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Yesterday Paul Graham asked for an email diary service (https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1216714155731890176 https://twitter.com/paulg/status/121671415573189017

Yesterday Paul Graham asked for an email diary service (https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1216714155731890176 https://twitter.com/paulg/status/1216714155731890176): > Is there an easy way to build, or a startup that offers, something that will email you once a day asking "What's happening?" and then accumulate the replies? I did just that! Let me know what you think.

johnwheeler 7y ago
It looks classy as hell and I think the verbiage on the front page is very strong. There is a back button issue on iOS that needs to be resolved. When you visit the Open Diary link, you can’t get out using the back button. It might be just me. My iPad has been acting wonky lately.
- kossnocorp 7y ago
  Thanks! I'll take care of the back button. It must be my buggy router code!
  - johnwheeler 7y ago
    Yeah, this thing feels right on so many levels. Use your email client which is optimized for writing. Sign up by sending an email.
gpickett00 7y ago
I love that someone followed through and got it done. I bet a lot of people thought about it. I bet that there's even someone seeing this right now pissed off that they didn't finish first. Great design. Where'd you get your little illustrations?
- kossnocorp 7y ago
  Thank you a lot, I got the illustrations on https://craftwork.design https://craftwork.design
  - workthrowaway 7y ago
    thanks!!
  - misiti3780 7y ago
    I have never heard of that service (looks pretty interesting actually), but at the bottom it says trust by Uber, Pinterest, Google, etc. Does this mean these companies are outsourcing their graphics, mock ups, etc.?
    - applecrazy 7y ago
      Likely not. All these companies have dedicated design teams. I believe it means that they use the asset library within their projects.
      - misiti3780 7y ago
        that is what i thought also.
    - 1123581321 7y ago
      It (maybe) means someone with one of those email addresses signed up once, or might have used an asset on an internal blog or something. It can mean more but that’s typical for SaaS bragging.
    - kossnocorp 7y ago
      I don't know that, but I would assume that just someone with @google.com or @uber.com signed up at the service ;-)
      - ska 7y ago
        Usually it has to be a little bit more than that (but not much) and part of a contract. If you just start adding corporate logos to your site you'll end up talking to lawyers eventually - at least if you have any sort of traction. On the other hand "Used by X" can mean anything from "X uses us as a core part of their workflows" and "A small team at X uses this sometimes". So don't give it much weight.
alfonsodev 7y ago
He also wrote > Unfortunately, though, in this one case I can't promise that if you build it, I'll use it. Unless I know you, I can't trust that you won't read my emails. (I trusted the previous startup that did it because we'd funded them.) How do you solve the "won't read my emails" problem ? I've seen the statement in your website: > Your data stored and transferred securely. No one will ever read or process your notes even the staff. Your data belongs to you and can be easily exported in preferable format by request. But once the data leaves the browser there is no way to know, wouldn't you consider to partner with Gmail(or others) and appear as an addon to an already trusted company in order to start off the business ?
- Angostura 7y ago
  According to PG's Tweet, it seems quite simple - just fund them.
  - netsharc 7y ago
    Haha, clever way to get PGs funding...
  - birdyrooster 7y ago
    Almost like VC extracts rent from their investments while minimizing any risk they are exposed to.
    - zaptheimpaler 7y ago
      Do you do anything different in your own 401k?
- kossnocorp 7y ago
  I addressed it in a comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22045670 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22045670 > But once the data leaves the browser there is no way to know, wouldn't you consider to partner with Gmail(or others) and appear as an addon to an already trusted company in order to start off the business ? Also, I understand the concern and that Paul most likely will not trust their secrets to anyone. The problem is that's not a business, but a beautiful hobby project that I honestly love, so it's unlikely that I will ever spend time rewriting it and then paying Google $15K (https://www.gmass.co/blog/google-oauth-verification-security-assessment/ https://www.gmass.co/blog/google-oauth-verification-security...) so they could vet me.
rodolphoarruda 7y ago
I was thinking -- this morning -- about this type of proactive system that asks questions to stakeholders in a project; especially about their expectations. This is a killer feature that I have never seen in my 18 years as a PM. PM tools still pose high barriers for adoption, in general, since you have to login, navigate, find elements you are related to, analyze them and then feedback. That's a long path if you are not fully allocated into the project. I think there is a lot of room for "feedback automation" via email in Pm tools.
- entrep91 7y ago
  I've spent 3 years iterating on this idea and it was inspired by the product PG mentioned in his tweet. Any feedback is appreciated! https://www.friday.app https://www.friday.app
  - rodolphoarruda 7y ago
    This is it! Thank you! =)
  - drsozesakamoto 7y ago
    Sounds similar to monday.
vagab0nd 7y ago
You built this in a day? That's very impressive.
- kossnocorp 7y ago
  Sorry to disappoint you, but I did not. I was just quick to react and reply ;-)
mc3 7y ago
It's very polished. I was expecting something much more rougher looking.

