Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#51

Post by bdclimber14 » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:37 PM UTC

ssebro wrote: post #40

emiranda wrote: post #27

Does anyone else think people would be more likely to sign up and try it if a credit card wasn't required for the 14 day trial? I was going to sign up to to see what it was like, but then decided not to when I found out that a credit card is required.

That's the point- he only wants people that are seriously interested in using his service to sign up. Since giving him your credit card chased you away, you probably wouldn't have ever paid for the service. Be honest, are you his target demographic?

This is very true, but I've also experienced this with credit card sign ups. People who really don't want to pay will sign up, and forget to cancel. Then they'll file charge backs and complain when they get charged. Requiring a credit card may eliminate not-serious buyers, but it makes the ones that actually get through even more of a pain to deal with.

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#52

Post by ssebro » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:37 PM UTC

This is amazing. How long did it take to spec + build? What's the background story?

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#53

Post by bdclimber14 » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:39 PM UTC

ddkrone wrote: post #42

bdclimber14 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are being incredibly rude and attacking. This is a real pain for some people, and the OP has built a solution to solve that. Having a dozen distributed communication mediums that you have to manage and stay on top of may not be your pain, but that doesn't me its no one's pain.

I didn't say it's not a pain. I just think if you're trying to engage users then blasting them with updates on all fronts is the wrong approach and doesn't change anything about the current political setup.

> doesn't change anything about the current political setup.

A startup doesn't have to do that. This startup is solving the pain of the politicians, and looks like they may do that well.

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#54

Post by ssebro » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:39 PM UTC

bdclimber14 wrote: post #51

ssebro wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the point- he only wants people that are seriously interested in using his service to sign up. Since giving him your credit card chased you away, you probably wouldn't have ever paid for the service. Be honest, are you his target demographic?

This is very true, but I've also experienced this with credit card sign ups. People who really don't want to pay will sign up, and forget to cancel. Then they'll file charge backs and complain when they get charged. Requiring a credit card may eliminate not-serious buyers, but it makes the ones that actually get through even more of a pain to deal with.

You're right, but I'd be more concerned about ppl forgetting to cancel with a 30 day trial. A 14 day trial is short enough that it'll stay on users' minds.

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#55

Post by bdclimber14 » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:41 PM UTC

ddkrone wrote: post #39

ile wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least you admitted it fixes a problem.

In fact I think it does the opposite. This doesn't fix anything. It makes the problem worse. In our current politics there is absolutely no real dialog between the politicians and people. Blasting twitter updates and facebook status updates to your followers is the shallowest kind of follower engagement because even though everyone can retweet and comment on those status updates no one really does any real communicat…

You're obviously very passionate about politics. What's your background, and how are you going to fix the problem?

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#56

Post by ile » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:41 PM UTC

ddkrone wrote: post #39

ile wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At least you admitted it fixes a problem.

In fact I think it does the opposite. This doesn't fix anything. It makes the problem worse. In our current politics there is absolutely no real dialog between the politicians and people. Blasting twitter updates and facebook status updates to your followers is the shallowest kind of follower engagement because even though everyone can retweet and comment on those status updates no one really does any real communicat…

Ok, well, at least you are now saying something. But it may very well fix/improve the situation. We will have to wait and see. I think it's an interesting trial at least.

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#57

Post by ddkrone » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:54 PM UTC

bdclimber14 wrote: post #55

ddkrone wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fact I think it does the opposite. This doesn't fix anything. It makes the problem worse. In our current politics there is absolutely no real dialog between the politicians and people. Blasting twitter updates and facebook status updates to your followers is the shallowest kind of follower engagement because even though everyone can retweet and comment on those status updates no one really does any real communicat…

You're obviously very passionate about politics. What's your background, and how are you going to fix the problem?

It's not about being passionate about politics and my background is in mathematics and cs, two of the least political subjects out there. If I was going to devote time and effort to doing anything political then it certainly wouldn't be about empowering the marketing/spin machine used by politicians. I would instead focus on tools to empower individual citizens and give them the tools to fight back the spin machine. This doesn't do anything of the sort.

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#58

Post by flipdeadshot » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:54 PM UTC

neilk wrote: post #33

Wow. Compared to what a lot of people are calling startups these days, this is practically General Electric. Looks great to me, although I have not tried it (since it's 100% integration work, devil is in the details). Seems that you've done this before and built the app you would have wanted.

rofl

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#59

Post by PStamatiou » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:56 PM UTC

It sounds a bit like what Flowtown is doing with their new product: http://v3.flowtown.com/#/flowtown

  Connect your Facebook account to become an official Ambassador for Flowtown.
  Be the first to know, connect with other Ambassadors, and participate in
  exclusives opportunities.

Re: Show HN: NationBuilder, my startup just launched

#60

Post by [deleted] » Wed, Apr 06, 2011, 11:58 PM UTC

PStamatiou wrote: post #59

It sounds a bit like what Flowtown is doing with their new product: http://v3.flowtown.com/#/flowtown Connect your Facebook account to become an official Ambassador for Flowtown. Be the first to know, connect with other Ambassadors, and participate in exclusives opportunities.

[deleted]