Ask HN: What could I build to make your life a little easier?
27 comments
A TurboTax-quality tax filing service for American expats with American investments who live abroad (particularly interested in a few European countries) and have to file in their country of residence and declare the income from such investments. I would pay $1-2k a year for a service like that, as I prefer to do things myself than relying on a CPA who will inevitably mess things up.
A means of posting on Reddit for those permanently banned.
I've been banned from using Reddit for years, and each time I create a jew account or use a different device I get suspended immediately. I don't even know how I'm getting caught for "ban evasion" lol.
So a tool to make me post on Reddit and comment, lol. I don't even know how it would work.
I've been banned from using Reddit for years, and each time I create a jew account or use a different device I get suspended immediately. I don't even know how I'm getting caught for "ban evasion" lol.
So a tool to make me post on Reddit and comment, lol. I don't even know how it would work.
A really good performance management system for Engineers. Something that helps people get fairly evaluated, helps people grow, but isn't a big burden (hours of form filling) and all about impact but something more nuanced and balances what people want to do, are naturally good at and benefits the business.
Ah, thank you for the offer!
* An alliteration dictionary (you enter "cat" and it suggests "catatonic", "cab" etc.)
* A simple free file sharing service based on webrtc. Dont make me remember/enter a weird code into my devices. Give me a qr/what-three-words code.
* Something that'll help with my vector graphics workflow: I hand draw on paper, photograph with my phone, send to my laptop, vectorize on laptop, publish on wordpress. A webpage that does the vectorize + share part should be straightforward.
* Build a phone app that you use in realtime to look over a patch of clover and find the 4-leafed ones. Sell them. Become obscenely rich.
* A tool that lets you take an image, slice it/mark distinct areas, open each one as a separate tineye/google image search. For visually matching subsets of a bigger image.
* An alliteration dictionary (you enter "cat" and it suggests "catatonic", "cab" etc.)
* A simple free file sharing service based on webrtc. Dont make me remember/enter a weird code into my devices. Give me a qr/what-three-words code.
* Something that'll help with my vector graphics workflow: I hand draw on paper, photograph with my phone, send to my laptop, vectorize on laptop, publish on wordpress. A webpage that does the vectorize + share part should be straightforward.
* Build a phone app that you use in realtime to look over a patch of clover and find the 4-leafed ones. Sell them. Become obscenely rich.
* A tool that lets you take an image, slice it/mark distinct areas, open each one as a separate tineye/google image search. For visually matching subsets of a bigger image.
> * A simple free file sharing service based on webrtc. Dont make me remember/enter a weird code into my devices. Give me a qr/what-three-words code.
Try https://github.com/prettydiff/share-file-systems
Try https://github.com/prettydiff/share-file-systems
Revive Lazarus Form Recovery.
Refactor Better Open With.
Oh, the list is long, really long. So many left for dead programs that were just ahead of their time.
A universal installer/package manager for Github.
I have two folders on my computer filled with BIFM (build it for me) projects that are now several years old because I don't code and cant vibe code. Not everyone who sees a gap should necessarily be the one who codes a solution.
Refactor Better Open With.
Oh, the list is long, really long. So many left for dead programs that were just ahead of their time.
A universal installer/package manager for Github.
I have two folders on my computer filled with BIFM (build it for me) projects that are now several years old because I don't code and cant vibe code. Not everyone who sees a gap should necessarily be the one who codes a solution.
An AI organizing my computer. It would organize small things, like perhaps a particular folder or something and then show the before and after. Then I'd approve it, it'd do it.
A bit vague, but fleshed out well this would probably make my life a little easier. I have 3 laptops, multiple SSDs and my data is all fragmented.
A bit vague, but fleshed out well this would probably make my life a little easier. I have 3 laptops, multiple SSDs and my data is all fragmented.
A plug in for BRAVE and CHROME that will allow mp4 to play that were sent to us attached to a gmail. Now we have to download the mp4 and play it - it will not "stream" or will not play directly from gmail message
A places bar editor for Win11
Mellowware has one for Win10, but he's not updated anything in a very long time.
I know we can edit the choices these with regedit, but it's a pain in the arse for many and a small utility should do it. Much documentation about the registry stucture for this topic.
Here is an image for clarity
https://imgur.com/a/EhBepi1
thanks
I know we can edit the choices these with regedit, but it's a pain in the arse for many and a small utility should do it. Much documentation about the registry stucture for this topic.