johnwheeler 7y ago

It looks classy as hell and I think the verbiage on the front page is very strong. There is a back button issue on iOS that needs to be resolved. When you visit the Open Diary link, you can’t get out using the back button. It might be just me. My iPad has been acting wonky lately.

kossnocorp 7y ago
Thanks! I'll take care of the back button. It must be my buggy router code!
- johnwheeler 7y ago
  Yeah, this thing feels right on so many levels. Use your email client which is optimized for writing. Sign up by sending an email.

gpickett00 7y ago

I love that someone followed through and got it done. I bet a lot of people thought about it. I bet that there's even someone seeing this right now pissed off that they didn't finish first. Great design. Where'd you get your little illustrations?

kossnocorp 7y ago
Thank you a lot, I got the illustrations on https://craftwork.design https://craftwork.design
- workthrowaway 7y ago
  thanks!!
- misiti3780 7y ago
  I have never heard of that service (looks pretty interesting actually), but at the bottom it says trust by Uber, Pinterest, Google, etc. Does this mean these companies are outsourcing their graphics, mock ups, etc.?
  - applecrazy 7y ago
    Likely not. All these companies have dedicated design teams. I believe it means that they use the asset library within their projects.
    - misiti3780 7y ago
      that is what i thought also.
  - 1123581321 7y ago
    It (maybe) means someone with one of those email addresses signed up once, or might have used an asset on an internal blog or something. It can mean more but that’s typical for SaaS bragging.
  - kossnocorp 7y ago
    I don't know that, but I would assume that just someone with @google.com or @uber.com signed up at the service ;-)
    - ska 7y ago
      Usually it has to be a little bit more than that (but not much) and part of a contract. If you just start adding corporate logos to your site you'll end up talking to lawyers eventually - at least if you have any sort of traction. On the other hand "Used by X" can mean anything from "X uses us as a core part of their workflows" and "A small team at X uses this sometimes". So don't give it much weight.

alfonsodev 7y ago

He also wrote > Unfortunately, though, in this one case I can't promise that if you build it, I'll use it. Unless I know you, I can't trust that you won't read my emails. (I trusted the previous startup that did it because we'd funded them.) How do you solve the "won't read my emails" problem ? I've seen the statement in your website: > Your data stored and transferred securely. No one will ever read or process your notes even the staff. Your data belongs to you and can be easily exported in preferable format by request. But once the data leaves the browser there is no way to know, wouldn't you consider to partner with Gmail(or others) and appear as an addon to an already trusted company in order to start off the business ?

Angostura 7y ago
According to PG's Tweet, it seems quite simple - just fund them.
- netsharc 7y ago
  Haha, clever way to get PGs funding...
- birdyrooster 7y ago
  Almost like VC extracts rent from their investments while minimizing any risk they are exposed to.
  - zaptheimpaler 7y ago
    Do you do anything different in your own 401k?
kossnocorp 7y ago
I addressed it in a comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22045670 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22045670 > But once the data leaves the browser there is no way to know, wouldn't you consider to partner with Gmail(or others) and appear as an addon to an already trusted company in order to start off the business ? Also, I understand the concern and that Paul most likely will not trust their secrets to anyone. The problem is that's not a business, but a beautiful hobby project that I honestly love, so it's unlikely that I will ever spend time rewriting it and then paying Google $15K (https://www.gmass.co/blog/google-oauth-verification-security-assessment/ https://www.gmass.co/blog/google-oauth-verification-security...) so they could vet me.

rodolphoarruda 7y ago

I was thinking -- this morning -- about this type of proactive system that asks questions to stakeholders in a project; especially about their expectations. This is a killer feature that I have never seen in my 18 years as a PM. PM tools still pose high barriers for adoption, in general, since you have to login, navigate, find elements you are related to, analyze them and then feedback. That's a long path if you are not fully allocated into the project. I think there is a lot of room for "feedback automation" via email in Pm tools.

entrep91 7y ago
I've spent 3 years iterating on this idea and it was inspired by the product PG mentioned in his tweet. Any feedback is appreciated! https://www.friday.app https://www.friday.app
- rodolphoarruda 7y ago
  This is it! Thank you! =)
- drsozesakamoto 7y ago
  Sounds similar to monday.

vagab0nd 7y ago

You built this in a day? That's very impressive.

kossnocorp 7y ago
Sorry to disappoint you, but I did not. I was just quick to react and reply ;-)

mc3 7y ago

It's very polished. I was expecting something much more rougher looking.