12 ms·

Show HN: Lannister – open-source wealth manager app

102 points by andresousa 7y ago

olivierlacan 7y ago
Slick promotional website but not a single privacy disclosure or terms of service for an app that gathers financial data? This is not something you push out after the MVP has shipped.
- andresousa 7y ago
  All the info is stored either on the device itself or synced via Blockstack if you wish to do so. The project is also entirely open-source - https://github.com/lannister-capital https://github.com/lannister-capital
  - diego 7y ago
    I understand your intention, but you have a bit of an uphill battle. Users have to trust you on many levels: 1) The app running on your phone is powered by the software on github. 2) This will not change. The only way I would use an app like this would be if it were offered by a financial institution that holds my assets. If your app caused me to lose money, I would be SOL. If their's did, they would be required to answer for it.
    - andresousa 7y ago
      Lannister only holds references of your holdings at the moment. It doesn't store your holdings/assets directly, so there's no chance to be stolen, since they're not there. Lannister is not a bank account or crypto wallet, it's a portfolio management app only. We don't ask or store private keys or any personal banking information of any kind.
IloveHN84 7y ago
Can I host this on my own system?
- andresousa 7y ago
  You can clone the project (https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios) and run the app on your device. We're working on a web version now, which is still WIP, but is also open-source (https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-app https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-app).
chosenbreed37 7y ago
Great idea an iphone. I might have a look at it on my daughter's iPod if she allows me to install :) Or I'll just wait for the web version!
- andresousa 7y ago
  Thank you! We also have a public roadmap here: https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 any suggestions or ideas for future development are very welcome!
idlewords 7y ago
This can pivot to an app for dating your sister
- RosanaAnaDana 7y ago
  Low effort slow clap
mNovak 7y ago
To clarify, does this automatically fetch updated crypto/stock/etc prices so that I can see my exposure changing over time, or do I have to manually update the amount of money in each holding?
- kayza 7y ago
  As far as I could see there is no way to add certain stocks/crypto/funds etc. basically just a slightly better spreadsheet, you have to enter all by yourself. That’s a pitty, I would like to have one where I just enter which stock I bought and when and it shows me the win/loss over time.
  - andresousa 7y ago
    We're supporting 2 crypto (BTC and ETH) and 12 fiat currencies at the moment. And their prices get updated every time you open the app. If you have created several currencies, you'll see the total balance of your portfolio get updated. Today is a very good day to observe it growing if you have BTC or ETH :) Regarding stocks and other funds, we're not supporting them yet, but it's certainly on our roadmap.
rohmanhakim 7y ago
Will this app helps me to always pay my debt?
- andresousa 7y ago
  Lannister always pays its debts. Unfortunately, not yours :) In any case, we have on our roadmap some features such as setting financial goals and financial advice. We have a public roadmap here: https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 any feedback is highly appreciated
slg 7y ago
Game of Thrones spoiler ahead: I am not wild about that name. The Lannisters are the bad guys throughout the run of the GoT story and by later seasons it is revealed that their wealth has mostly wasted away. They are only able to keep up appearances of wealth through taking on large amounts of debt and by looting their enemies. Yes, the single primary characteristic you would assign to the Lannisters is wealth. I am just not sure that is worth associating your product with all their secondary traits like deceit, fraud, selfishness, and ruthlessness.
- edaemon 7y ago
  I would also be worried about trademark/copyright issues.
  - slg 7y ago
    I don't know enough about those laws to know the legal status of this, but that would definitely be a concern for me too. Also the lion iconography rules out any argument that the name isn't 100% GoT inspired.
  - chabes 7y ago
    Copyright is for non-commercial use, IIRC. If you’re not selling anything, it doesn’t apply. Not sure if that’s the case here.
    - bityard 7y ago
      > If you’re not selling anything, it doesn’t apply. That's not even remotely true.
    - toyg 7y ago
      This is simply not true, sadly. Copyright applies regardless of intentions or outcomes; it’s only in certain limited fields that some activities are somewhat exempted (i.e. backups). This is clearly not one of them.
      - 7y ago
_1tan 7y ago
Interesting. I personally use https://outbankapp.com/en/ https://outbankapp.com/en/. The app is closed-source; everything is locally stored. It allows me to track my bank accounts, including portfolios, etc. from most German and Dutch banks, credit cards, etc.. Additionally it can track BTC, ETH wallets, connect to Coinbase and a few other exchanges and membership programs. I would never use a wealth management app requiring manual entry. That`s just slightly better than a spreadsheet. Keep up the work! Caveat: Only supported in Germany and the Netherlands at the moment (IIRK). Edit: A similar offering I just remembered: https://www.numbrs.com/en_uk/ https://www.numbrs.com/en_uk/. Might be some good inspiration as well.
- throwaway413 7y ago
  Looks nice. How does this app authenticate with your various financial accounts?
  - _1tan 7y ago
    It stores your credentials locally. The whole situation should improve with PSD2 (EU perspective).
    - deleted 7y ago
      [deleted]
    - NickBusey 7y ago
      Give a closed source app my bank credentials? No thanks.
      - dewey 7y ago
        How real is the risk of a registered and legit business selling a banking app taking your banking credentials and stealing your money? I’d estimate it to be 0.
        badpun 7y ago
youeseh 7y ago
I think it's a great name! It is recognizable and well-associated with what you're building, even if the name-story accuracy isn't 100% - I think that would be serious nitpicking and you can always rename it something else later when the cost / benefit makes sense.
- andresousa 7y ago
  Thank you so much, we also believe that is the best approach. I wouldn't describe the context of naming the product and why we did it better than you just did :)
- quickthrower2 7y ago
  I'd have called it Iron Bank.
  - evian83 7y ago
    Bank of Braavos sounds good too.
conjectures 7y ago
Yeah +1 that this becomes more of a thing based on name alone. You might need to explicitly state in company policy that: - Crossbows not allowed at board meetings.
- andresousa 7y ago
  Yes, and we won't have armchairs!
idbentley 7y ago
I don't see any information about the source code... No mention of Open source on the website.
- andresousa 7y ago
  We have it at the bottom of the page, but I agree that it's not very visible. We'll add it at the top of the page. Thanks for your feedback! Appreciate it!
  - idbentley 7y ago
    Thanks!
andresousa 7y ago
Thank you for all the feedback and support. If you'd like to continue the discussion and helping with development join us on Discord at https://discordapp.com/invite/6SrsfUf https://discordapp.com/invite/6SrsfUf. Lannister is completely open-source and the code is available at https://github.com/lannister-capital https://github.com/lannister-capital
mettamage 7y ago
I wonder if this is allowed regarding copyright. If it isn't, I'd suggest a GoT metaphore that is slightly less obvious (but still obvious). E.g. Golden Lion or My Golden Lion.
ptyyy 7y ago
Let me lead off by saying I'm not a lawyer, but "House Lannister" is trademarked[0]. I would not be surprised if you receive a C&D notice. [0]: https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=87704402&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=87704402&caseType=SERIAL_...
unixhero 7y ago
Umm I am not sure if I am missing something, but where is the self hosted or source code I can compile for myself?
- andresousa 7y ago
  The iOS project is here: https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios
- rambojazz 7y ago
  There seems to be a github link at the bottom of the page.
  - unixhero 7y ago
    I couldn't see it from Chrome on my Android Galaxy S10+. Thanks!
dnadler 7y ago
I've thought about building something similar to this for the US, but getting the data into the app is a difficult problem. What is the general opinion on using a device like Plaid? Alternatively, I could support manual import of statements, but that would dramatically reduce the number of institutions that I could support.
JetSpiegel 7y ago
What's the main difference between this and GnuCash?