Here is an image for clarity
https://imgur.com/a/EhBepi1
thanks
I still want a to do list app that I like. Something compact like Workflowy, not the card-bloat that vibe coding adds. Something AI-aided, so I can take a photo of a recipe book and it'll add the ingredients. Or I can tell it what I want to do today and it'll break that down into something.
Like a Cursor for To Do lists.
Like a Cursor for To Do lists.
[deleted]
an app to keep me off my damn phone, social media and youtube. i know there is plenty already, and it's not really working for me...
Some type of crypto bounty site for ideas such as the ones listed on this page. So not whoishiring, but whoispaying.
Pledged funds returned if funding goal not obtained. Milestones voted upon for new funds to be released - or just multi-stage projects.
Big bounties paid here: https://hackenproof.com/
This Bounty site should be good for getting long-tail coins off the ground - get a buch of cool/useful apps developed so the underlying coins can go viral. Have some coins in your back pocket too.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are silly to use if you're smart and want to make an impact on the price. Leave those to the banking mafia. Although any apps will probably be replicated to them if they're successful and especially if open-source. At least there's a head start. That said, EVM is compatible to multiple chains.
Checkout rofl.app platform (Oasis) - only because it's new and being hyped right now. There are other ones too, obviously.
In my previous comment, I suggest 2 ideas in the areas of localized prediction markets and rentals in the Access Economy. Gambling and predictions are different things although there is overlap. Predictions can be used to bring focus to new narratives. That's powerful. The observer can also influence the observed.
Life is going to get a lot harder for many as inequality increases, but that belief doesn't have to be set in stone.
Pledged funds returned if funding goal not obtained. Milestones voted upon for new funds to be released - or just multi-stage projects.
Big bounties paid here: https://hackenproof.com/
This Bounty site should be good for getting long-tail coins off the ground - get a buch of cool/useful apps developed so the underlying coins can go viral. Have some coins in your back pocket too.
Bitcoin and Ethereum are silly to use if you're smart and want to make an impact on the price. Leave those to the banking mafia. Although any apps will probably be replicated to them if they're successful and especially if open-source. At least there's a head start. That said, EVM is compatible to multiple chains.
Checkout rofl.app platform (Oasis) - only because it's new and being hyped right now. There are other ones too, obviously.
In my previous comment, I suggest 2 ideas in the areas of localized prediction markets and rentals in the Access Economy. Gambling and predictions are different things although there is overlap. Predictions can be used to bring focus to new narratives. That's powerful. The observer can also influence the observed.
Life is going to get a lot harder for many as inequality increases, but that belief doesn't have to be set in stone.
> Some type of crypto bounty site
It's a hard problem to solve, especially for decentralized ones -- who attests that the job is complete, who releases the funds, how do disputes work
And like all two-sided marketplaces, quality is a trap: great bounties attract noise; noise burns out funders; and without strong filtering (managed by whom w/ what kinds of incentives), things degrade fast
But yeah, wish there were more solid options. It's an interesting space and there's a lot of opportunity for people who can get it right.
It's a hard problem to solve, especially for decentralized ones -- who attests that the job is complete, who releases the funds, how do disputes work
And like all two-sided marketplaces, quality is a trap: great bounties attract noise; noise burns out funders; and without strong filtering (managed by whom w/ what kinds of incentives), things degrade fast
But yeah, wish there were more solid options. It's an interesting space and there's a lot of opportunity for people who can get it right.
The builder splits their work into milestones and the funds get released at the beginning of each milestone. Users are just group-buying someone to do some work. The builder is getting a reputation in the process. Think ebay.
When work received, the funders rank work according to overall quality, and quality against the expectations set. It's like ranking a purchase on ebay.. overall was this purchase good? How many stars? etc.
Who resolves the disputes? No one. The funds go into escrow for 2 weeks, if over 70% of funders reject the work, the funds are returned. Not sure if some funds can be retained, however. I suppose the "rejection retainer" can be customized. Also, the builder's code can go into escrow too so the builder keeps their code. The problem is crap code, what if the product is good but the code ends up bad? I suppose too bad.. the builder just suffers reputation wise.
Also, the builder's dev environment can be streamed as well, and an ongoing conversation can occur. There's a sharing and collaborative process. That will keep users aligned. Like with gaming or music creation. Potential funders can watch someone work and think.. is this someone I want to work with? So it's about making it personal, but with rules in place and removing the need for arbitration. That doesn't have to be a must, but can work for some situations.
The bare-bones product can be fairly black and white and gradually build features as problems/opportunities arise.
