Live data from Hacker News

Introducing Quip

quip.com

91–100 of 164 posts

Re: Introducing Quip

#91
post #90

It's always surreal to read Hacker News threads about the stuff you make. Harsh, but realistic. Anyway, I am Bret Taylor, co-founder of Quip. I am here if you have any questions, etc. (Also posted responses on the existing thread already). Just to clarify a couple of points I have read: 1. We do support desktops. We have a really nice web app. It is Chrome/Firefox only right now. 2. We have an Android app. It is a "p…

I just checked it out and really like it. My primary use case would be a tool to replace or augment a wiki. What types of feedback are you most interested in receiving?

Any and all

Re: Introducing Quip

#92
A bit off topic, but every time i see document-making apps, i wonder about the lack of file manager.

My workflow is almost always, open the app, start typing, then ask myself "i'd like to add a picture here". Now, on desktop that's simply a matter of clicking "import image" and browse my hard drive to find the picture. It's a pull workflow.

What's the worflow for that on an iPad ? Android has file managers, but iOS definitely needs something more convenient than "export this image to".

EDIT : and that could be really easy to do from an API / UI perspective : just create a system UIViewController like mail composer, that present the list of apps (or app groups), and let me pick files that the apps put in their "shared" folder (read only).

Re: Introducing Quip

#94
No doubt, this is very hard to get right, it's amitious, and maybe these guys do get it right.

I wonder, though, whether it is a good idea to sell the product as this completely disruptive rethink of word processing as we know it. The "What Quip does differently" section certainly doesn't make it clear to me what that revolutionary difference is suppsed to be.

Re: Introducing Quip

#95

It's always surreal to read Hacker News threads about the stuff you make. Harsh, but realistic. Anyway, I am Bret Taylor, co-founder of Quip. I am here if you have any questions, etc. (Also posted responses on the existing thread already). Just to clarify a couple of points I have read: 1. We do support desktops. We have a really nice web app. It is Chrome/Firefox only right now. 2. We have an Android app. It is a "p…

App looks great Bret. One question - given the focus on collaboration and mobility and the very minimal formatting feature set, why the positioning as a word processor rather than a OneNote/Wiki/Collab note taking tool?

Re: Introducing Quip

#97
I find inexact that word processing hasn't evolved since 1984. I have personnally been working at Atlassian and I can tell:

Confluence has seemlessly replaced Word in the company.

The "share" workflow is pervasive in a corporate communication tool, and the rich text editor makes it possible to build bigger, richer documents. The reason word processors per se are being side kicked is they're only useful to layout a letter.

Re: Introducing Quip

#98

This looks awesome. When I installed it, the first thing I am greeted with is a screen asking me to enter my email address. Given that my email is a Gmail address, it notifies me about wanting to manage my contacts and something else (that was the first off-putting step in my experience). I just met you, and your hands are already going down my pants. Then once I got in, the 1st or 2nd screen inside is about adding f…

Sadly, I think this suffers from one of Facebooks greatest and worst issues: "WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO SHARE THIS, NOW!!!" > "Uhm... because; Fuck You, that's why" I would suggest a much more clever way to virility; Help me actually MAKE something I WANT to share... How about a tutorial on how to build an utterly awesome [document] thaat I just must share! An invite, a how-to, op-ed...something!! Here is an app that is l…

I would suggest a much more clever way to virility; Help me actually MAKE something I WANT to share... How about a tutorial on how to build an utterly awesome [document] thaat I just must share! An invite, a how-to, op-ed...something!!

This is actually pretty clever.

Bret and Team...not to be presumptuous to offer you guys advice, but I think this could be very useful.

Picture this....the way make/consume documents has changed drastically since Word was initially created.

There could be a VERY powerful viral loop in here somewhere, but I don't think it is on the surface.

If you guys built it into the document type being created, e.g. you made some nifty tools that allow me to make 'wedding/party invites' from scratch (with some sexy templates or features that add significant value to the creation of an invite) - then you add the address book/viral element built into that process, once it is done - it makes total sense.

Once they create an invite, they want to share it.

The same is likely true for other document types - e.g. Resumes, Basic Flyers (say for Yard Sales, etc.), article that needs to be proof-read before submitting (like an op-ed), a school paper, certain legal documents, etc.

So, I guess what I am saying is....if you take a step back and think about different document types that people might want to create. Then you build tools to make the creation of each of those documents easier, than say using Photoshop, Word or Google Docs - then you build in the viral loop into the appropriate document types that make sense for you to share it.

I think THAT would be revolutionary.

Re: Introducing Quip

#99
post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How would you convince a happy google docs user to switch, what's the key selling point?

1. Works exceptionally on mobile. 2. Works offline. Whether spotty 3G connection or completely offline, our mobile apps work and sync whenever you come back online, even when multiple people are collaborating on the same document. The tech behind this is really cool. And everything is available offline automatically, not just stuff you "mark for offline" 3. Diffs, presence, notifications More details at https://quip.…

While I can see why you would attack Google Docs, I think there may be an even bigger play here.

Abstracting Document types and building tools to make the creation of each type more rich.

See more details in my other comment here - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6132528

Post reply on HN