7 ms·

Show HN: DevClad – A social-workspace platform for developers

67 points by tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago

DevClad[https://devclad.com https://devclad.com] is a social-workspace platform for developers to team up on projects and hackathons seamlessly. It functions by matching you 1-on-1 with a compatible developer every week :)

personjerry 4y ago
Is this like Lunchclub? https://lunchclub.com/ https://lunchclub.com/
- tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
  Similar. I took that as a starting point for the developer niche and I plan on turning it into something where developers can work on ideas together. I built an even more rough version of that here - https://connectdome.com https://connectdome.com (but then I realized I was dealing with feature-bloat) so now I'm experimenting a little slower.
  - toyg 4y ago
    *> connectdome.com OT, but that's an expertsexchange kind of domain...
  - jdthedisciple 4y ago
    is connectdome still up and running or is it a dead project at this point? might wanna try it and compare to this one
lol768 4y ago
> Every week, you are matched with another dev using an ML algorithm for a 1 on 1 call. I must admit I rolled my eyes when I read "ML algorithm" since it's usually marketing bullshit. Seemingly it's unsupervised knn w/ Scikit Learn, mixing variables like "open to video calls", "location", "openness to ideas" and "timezone". Fairly neat.
- tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
  It indeed is. I'll try to find someone better at ML than me over time but I think this approach should serve well at least for the first 1k users or so if I'm not wrong.
  - swyx 4y ago
    maybe just say “similarity” rather than “ml algorithm” since that is what you are doing
    - tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
      From the POV of a marketing copy, I don't think that sticks. I could possibly change it on the Github, however. Or, elaborate on what is meant by an ML algorithm in the context of DevClad.
      - jamessb 4y ago
        > you are matched with another dev using an ML algorithm Could be simplified to just: > you are automatically matched with another dev
        tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
        Fair point.
- me551ah 4y ago
  Isn't "unsupervised knn w/ Scikit Learn" ML? Yes it's unsupervised and not a lot of effort was put into it, but it is still ML.
  - saurik 4y ago
    The usage of "usually" in the comment you are replying to is often paired with a "but/except" that I feel is implied here, and so they actually agree with you.
Gys 4y ago
> you are matched with another dev using an ML algorithm for a 1 on 1 call I was wondering why so complicated and how the model was learned... > https://github.com/DevClad-Inc/devclad/blob/main/apps/server/social/ml/match.py https://github.com/DevClad-Inc/devclad/blob/main/apps/server... Aha, better indeed to rely on your own human learning ;-)
Laaas 4y ago
When I try logging in with GitHub: This application will be able to read and write all user data. This includes the following: Private email addresses Private profile information Followers Seems odd?
- tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
  Two things. 1. The page mentions: Github is only for login. To create an account, go to Signup. 2. It's completely optional to connect it. The reason it asks for all those permissions is because I'm planning to use it to integrate common Github actions in DevClad. Again, you don't need to do any of that. Optional.
  - Laaas 4y ago
    Thanks. I was imagining it'd use information from your GitHub account to match you better.
juliushuijnk 4y ago
somewhat related to this https://adplist.org https://adplist.org
cssanchez 4y ago
Just tried it and even though I hit save on step 2, nothing happened and it deleted everything when I went back to step 1… Hope you can figure it out.
- tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
  I'll try replicating it. Update: It's a possibility you didn't hit Save on Step 1.
  - selectnull 4y ago
    I also had a problem. Figured it out by submitting with dev console open and reading HTTP response. There were no messages for errors: required fields, pronouns had a min lenght and stuff like that. Really like the idea and willing to try it out. Hope it works well. Good luck.
DoingIsLearning 4y ago
As a suggestion you could also try and give users some levers on your matching algo. For example some people might be interested in matching up with someone similar. Some (like me) would like to talk to people doing different things, on different stacks, with different problem domains and find synergies/learning opportunities that way.
tonnydourado 4y ago
OP: this is not a direct criticism of your idea or implementation (in fact, by the end, you might notice I'm not sure I even have a valid criticism here), just a general observation on a trend I feel is common on this sort of initiative. I don't know about y'all, but I hate this idea of random 1-on-1s. Nothing sends my anxiety levels to the freaking roof as the idea of having to talk alone to a complete stranger. Make it 3+ people, though, and I'm absolutely game for it. This is not about being reclusive/introverted/autistic/antisocial/whatever: I actually like socializing, and meeting new people (well, to a certain extent, but I digress). It's just that, at least for me, 1-on-1 interactions are the most intense ones, even with people you know, let alone with strangers. Group interactions put much less pressure in each person, and it increases the chances of having at least one more extroverted person to lead the conversation. And yet, almost every single instance of this trope of "helping people connect through random pairings" is 1-on-1. Maybe I'm the exception here, or maybe it's easier to implement 1-on-1 pairings, I don't know. But I'd love to see more things like this, but that didn't promote one of my worst nightmares as a feature.