Perhaps builders can choose or at least know about their funders' rejection rates in advance and actually select their funders if a project is over-demanded (under-priced?) Sort of like Hipcamp hosts' response rate and wait-time - would you message someone who never responds? The key is reputation on both sides - like ebay. Hipcamp hosts also can reject bookings for their listings if it's not an Instant Book so bookings are discretionary.
Also, maybe funder and builder wallet totals can be revealed. Would it help to know if one of your funders or builders is a billionaire? What do you think? I suppose it could be optional. It'd be more for status, because you can easily fake a low wallet balance, but can't fake a high one, or not easily.
"Oh, I know absolutely nothing about this funder, except that he/she is friggin' loaded... oh wait, maybe I can charge more.. or less! This coin is going to be pumped 'til kingdom come!" So there's a name for it - "KingdomCome" or just Kingdom...KingDome?!
When work received, the funders rank work according to overall quality, and quality against the expectations set. It's like ranking a purchase on ebay.. overall was this purchase good? How many stars? etc.
Who resolves the disputes? No one. The funds go into escrow for 2 weeks, if over 70% of funders reject the work, the funds are returned. Not sure if some funds can be retained, however. I suppose the "rejection retainer" can be customized. Also, the builder's code can go into escrow too so the builder keeps their code. The problem is crap code, what if the product is good but the code ends up bad? I suppose too bad.. the builder just suffers reputation wise.
Also, the builder's dev environment can be streamed as well, and an ongoing conversation can occur. There's a sharing and collaborative process. That will keep users aligned. Like with gaming or music creation. Potential funders can watch someone work and think.. is this someone I want to work with? So it's about making it personal, but with rules in place and removing the need for arbitration. That doesn't have to be a must, but can work for some situations.
The bare-bones product can be fairly black and white and gradually build features as problems/opportunities arise.
Perhaps builders can choose or at least know about their funders' rejection rates in advance and actually select their funders if a project is over-demanded (under-priced?) Sort of like Hipcamp hosts' response rate and wait-time - would you message someone who never responds? The key is reputation on both sides - like ebay. Hipcamp hosts also can reject bookings for their listings if it's not an Instant Book so bookings are discretionary.
Also, maybe funder and builder wallet totals can be revealed. Would it help to know if one of your funders or builders is a billionaire? What do you think? I suppose it could be optional. It'd be more for status, because you can easily fake a low wallet balance, but can't fake a high one, or not easily.
"Oh, I know absolutely nothing about this funder, except that he/she is friggin' loaded... oh wait, maybe I can charge more.. or less! This coin is going to be pumped 'til kingdom come!" So there's a name for it - "KingdomCome" or just Kingdom...KingDome?!
Debt pile visualizer...
The financial advise tends to be to pay off your smallest debt first, even if the interest is low, because it will give a mental boost...
So yeah the website would ask you to list your debts in order. (Student loan, car loan,...) And the interest rate.
Than it would make a (not too depressing) visual and ask you how much you can pay per month.
Bonus points for using Google sheets as a backend.
But main thing would be that people would be able to get helpful reminders / tips.
"You've saved yourself 500$ over the next 10 years, keep up the good work".
Christmas time "If you got a Xmas bonus and can double your loan pay off this month you'll speed up your debt freeness by 2.5 months"
"Did you know:A Starbucks frappucino cost 0.55c to make, and in ventti size costs 8$ and 400kcals (more than 2 ice creams). The coffee of the day cost 0.40c to make and cost 3$ and 10kcal. Caffeine the same.
Anyway v 0.1 probably only takes a day to make.
Cool initiative good luck
The financial advise tends to be to pay off your smallest debt first, even if the interest is low, because it will give a mental boost...
So yeah the website would ask you to list your debts in order. (Student loan, car loan,...) And the interest rate.
Than it would make a (not too depressing) visual and ask you how much you can pay per month.
Bonus points for using Google sheets as a backend.
But main thing would be that people would be able to get helpful reminders / tips.
"You've saved yourself 500$ over the next 10 years, keep up the good work".
Christmas time "If you got a Xmas bonus and can double your loan pay off this month you'll speed up your debt freeness by 2.5 months"
"Did you know:A Starbucks frappucino cost 0.55c to make, and in ventti size costs 8$ and 400kcals (more than 2 ice creams). The coffee of the day cost 0.40c to make and cost 3$ and 10kcal. Caffeine the same.
Anyway v 0.1 probably only takes a day to make.
Cool initiative good luck
I totally agree with your suggestion for ordering, self-reporting the success and the "if x then imagine y!" you discuss and I get you didn't ask for criticism, but in your last example - the value of coffee to you might not be what it costs to make. The value can be a lot more for some people than others:
- Utility-wise: If you need to perform at work.. even if having it every day means the coffee nolonger changes from your original no-coffee baseline..
