Live data from Hacker News

Against Usefulness

motivenotes.ai

31–40 of 43 posts

Re: Against Usefulness

#31
post #27

> ...two researchers who worked at Dynamicland, Bret Victor’s lab in Oakland. > Everyone is building the same thing, funded by the same people, using the same words. Where are the independent thinkers? > [JP] said a name: Folk Computer. In New York. Who are ... building the same thing as Bret. So where are these independent thinkers?

I’m right here Been building about 20 interconnected pieces of a new software stack designed to help humanity. Most VCs wouldn’t fund it. Most investors wouldn’t understand it. They prefer small apps. YC’s startups used to be called “feature, not a startup”. Now with AI it has become easier — the work I and my small team that I’ve been paying for 10 years has been greatly accelerated. But still. Most people on HN wil…

I took the time to read through your software stack. While i understand the concept makes sense (i propose similar self hosted solutions and applaud the math proven security aspect) i want to show you why you lack people leaning more into it:

As the 7 parts already hint there's a limit to what people can comprehend in any amount of time so while its what you do and know and fills your millers number this is not the same for others.

Trying to get customers, any customers, will teach you the customer has obligations to fulfill and he's looking for a way to go from his A to his imagined B. Now you maybe can offer some B' that has parts of your solution, but that can only be 1 or 2 parts of your stack at maximum and bend his imagined B at a very tiny amount or he will not accept it.

Because the rest of his millers number (5 or whatever intellect he shows, maybe more) is already filled with family, his boss, bottom line finances and time. Also there's always pain when you change some thinking - even if your solution is better. Most people will look for a quick fix then move on to their next immediate problem.

So maybe with some luck after handing over 3 or 4 B' to them that all interconnect you can propose a greenfield solution like yours that's now just 2 steps away.

But going there is transition and not greenfield - the customer has a somewhat working system already and completely replacing this will not make him happy.

Maybe he has a working Active Directory? Or just an apple time capsule whatever? Gmail business? Can you transition from that for the same price and pain your competitors offer as an "immediate" solution?

Re: Against Usefulness

#32
post #27

> ...two researchers who worked at Dynamicland, Bret Victor’s lab in Oakland. > Everyone is building the same thing, funded by the same people, using the same words. Where are the independent thinkers? > [JP] said a name: Folk Computer. In New York. Who are ... building the same thing as Bret. So where are these independent thinkers?

I’m right here Been building about 20 interconnected pieces of a new software stack designed to help humanity. Most VCs wouldn’t fund it. Most investors wouldn’t understand it. They prefer small apps. YC’s startups used to be called “feature, not a startup”. Now with AI it has become easier — the work I and my small team that I’ve been paying for 10 years has been greatly accelerated. But still. Most people on HN wil…

The summary?

Re: Against Usefulness

#33

How do you plug a keyboard into a sheet of paper?

You hand a webcam and a projector over it, run image detection, link by physical adjacency.

I was adjacent to a BigTech project working on a variant of this about 15 years ago - had the projector and camera both embedded in a smart lightbulb. Unfortunately never saw the light of day

Re: Against Usefulness

#34
post #14

That's DynamicLab, which has been around for years. Like most 2D programming environments, it runs into a scaling problem. At some point, the diagram becomes too big. This is why complex logic is designed in VHDL rather than with really big schematics. There was an era of giant books of schematics. It sucked.

that's why i extended diagrams to n dimensions, the structure can grow while each expertise keeps its own 2D POV not touching the flat diagram of others: https://krei.se/Editor/nodeEditor

With that you can just draw your idea in a 2D plane and if you hit the space available wall change to another 2D plane drag stuff around differently but this will not mess with the original 2D plane. When you want to discuss with other POVs rotate to a shared angle.

Re: Against Usefulness

#37

That intro makes me want to cry, because she's describing what the hope was for augmented reality before Zuck and Tim and every web developer looking for the next step on their career ladder stuck their grubby hands into its chest and squeezed its aorta shut. AR wasn't floating screens. It wasn't hackneyed VR. It was digital bits and bobs integrated into your physical space, onto your physical objects. You know, augm…

Glad to hear I was able to spark some emotion. I’d love to chat oana@motiveforce.ai

Certainly. I will shoot you an email with this username in the heading.

Re: Against Usefulness

#38

I feel like VCs are less relevant than ever. It’s nice to see gatekeepers vanish to irrelevance.

The environment allows for separation of the useful good ones from the "only in it for the cash" ex-investment banking types ^_^

Re: Against Usefulness

#40

I do not get the "against usefulness" portion. The article still discusses the projects she deems "useless" in relation to their future potential usefulness.

There appears to be a silent "immediate" in this version of "useful". Against "only immediate/certain usefulness".

[deleted]
Post reply on HN