- arcturus17 4y ago
  To bring a contrasting perspective, I see nothing weird about meeting people one-to-one, and I see it as the most natural and efficient process for discovering opportunities. I meet with potential co-founders on StartupSchool and customers for my consulting business one-on-one all the time. You shoot the shit for 10min, see if there is common ground, and take it from there. Nothing prevents you from connecting with a third person or more later! I'm interested in DevClad as it is and have added it to my to-do list to try in the coming weeks.
- nicoburns 4y ago
  > This is not about being reclusive/introverted/autistic/antisocial/whatever Sounds like it might be about being extraverted. It of course depends on the specific scenario, but introverts tend to be more comfortable 1 on 1 or in small groups, whereas extraverts tend to prefer small groups or large groups.
  - arcturus17 4y ago
Oras 4y ago
It can be a good prescreening recruitment platform where developers try to find other developers to join their team. With this kind of platform, you need to keep the quality and commitment high all the time, which is quite challenging. For example, I tried LunchClub for a few weeks, it was brilliant initially, but then you get those who canceled last minute or did not show up to the call and then stopped because I saw it as a waste of time.
- tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
  This is so on point. I've thought about this a lot and it's definitely something I will aggressively pursue if I manage to have good engagement initially. The preliminary step before pursuing this would be allowing users to work on projects and hackathons (or at least, showcase projects better) on DevClad.
geuis 4y ago
I'll just be honest. One on ones suck. We all mostly have to do it year after year with managers and it's a huge uncomfortable waste of time. Having to talk to some random person is even more awkward and a waste of time. Make it useful and group up 3-4 randos at a time. The best conversations happen in small groups.
- dewey 4y ago
  The problem there isn't the tool ("one on one") but the surrounding process in your organization from what it sounds like. In my experience, having a weekly 1:1 with your manager works really well. If that's a frequent and regular occurrence, there's nothing uncomfortable about it. It's a weekly block of time where you can discuss the priorities, give feedback, talk about things outside of work or start salary negotiations or role changes. If there's a week where there's nothing new it'll just be 5 minutes long, but having a regular no-pressure event is a lot less stressful than having a scheduled 1:1 come out of nowhere or once or twice a year.
  - geuis 4y ago
    You completely missed my point. I'm not talking about managers, I'm talking about how fucking awkward it is to talk to people. We're mostly all a bunch of nerds. Lots of common ground, below average social skills. (I'm intentionally being facetious here.) Small groups of 3-4 people with similar interests are WAY easier to feel comfortable in and get interesting conversations going.
    - dewey 4y ago
      Even for "nerds" there are usually people where they don't feel awkward about talking to them (Friends, family, online regulars,...). My point is that by not making a 1:1 a big event but rather a regular occurrence it'll be just become part of a regular week, and not a big event or something to feel awkward about. This is very different to meeting an online stranger you have never interacted with every week.
      - 4y ago
WesSouza 4y ago
The fact that submitting the forms keep them on screen and enabled is confusing, especially given you can submit using return.
karmakaze 4y ago
I was wondering how you pair devs with similar interests and noticed that it says "using ML" exactly once. Is that the scope of it or are there settings? Seems I misunderstood completely. The site uses ML to do the matching and devs feed the ML how?
steele 4y ago
We all know how this goes from dating websites... just a bunch of non-technical co-founders looking for easy matches or pretending to be developers to keep tabs on their former engineers. Bet there are tons of fake developer accounts too. We are not pieces of meat!
- tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
  Inflammatory comment imo (or perhaps meant to be humorous). Either way, every developer you interact on DevClad with is approved manually. The factors used to manually approve a profile include a history of building side-projects or employment as an SDE at a company. This is the reason there's a 2-step onboarding process before you get to use DevClad.
progx 4y ago
Services for developers? Good luck!
ripperdoc 4y ago
Seems nice! I would prefer a twist of this more towards finding other's with an expertise you don't have yourself and having the option to center the conversation around a particular topic, and some expectation of sharing advice and expertise (not just chatting). There could be a paid model, or you could imagine a credit system where you also offer your own expertise and time to others in equal measure. That could still lead to finding things to work together on, but could also lead to learning, consulting gigs or just networking - with the added benefit of being immediately useful at work. But that maybe already exists somewhere?
granshaw 4y ago
The version of this which pairs developers with marketers is way more needed
gardenhedge 4y ago
I've no interest in doing video 1-on-1s but would be interested in a text-based conversation.