- Social: My girlfriend doesn't really go to the expensive coffee shop because it's worth the 2x marker. It's because she can chat about relationships, have security in her relationships with her friends and they can designate this as an unscheduled-long time to talk through issues
- Regulating your emotions For me at least buying something small and pleasant can avoid troughs/peaks. In fact overstressing the financial ratio of cost:price of a product causes these troughs for me. That's also why poorer people often buy small but tasty things, even when it's pricy for them, it regulates their mood up enough to slog through the rest of the 1am shifts with difficulty seeing the future (I have been there...)
That's why I'd be wary of having an app pressure you not to buy something. You don't always know the real reasons your body gets you to do things.
- Utility-wise: If you need to perform at work.. even if having it every day means the coffee nolonger changes from your original no-coffee baseline..
- Social: My girlfriend doesn't really go to the expensive coffee shop because it's worth the 2x marker. It's because she can chat about relationships, have security in her relationships with her friends and they can designate this as an unscheduled-long time to talk through issues
- Regulating your emotions For me at least buying something small and pleasant can avoid troughs/peaks. In fact overstressing the financial ratio of cost:price of a product causes these troughs for me. That's also why poorer people often buy small but tasty things, even when it's pricy for them, it regulates their mood up enough to slog through the rest of the 1am shifts with difficulty seeing the future (I have been there...)
That's why I'd be wary of having an app pressure you not to buy something. You don't always know the real reasons your body gets you to do things.
Utility-wise: I specifically mentioned same amount of coffee so this one is moot.
Social: most coffee is consumed for takeaway and on Auto-Pilot. In the usa most starbuckses make 80%! From takeaway and 20% from sit ins (they tried to close some Starbucks locations because of this but the funny part is that sales drop more than the 20%... Probably because people take the "cost of the store" into their reasoning why they are spending 7-12$ on a cup of Joe.)
-regulating your emotions: if you are in a luxury position that's fine... Being / perceiving / stressing about being poor causes a drop of 8 IQ points. I know/understand what you mean and changing a default always causes stress but the question is always about short term pain vs long term gain... Nobody likes to change... Being told what to do... The app is not pressuring you - it's making you aware of options / costs that you might not have considered. (Did you know) The thing is that if the app is well made and you trust the maker you know you have a "friend" who is looking out for you... Even though you might still ignore him/her (think friends who smoke cigarettes etc...)
The brain's main goal is not too think because it tries to preserve energy... Unfortunately the environment is simultaneously safer (we killed all animals that literally can kill us) and more dangerous (our fellow humans who used to stand next to us having our back against the animals are often against our interests now.)
The question is always what is a low effort high reward substitute... I'd say takeaway coffee is probably one of the best options for a lot of people.
The art is just to visualize the profit you're gonna make in the future in the now --- because your brain focuses on the now... If I said to you that if you drink a coffee less every other day you'd "make" 4140$ in 5 years would you --- pretty sure for most people in dire financial straits they would... On the other hand not meeting with your friend for brunch once a month might save you more even but a friend is harder to substitute than some sugary beverage...
The question is always "why" - the "suffering" now is always certain (change is painful if it is not perceived as improvement) but by making the future gains big, visual and realistic people (can be) more self motivated.
Social: most coffee is consumed for takeaway and on Auto-Pilot. In the usa most starbuckses make 80%! From takeaway and 20% from sit ins (they tried to close some Starbucks locations because of this but the funny part is that sales drop more than the 20%... Probably because people take the "cost of the store" into their reasoning why they are spending 7-12$ on a cup of Joe.)
-regulating your emotions: if you are in a luxury position that's fine... Being / perceiving / stressing about being poor causes a drop of 8 IQ points. I know/understand what you mean and changing a default always causes stress but the question is always about short term pain vs long term gain... Nobody likes to change... Being told what to do... The app is not pressuring you - it's making you aware of options / costs that you might not have considered. (Did you know) The thing is that if the app is well made and you trust the maker you know you have a "friend" who is looking out for you... Even though you might still ignore him/her (think friends who smoke cigarettes etc...)
The brain's main goal is not too think because it tries to preserve energy... Unfortunately the environment is simultaneously safer (we killed all animals that literally can kill us) and more dangerous (our fellow humans who used to stand next to us having our back against the animals are often against our interests now.)
The question is always what is a low effort high reward substitute... I'd say takeaway coffee is probably one of the best options for a lot of people.