102 points by andresousa 7y ago

Slick promotional website but not a single privacy disclosure or terms of service for an app that gathers financial data? This is not something you push out after the MVP has shipped.

andresousa 7y ago
All the info is stored either on the device itself or synced via Blockstack if you wish to do so. The project is also entirely open-source - https://github.com/lannister-capital https://github.com/lannister-capital
- diego 7y ago
  I understand your intention, but you have a bit of an uphill battle. Users have to trust you on many levels: 1) The app running on your phone is powered by the software on github. 2) This will not change. The only way I would use an app like this would be if it were offered by a financial institution that holds my assets. If your app caused me to lose money, I would be SOL. If their's did, they would be required to answer for it.
  - andresousa 7y ago
    Lannister only holds references of your holdings at the moment. It doesn't store your holdings/assets directly, so there's no chance to be stolen, since they're not there. Lannister is not a bank account or crypto wallet, it's a portfolio management app only. We don't ask or store private keys or any personal banking information of any kind.

IloveHN84 7y ago

Can I host this on my own system?

andresousa 7y ago
You can clone the project (https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios) and run the app on your device. We're working on a web version now, which is still WIP, but is also open-source (https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-app https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-app).

chosenbreed37 7y ago

Great idea an iphone. I might have a look at it on my daughter's iPod if she allows me to install :) Or I'll just wait for the web version!

andresousa 7y ago
Thank you! We also have a public roadmap here: https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 any suggestions or ideas for future development are very welcome!

idlewords 7y ago

This can pivot to an app for dating your sister

RosanaAnaDana 7y ago
Low effort slow clap

mNovak 7y ago

To clarify, does this automatically fetch updated crypto/stock/etc prices so that I can see my exposure changing over time, or do I have to manually update the amount of money in each holding?

kayza 7y ago
As far as I could see there is no way to add certain stocks/crypto/funds etc. basically just a slightly better spreadsheet, you have to enter all by yourself. That’s a pitty, I would like to have one where I just enter which stock I bought and when and it shows me the win/loss over time.
- andresousa 7y ago
  We're supporting 2 crypto (BTC and ETH) and 12 fiat currencies at the moment. And their prices get updated every time you open the app. If you have created several currencies, you'll see the total balance of your portfolio get updated. Today is a very good day to observe it growing if you have BTC or ETH :) Regarding stocks and other funds, we're not supporting them yet, but it's certainly on our roadmap.

rohmanhakim 7y ago

Will this app helps me to always pay my debt?