67 points by tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago

personjerry 4y ago

Is this like Lunchclub? https://lunchclub.com/ https://lunchclub.com/

tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
Similar. I took that as a starting point for the developer niche and I plan on turning it into something where developers can work on ideas together. I built an even more rough version of that here - https://connectdome.com https://connectdome.com (but then I realized I was dealing with feature-bloat) so now I'm experimenting a little slower.
- toyg 4y ago
  *> connectdome.com OT, but that's an expertsexchange kind of domain...
- jdthedisciple 4y ago
  is connectdome still up and running or is it a dead project at this point? might wanna try it and compare to this one

lol768 4y ago

> Every week, you are matched with another dev using an ML algorithm for a 1 on 1 call. I must admit I rolled my eyes when I read "ML algorithm" since it's usually marketing bullshit. Seemingly it's unsupervised knn w/ Scikit Learn, mixing variables like "open to video calls", "location", "openness to ideas" and "timezone". Fairly neat.

tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
It indeed is. I'll try to find someone better at ML than me over time but I think this approach should serve well at least for the first 1k users or so if I'm not wrong.
- swyx 4y ago
  maybe just say “similarity” rather than “ml algorithm” since that is what you are doing
  - tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
    From the POV of a marketing copy, I don't think that sticks. I could possibly change it on the Github, however. Or, elaborate on what is meant by an ML algorithm in the context of DevClad.
    - jamessb 4y ago
      > you are matched with another dev using an ML algorithm Could be simplified to just: > you are automatically matched with another dev
      - tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
        Fair point.
me551ah 4y ago
Isn't "unsupervised knn w/ Scikit Learn" ML? Yes it's unsupervised and not a lot of effort was put into it, but it is still ML.
- saurik 4y ago
  The usage of "usually" in the comment you are replying to is often paired with a "but/except" that I feel is implied here, and so they actually agree with you.

Gys 4y ago

> you are matched with another dev using an ML algorithm for a 1 on 1 call I was wondering why so complicated and how the model was learned... > https://github.com/DevClad-Inc/devclad/blob/main/apps/server/social/ml/match.py https://github.com/DevClad-Inc/devclad/blob/main/apps/server... Aha, better indeed to rely on your own human learning ;-)

Laaas 4y ago

When I try logging in with GitHub: This application will be able to read and write all user data. This includes the following: Private email addresses Private profile information Followers Seems odd?

tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
Two things. 1. The page mentions: Github is only for login. To create an account, go to Signup. 2. It's completely optional to connect it. The reason it asks for all those permissions is because I'm planning to use it to integrate common Github actions in DevClad. Again, you don't need to do any of that. Optional.
- Laaas 4y ago
  Thanks. I was imagining it'd use information from your GitHub account to match you better.

juliushuijnk 4y ago

somewhat related to this https://adplist.org https://adplist.org

cssanchez 4y ago

Just tried it and even though I hit save on step 2, nothing happened and it deleted everything when I went back to step 1… Hope you can figure it out.

tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
I'll try replicating it. Update: It's a possibility you didn't hit Save on Step 1.
- selectnull 4y ago
  I also had a problem. Figured it out by submitting with dev console open and reading HTTP response. There were no messages for errors: required fields, pronouns had a min lenght and stuff like that. Really like the idea and willing to try it out. Hope it works well. Good luck.

DoingIsLearning 4y ago

As a suggestion you could also try and give users some levers on your matching algo. For example some people might be interested in matching up with someone similar. Some (like me) would like to talk to people doing different things, on different stacks, with different problem domains and find synergies/learning opportunities that way.

tonnydourado 4y ago

OP: this is not a direct criticism of your idea or implementation (in fact, by the end, you might notice I'm not sure I even have a valid criticism here), just a general observation on a trend I feel is common on this sort of initiative. I don't know about y'all, but I hate this idea of random 1-on-1s. Nothing sends my anxiety levels to the freaking roof as the idea of having to talk alone to a complete stranger. Make it 3+ people, though, and I'm absolutely game for it. This is not about being reclusive/introverted/autistic/antisocial/whatever: I actually like socializing, and meeting new people (well, to a certain extent, but I digress). It's just that, at least for me, 1-on-1 interactions are the most intense ones, even with people you know, let alone with strangers. Group interactions put much less pressure in each person, and it increases the chances of having at least one more extroverted person to lead the conversation. And yet, almost every single instance of this trope of "helping people connect through random pairings" is 1-on-1. Maybe I'm the exception here, or maybe it's easier to implement 1-on-1 pairings, I don't know. But I'd love to see more things like this, but that didn't promote one of my worst nightmares as a feature.