The art is just to visualize the profit you're gonna make in the future in the now --- because your brain focuses on the now... If I said to you that if you drink a coffee less every other day you'd "make" 4140$ in 5 years would you --- pretty sure for most people in dire financial straits they would... On the other hand not meeting with your friend for brunch once a month might save you more even but a friend is harder to substitute than some sugary beverage...
The question is always "why" - the "suffering" now is always certain (change is painful if it is not perceived as improvement) but by making the future gains big, visual and realistic people (can be) more self motivated.
I would say I wouldn't agree, but maybe our language in common is why we don't agree - for example, the idea that coffee is 80% takeaway... this global report puts it at 65% in cafe. My experience in most of europe is about 75% in cafe: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cafe-mar...
So maybe your use of coffee is just different to you know, the old world ways that developed it.
So maybe your use of coffee is just different to you know, the old world ways that developed it.
I said most coffee is consumed take away...
With the report you mentioned (65%) that is still correct.
I pointed to Starbucks for the 80% angle...
I currently live in Vietnam and I'd say it's probably 50% or less takeaway depending on the day and the venue (most takeaway is done from little stands that don't even have place to sit...)
I do have to say your "the old world ways that developed it." Is wrong on all counts...
1) I'm European and have consumed coffee in Europe... As well as America, Vietnam, countless other places.... over extended periods of time... Context being everything aka american forum etc.... Unless a location is explicitly specified it would make sense to put it in an american context.
2) coffee drinking came from the middle east to Europe so unless you're using "the old world ways" to mean the middle east... (which would be an uncommon language / culture thing on your part.)
Again I understand your context but in this final post you really seemed to get nitpicky and rather look for where "he's wrong" rather than a quest for truth.
Anyway to speak/write or to communicate/seek that's the question. Have a nice day
I pointed to Starbucks for the 80% angle...
I currently live in Vietnam and I'd say it's probably 50% or less takeaway depending on the day and the venue (most takeaway is done from little stands that don't even have place to sit...)
I do have to say your "the old world ways that developed it." Is wrong on all counts...
1) I'm European and have consumed coffee in Europe... As well as America, Vietnam, countless other places.... over extended periods of time... Context being everything aka american forum etc.... Unless a location is explicitly specified it would make sense to put it in an american context.
2) coffee drinking came from the middle east to Europe so unless you're using "the old world ways" to mean the middle east... (which would be an uncommon language / culture thing on your part.)
Again I understand your context but in this final post you really seemed to get nitpicky and rather look for where "he's wrong" rather than a quest for truth.
Anyway to speak/write or to communicate/seek that's the question. Have a nice day
> A Starbucks frappucino cost 0.55c to make
I saw variants of this phrase a lot, but I don't think it's accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if 0.55 would be close to a payment processing fee alone.
My very rough estimate is frappucino costs close to $5 to make. I used Starbucks located in Manhattan, New York to make it even more cliché.
- Ingredients & disposables: $1.03
- Direct labor (including shift supervisor): $1.30
- Occupancy (rent, insurance): $1.54
- Equipment depreciation: $0.14
- Utilities: $0.10
- Supplies, cleaning, waste: $0.10
- Management, marketing, investment: $0.60
- Card processing, other: $0.16
Total: $4.97
I saw variants of this phrase a lot, but I don't think it's accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if 0.55 would be close to a payment processing fee alone.
My very rough estimate is frappucino costs close to $5 to make. I used Starbucks located in Manhattan, New York to make it even more cliché.
- Ingredients & disposables: $1.03
- Direct labor (including shift supervisor): $1.30
- Occupancy (rent, insurance): $1.54
- Equipment depreciation: $0.14
- Utilities: $0.10
- Supplies, cleaning, waste: $0.10
- Management, marketing, investment: $0.60
- Card processing, other: $0.16
Total: $4.97
What about milestones. Some gamification can make paying the high interest debt more of a buzz.
Maybe dont make it about paying off debt but make it about reducing interest. Each $10/m reduced is a gold star. You get to buy a frappe each time you do that. (Less than one month).
It's a good goal because you can reduce interest by paying off and also by consolidation and refinancing.
Maybe dont make it about paying off debt but make it about reducing interest. Each $10/m reduced is a gold star. You get to buy a frappe each time you do that. (Less than one month).
It's a good goal because you can reduce interest by paying off and also by consolidation and refinancing.
[deleted]
Any tools you wish existed and you have no time to build?
I'm building stuff for fun, might as well build something useful...