5 ms·

I find the pitch story compelling and the idea intriguing, but having people download an app for it strikes me as frictional and a bit invasive. Essentially yo

by gomox 8y ago

I find the pitch story compelling and the idea intriguing, but having people download an app for it strikes me as frictional and a bit invasive. Essentially you are asking me to volunteer relationships that are usually in a somewhat fragile state (i.e. valued but undermaintained) to some impersonal external system that's going to send growth-hack-like e-mails to them and ask them to download apps. How about something more akin to a personal CRM app where I could unilaterally enter some of my friends and it could help me maintain engagement through reminders or scheduling assistance (or say, location awareness?). I would have downloaded that in a second, and I would posit that a lot of others would as well since most people strongly identify with the "people I wish I had kept in touch more" message. Monetization might later come in from the business angle to the same idea (maintain engagement with valuable contacts, using only an app).

JoshTriplett 8y ago
Likewise! I would love to have a "personal CRM" if it was well done. Preferably integrated with my phone's contact database, but also usable via my computer with a real keyboard.
- DiogoMCampos 8y ago
  It already exists: https://github.com/monicahq/monica https://github.com/monicahq/monica. I've never used it though, maybe I should actually try it out.
  - jsherwani 8y ago
    We looked at alternatives and chose to go a much more minimalistic route with Millow. It does just a few things: 1) Single-player: set reminders for when to meet friends, and log when you do 2) Multi-player: share your availability with friends you add, and see theirs (if they add you), so you can find times to meet. Especially helpful when time-zones are involved (we show you their availability overlaid on your time zone. Other apps do a lot more, but in our opinion, are a lot more complicated. We wanted to create a much simpler alternative and iterate based on feedback — so we'd love to hear what you think, especially since you're interested in trying one or more of these apps out.
  - goatsi 8y ago
    Previous HN discussion about it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14497295 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14497295
- ricardobeat 8y ago
  Garden: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garden-stay-in-touch/id1230466454 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garden-stay-in-touch/id12304...
  - djvdorp 8y ago
    There are plenty similar ones: https://www.paintnite.com/blog/apps-keep-in-touch-friends/ https://www.paintnite.com/blog/apps-keep-in-touch-friends/
    - jsilence 8y ago
      Just waiting for that "oh and also there is this org-mode extension that does this really well" cpmment to be posted...
      - tekknolagi 8y ago
        Well there's a CLI tool: https://github.com/JacobEvelyn/friends https://github.com/JacobEvelyn/friends
- gekkostate 8y ago
  "personal CRM" - this fits exactly with what followup.cc is doing and what you described. The only downside is that it only works with GMail and Chrome(mium). I use it and have found it really useful.
- jsherwani 8y ago
  We are a personal CRM, but most consumers don't know what "CRM" means, so we stayed away from that language. It integrates optionally with your phone's contact database (we only import one contact at a time for now), or you can add contacts manually. We're currently iOS and Android only, but in the future will add support for desktop if there's interest (and it sounds like there is a lot of interest from what folks are saying here!).
jsherwani 8y ago
Great questions! We need to do a better job of answering these questions in the product itself, and we will. For now, here are our answers to your specific concerns: a) We are not going to send any emails or texts to anyone from your contacts. Apps like Gather / IRL spam people for growth, and we would rather earn your trust and grow slowly. b) You can use Millow without ever inviting anyone else on. It can be used in a 100% single-player mode, where it will do exactly what you said. You can set reminders for your close friends, and Millow will send you a push notification once a week (Sunday afternoon in your device's time zone) to remind you about the friends that you're set to meet this week (it won't send a push reminder if there are none). c) Monetization isn't something we're particularly concerned with in the immediate future (we are a team of two, and have sufficient savings from the acquisition of my previous startup Screenhero by Slack), and we are doing this mainly because we believe in the social impact of what we're doing. We do have plans for future monetization (e.g. if we help you make a plan to meet up with a friend at a local restaurant, the restaurant pays us similarly to OpenTable). Happy to chat more, here or via email (support@millow.app). We're a two person team, and are eager for learning more and improving.
- epberry 8y ago
  Single player mode ftw. I'm really excited about this app.
  - jsherwani 8y ago
    Yay! It makes us super happy to hear that :) Please write us here or directly if you have any feedback / feature requests / critique!
- Balgair 8y ago
  Good freakin Lord! I've been searching for this app for years now! Thank you so much for doing this! Brett and Kate McKay at ArtOfManliness.com have talked about these 'relationships that don't scale' [0] for a while now. CRM software is perfect for those kinds of friendships, but it always costs too much (~$1/day typically). You app is PERFECT for what I have been looking for! Thank you! [0]https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-build-unscaleable-relationships/ https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-build-unscale...
jsherwani 8y ago
Update: we just launched the web version of Millow!
mig4ng 8y ago
> How about something more akin to a personal CRM app where I could unilaterally enter some of my friends and it could help me maintain engagement through reminders or scheduling assistance (or say, location awareness?). I would have downloaded that in a second, and I would posit that a lot of others would as well since most people strongly identify with the "people I wish I had kept in touch more" message. There is an open source software called Monica[1] that does what you are asking if my interpretation is correct. I have no affiliation with said software, it appeared in [Show HN] some time ago (I think) and while reading your comment I remembered it. [1] https://github.com/monicahq/monica https://github.com/monicahq/monica
turc1656 8y ago
"How about something more akin to a personal CRM app where I could unilaterally enter some of my friends and it could help me maintain engagement through reminders or scheduling assistance" Exactly this. That's precisely what I was assuming/hoping it would be when I clicked the link. I don't want another social media site or app. I already am basically a ghost on most of the web and don't use any social media sites. HN is the only exception and for a while now it has been the only site I post anything on. I like it that way and don't want something where I have to "connect" to people on and invite them to also use for it to be useful. EDIT: I just saw some comments below and it appears my assumptions and understanding of the product based on the site were incorrect. It apparently does have "single-player mode" where I can do what I hoped for. Will give it a shot. Note to the developer - this ability is definitely not clear based on the app's website.

by gomox 8y ago

JoshTriplett 8y ago

Likewise! I would love to have a "personal CRM" if it was well done. Preferably integrated with my phone's contact database, but also usable via my computer with a real keyboard.