andresousa 7y ago
Lannister always pays its debts. Unfortunately, not yours :) In any case, we have on our roadmap some features such as setting financial goals and financial advice. We have a public roadmap here: https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 https://github.com/orgs/lannister-capital/projects/1 any feedback is highly appreciated

slg 7y ago

Game of Thrones spoiler ahead: I am not wild about that name. The Lannisters are the bad guys throughout the run of the GoT story and by later seasons it is revealed that their wealth has mostly wasted away. They are only able to keep up appearances of wealth through taking on large amounts of debt and by looting their enemies. Yes, the single primary characteristic you would assign to the Lannisters is wealth. I am just not sure that is worth associating your product with all their secondary traits like deceit, fraud, selfishness, and ruthlessness.

edaemon 7y ago
I would also be worried about trademark/copyright issues.
- slg 7y ago
  I don't know enough about those laws to know the legal status of this, but that would definitely be a concern for me too. Also the lion iconography rules out any argument that the name isn't 100% GoT inspired.
- chabes 7y ago
  Copyright is for non-commercial use, IIRC. If you’re not selling anything, it doesn’t apply. Not sure if that’s the case here.
  - bityard 7y ago
    > If you’re not selling anything, it doesn’t apply. That's not even remotely true.
  - toyg 7y ago
    This is simply not true, sadly. Copyright applies regardless of intentions or outcomes; it’s only in certain limited fields that some activities are somewhat exempted (i.e. backups). This is clearly not one of them.
    - 7y ago

_1tan 7y ago

Interesting. I personally use https://outbankapp.com/en/ https://outbankapp.com/en/. The app is closed-source; everything is locally stored. It allows me to track my bank accounts, including portfolios, etc. from most German and Dutch banks, credit cards, etc.. Additionally it can track BTC, ETH wallets, connect to Coinbase and a few other exchanges and membership programs. I would never use a wealth management app requiring manual entry. That`s just slightly better than a spreadsheet. Keep up the work! Caveat: Only supported in Germany and the Netherlands at the moment (IIRK). Edit: A similar offering I just remembered: https://www.numbrs.com/en_uk/ https://www.numbrs.com/en_uk/. Might be some good inspiration as well.

throwaway413 7y ago
Looks nice. How does this app authenticate with your various financial accounts?
- _1tan 7y ago
  It stores your credentials locally. The whole situation should improve with PSD2 (EU perspective).
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
  - NickBusey 7y ago
    Give a closed source app my bank credentials? No thanks.
    - dewey 7y ago
      How real is the risk of a registered and legit business selling a banking app taking your banking credentials and stealing your money? I’d estimate it to be 0.
      - badpun 7y ago

youeseh 7y ago

I think it's a great name! It is recognizable and well-associated with what you're building, even if the name-story accuracy isn't 100% - I think that would be serious nitpicking and you can always rename it something else later when the cost / benefit makes sense.

andresousa 7y ago
Thank you so much, we also believe that is the best approach. I wouldn't describe the context of naming the product and why we did it better than you just did :)
quickthrower2 7y ago
I'd have called it Iron Bank.
- evian83 7y ago
  Bank of Braavos sounds good too.

conjectures 7y ago

Yeah +1 that this becomes more of a thing based on name alone. You might need to explicitly state in company policy that: - Crossbows not allowed at board meetings.

andresousa 7y ago
Yes, and we won't have armchairs!

idbentley 7y ago

I don't see any information about the source code... No mention of Open source on the website.

andresousa 7y ago
We have it at the bottom of the page, but I agree that it's not very visible. We'll add it at the top of the page. Thanks for your feedback! Appreciate it!
- idbentley 7y ago
  Thanks!

andresousa 7y ago

Thank you for all the feedback and support. If you'd like to continue the discussion and helping with development join us on Discord at https://discordapp.com/invite/6SrsfUf https://discordapp.com/invite/6SrsfUf. Lannister is completely open-source and the code is available at https://github.com/lannister-capital https://github.com/lannister-capital

mettamage 7y ago

I wonder if this is allowed regarding copyright. If it isn't, I'd suggest a GoT metaphore that is slightly less obvious (but still obvious). E.g. Golden Lion or My Golden Lion.

ptyyy 7y ago

Let me lead off by saying I'm not a lawyer, but "House Lannister" is trademarked[0]. I would not be surprised if you receive a C&D notice. [0]: https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=87704402&caseType=SERIAL_NO&searchType=statusSearch https://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=87704402&caseType=SERIAL_...

unixhero 7y ago

Umm I am not sure if I am missing something, but where is the self hosted or source code I can compile for myself?

andresousa 7y ago
The iOS project is here: https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios https://github.com/lannister-capital/lannister-ios
rambojazz 7y ago
There seems to be a github link at the bottom of the page.
- unixhero 7y ago
  I couldn't see it from Chrome on my Android Galaxy S10+. Thanks!

dnadler 7y ago

I've thought about building something similar to this for the US, but getting the data into the app is a difficult problem. What is the general opinion on using a device like Plaid? Alternatively, I could support manual import of statements, but that would dramatically reduce the number of institutions that I could support.

JetSpiegel 7y ago

What's the main difference between this and GnuCash?