where signing up for this service wouldn't be lost in the depths of a to-do list, but scheduling an equivalent bank transfer would.

Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#45

Post by maxverse »

MarkVenison wrote: post #34
dewey wrote: post #31

This type of app has been built so many times now.

I noticed as well actually :)

Congrats on launching; it's a big step that a lot of people shy away from. And congrats on the traction and comments you're getting!

I think there's nothing wrong with entering a crowded market or building an alternative to similar existing products - but I also think you need something to differentiate your offering! I'm not sure what that is for this product, but I think it's great that you launched and hopefully v the experience will help you design your next offering.

Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#46

Post by spacemadness »

landgenoot wrote: post #7

For 100$, I'd expect some kind of validation of the accomplishment of my goal while the amount is reserved on my credit card. But this app seems very low effort get rich quick to me, powered by typeform.

The $100 goes right to the web dev? What a joke.

Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#48

Post by 8organicbits »

Volundr wrote: post #44
Retr0id wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Setting up a scheduled bank transfer is exactly the sort of task that would spend too long on my todo list in the first place.

I think there's an interesting bit of human psychology on display here, where signing up for this service wouldn't be lost in the depths of a to-do list, but scheduling an equivalent bank transfer would.

I wonder if it's mostly the ease of use of credit card payment versus the scheduled payment system of a bank website. The latter being more complex as you need to specify the destination vs a payment where you just enter your details.

Re: Show HN: I made a site that lets you punish yourself

#50

Post by yurishimo »

andersonmvd wrote: post #25
yurishimo wrote: post #12

I'm literally doing this same idea currently but I pay a friend instead. They are under no obligation to give me my money back at a later date and I'm not expecting them to. The key is that I have to give them cash, so every time I check in with them and have not completed my goal, I have to take out my wallet, grab the money, and hand it to them. My first check in for the year is coming up this weekend and I'm not l…

Does it impact your friendship? I'd guess you may resent them if they kept a lot of money, especially when you need the money. Or you may start avoiding them completely when you're aware that you didn't achieve a given goal, no? I guess for small amounts it may work but on the long run it seems like a trap.

I just started, so can't really comment on that. So far, it seems fine? We're not talking about life changing amounts of money here; 50 bucks a month at most.

The point for me is to accomplish my goal so I don't have to pay them because I'm a cheapskate.

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