DiogoMCampos 8y ago
It already exists: https://github.com/monicahq/monica https://github.com/monicahq/monica. I've never used it though, maybe I should actually try it out.
- jsherwani 8y ago
  We looked at alternatives and chose to go a much more minimalistic route with Millow. It does just a few things: 1) Single-player: set reminders for when to meet friends, and log when you do 2) Multi-player: share your availability with friends you add, and see theirs (if they add you), so you can find times to meet. Especially helpful when time-zones are involved (we show you their availability overlaid on your time zone. Other apps do a lot more, but in our opinion, are a lot more complicated. We wanted to create a much simpler alternative and iterate based on feedback — so we'd love to hear what you think, especially since you're interested in trying one or more of these apps out.
- goatsi 8y ago
  Previous HN discussion about it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14497295 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14497295
ricardobeat 8y ago
Garden: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garden-stay-in-touch/id1230466454 https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/garden-stay-in-touch/id12304...
- djvdorp 8y ago
  There are plenty similar ones: https://www.paintnite.com/blog/apps-keep-in-touch-friends/ https://www.paintnite.com/blog/apps-keep-in-touch-friends/
  - jsilence 8y ago
    Just waiting for that "oh and also there is this org-mode extension that does this really well" cpmment to be posted...
    - tekknolagi 8y ago
      Well there's a CLI tool: https://github.com/JacobEvelyn/friends https://github.com/JacobEvelyn/friends
gekkostate 8y ago
"personal CRM" - this fits exactly with what followup.cc is doing and what you described. The only downside is that it only works with GMail and Chrome(mium). I use it and have found it really useful.
jsherwani 8y ago
We are a personal CRM, but most consumers don't know what "CRM" means, so we stayed away from that language. It integrates optionally with your phone's contact database (we only import one contact at a time for now), or you can add contacts manually. We're currently iOS and Android only, but in the future will add support for desktop if there's interest (and it sounds like there is a lot of interest from what folks are saying here!).

jsherwani 8y ago

Great questions! We need to do a better job of answering these questions in the product itself, and we will. For now, here are our answers to your specific concerns: a) We are not going to send any emails or texts to anyone from your contacts. Apps like Gather / IRL spam people for growth, and we would rather earn your trust and grow slowly. b) You can use Millow without ever inviting anyone else on. It can be used in a 100% single-player mode, where it will do exactly what you said. You can set reminders for your close friends, and Millow will send you a push notification once a week (Sunday afternoon in your device's time zone) to remind you about the friends that you're set to meet this week (it won't send a push reminder if there are none). c) Monetization isn't something we're particularly concerned with in the immediate future (we are a team of two, and have sufficient savings from the acquisition of my previous startup Screenhero by Slack), and we are doing this mainly because we believe in the social impact of what we're doing. We do have plans for future monetization (e.g. if we help you make a plan to meet up with a friend at a local restaurant, the restaurant pays us similarly to OpenTable). Happy to chat more, here or via email (support@millow.app). We're a two person team, and are eager for learning more and improving.

epberry 8y ago
Single player mode ftw. I'm really excited about this app.
- jsherwani 8y ago
  Yay! It makes us super happy to hear that :) Please write us here or directly if you have any feedback / feature requests / critique!
Balgair 8y ago
Good freakin Lord! I've been searching for this app for years now! Thank you so much for doing this! Brett and Kate McKay at ArtOfManliness.com have talked about these 'relationships that don't scale' [0] for a while now. CRM software is perfect for those kinds of friendships, but it always costs too much (~$1/day typically). You app is PERFECT for what I have been looking for! Thank you! [0]https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-build-unscaleable-relationships/ https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-to-build-unscale...

jsherwani 8y ago

Update: we just launched the web version of Millow!

mig4ng 8y ago

> How about something more akin to a personal CRM app where I could unilaterally enter some of my friends and it could help me maintain engagement through reminders or scheduling assistance (or say, location awareness?). I would have downloaded that in a second, and I would posit that a lot of others would as well since most people strongly identify with the "people I wish I had kept in touch more" message. There is an open source software called Monica[1] that does what you are asking if my interpretation is correct. I have no affiliation with said software, it appeared in [Show HN] some time ago (I think) and while reading your comment I remembered it. [1] https://github.com/monicahq/monica https://github.com/monicahq/monica

turc1656 8y ago

"How about something more akin to a personal CRM app where I could unilaterally enter some of my friends and it could help me maintain engagement through reminders or scheduling assistance" Exactly this. That's precisely what I was assuming/hoping it would be when I clicked the link. I don't want another social media site or app. I already am basically a ghost on most of the web and don't use any social media sites. HN is the only exception and for a while now it has been the only site I post anything on. I like it that way and don't want something where I have to "connect" to people on and invite them to also use for it to be useful. EDIT: I just saw some comments below and it appears my assumptions and understanding of the product based on the site were incorrect. It apparently does have "single-player mode" where I can do what I hoped for. Will give it a shot. Note to the developer - this ability is definitely not clear based on the app's website.