3 ms·

Nice idea! Is the chatbot implementation intended as a prototype or the final product? I think it keeps the barrier to entry low and it's got a bit of fun nove

Nice idea! Is the chatbot implementation intended as a prototype or the final product? I think it keeps the barrier to entry low and it's got a bit of fun novelty value to it, but the value in your (great) idea comes entirely from the fact that it's quick and painless to use, and it could be 10x quicker and less painful with virtually any interface besides a chatbot. Mobile keyboards suck, and nothing highlights that more than seeing a cool idea that could deliver a good value to me by simply asking me to tap one or two large-ish buttons once per day, but that I instead need to chat with. Edit: I realize there's a large personal preference component to this as well. I personally would rather have a button or two to tap, but I do see how the chatbot-powered anthropomorphization could be a very effective motivator for people who like that.

aroc 10y ago
So the "friction" conversation about a product like this is pretty interesting imo. One one hand, the bot is easy to get started with: Almost everyone already has the software (assuming Jumper works on multiple chat platforms) to get started right away with very little friction or commitment (no "signup" required). On the other hand, once you are started - the chatbot interface is certainly higher friction than a traditional app would be (say, with two big buttons as you suggest). But the while the app approach is lower friction once you've started, getting people to download and install an app is quite tough. Have you seen the latest data on how many apps the average American downloads in a month? It's zero!!! Crazy eh? So that barrier is one I wanted to avoid. In the end though, the reason I chose the chat platform and the reason it is the final implementation for Jumper is that I've been super interested in the power of conversational interfaces and their ability to change human perception. Don't get me wrong - the "chatbot" craze is pretty exhausting to me too and I feel most chatbot products/services could have been built in a more traditional interface and have been far more successful. In fact, I built a failed chatbot for analytics not long ago. But when it comes to motivating people to exercise, I think having a conversation with an "exercise buddy" is more likely to get people to exercise. I mean, if I didn't believe that, I would have just used one of the currently available fitness apps and set up simple reminders. Of course, I may be very wrong here haha. But so far it's working!
- nlawalker 10y ago
  Awesome, and good reasoning all around. This is indeed absolutely worth a shot; you may have found a really great fit for a chatbot. I'll be keeping an eye on this one, congrats on shipping!

aroc 10y ago

So the "friction" conversation about a product like this is pretty interesting imo. One one hand, the bot is easy to get started with: Almost everyone already has the software (assuming Jumper works on multiple chat platforms) to get started right away with very little friction or commitment (no "signup" required). On the other hand, once you are started - the chatbot interface is certainly higher friction than a traditional app would be (say, with two big buttons as you suggest). But the while the app approach is lower friction once you've started, getting people to download and install an app is quite tough. Have you seen the latest data on how many apps the average American downloads in a month? It's zero!!! Crazy eh? So that barrier is one I wanted to avoid. In the end though, the reason I chose the chat platform and the reason it is the final implementation for Jumper is that I've been super interested in the power of conversational interfaces and their ability to change human perception. Don't get me wrong - the "chatbot" craze is pretty exhausting to me too and I feel most chatbot products/services could have been built in a more traditional interface and have been far more successful. In fact, I built a failed chatbot for analytics not long ago. But when it comes to motivating people to exercise, I think having a conversation with an "exercise buddy" is more likely to get people to exercise. I mean, if I didn't believe that, I would have just used one of the currently available fitness apps and set up simple reminders. Of course, I may be very wrong here haha. But so far it's working!

nlawalker 10y ago
Awesome, and good reasoning all around. This is indeed absolutely worth a shot; you may have found a really great fit for a chatbot. I'll be keeping an eye on this one, congrats on shipping!