arcturus17 4y ago
To bring a contrasting perspective, I see nothing weird about meeting people one-to-one, and I see it as the most natural and efficient process for discovering opportunities. I meet with potential co-founders on StartupSchool and customers for my consulting business one-on-one all the time. You shoot the shit for 10min, see if there is common ground, and take it from there. Nothing prevents you from connecting with a third person or more later! I'm interested in DevClad as it is and have added it to my to-do list to try in the coming weeks.
nicoburns 4y ago
> This is not about being reclusive/introverted/autistic/antisocial/whatever Sounds like it might be about being extraverted. It of course depends on the specific scenario, but introverts tend to be more comfortable 1 on 1 or in small groups, whereas extraverts tend to prefer small groups or large groups.
- arcturus17 4y ago

Oras 4y ago

It can be a good prescreening recruitment platform where developers try to find other developers to join their team. With this kind of platform, you need to keep the quality and commitment high all the time, which is quite challenging. For example, I tried LunchClub for a few weeks, it was brilliant initially, but then you get those who canceled last minute or did not show up to the call and then stopped because I saw it as a waste of time.

tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
This is so on point. I've thought about this a lot and it's definitely something I will aggressively pursue if I manage to have good engagement initially. The preliminary step before pursuing this would be allowing users to work on projects and hackathons (or at least, showcase projects better) on DevClad.

geuis 4y ago

I'll just be honest. One on ones suck. We all mostly have to do it year after year with managers and it's a huge uncomfortable waste of time. Having to talk to some random person is even more awkward and a waste of time. Make it useful and group up 3-4 randos at a time. The best conversations happen in small groups.

dewey 4y ago
The problem there isn't the tool ("one on one") but the surrounding process in your organization from what it sounds like. In my experience, having a weekly 1:1 with your manager works really well. If that's a frequent and regular occurrence, there's nothing uncomfortable about it. It's a weekly block of time where you can discuss the priorities, give feedback, talk about things outside of work or start salary negotiations or role changes. If there's a week where there's nothing new it'll just be 5 minutes long, but having a regular no-pressure event is a lot less stressful than having a scheduled 1:1 come out of nowhere or once or twice a year.
- geuis 4y ago
  You completely missed my point. I'm not talking about managers, I'm talking about how fucking awkward it is to talk to people. We're mostly all a bunch of nerds. Lots of common ground, below average social skills. (I'm intentionally being facetious here.) Small groups of 3-4 people with similar interests are WAY easier to feel comfortable in and get interesting conversations going.
  - dewey 4y ago
    Even for "nerds" there are usually people where they don't feel awkward about talking to them (Friends, family, online regulars,...). My point is that by not making a 1:1 a big event but rather a regular occurrence it'll be just become part of a regular week, and not a big event or something to feel awkward about. This is very different to meeting an online stranger you have never interacted with every week.
    - 4y ago

WesSouza 4y ago

The fact that submitting the forms keep them on screen and enabled is confusing, especially given you can submit using return.

karmakaze 4y ago

I was wondering how you pair devs with similar interests and noticed that it says "using ML" exactly once. Is that the scope of it or are there settings? Seems I misunderstood completely. The site uses ML to do the matching and devs feed the ML how?

steele 4y ago

We all know how this goes from dating websites... just a bunch of non-technical co-founders looking for easy matches or pretending to be developers to keep tabs on their former engineers. Bet there are tons of fake developer accounts too. We are not pieces of meat!

tr1ll10nb1ll 4y ago
Inflammatory comment imo (or perhaps meant to be humorous). Either way, every developer you interact on DevClad with is approved manually. The factors used to manually approve a profile include a history of building side-projects or employment as an SDE at a company. This is the reason there's a 2-step onboarding process before you get to use DevClad.

progx 4y ago

Services for developers? Good luck!

ripperdoc 4y ago

Seems nice! I would prefer a twist of this more towards finding other's with an expertise you don't have yourself and having the option to center the conversation around a particular topic, and some expectation of sharing advice and expertise (not just chatting). There could be a paid model, or you could imagine a credit system where you also offer your own expertise and time to others in equal measure. That could still lead to finding things to work together on, but could also lead to learning, consulting gigs or just networking - with the added benefit of being immediately useful at work. But that maybe already exists somewhere?

granshaw 4y ago

The version of this which pairs developers with marketers is way more needed

gardenhedge 4y ago

I've no interest in doing video 1-on-1s but would be interested in a text-based conversation.