5 ms·

Ask HN: Review my startup

26 points by timae 18y ago

grahamr 18y ago
First impressions: I really like the overall look & feel of the site: approachable, modern, clean, and not needlessly "web 2.0" I have trouble knowing from your messaging who your target audience is, and whether I'm in it. E.g. needs for someone who travels casually and who is accruing miles towards a particular vacation would be very different for someone who travels for a living and has dozens of accounts to keep track of. For me, I've mostly standardized on United Mileage Plus and therefore make sure that any reward programs I participate in are compatible with United's program. Therefore, United's site serves as the aggregator for all my mileage/reward programs. I'll sign up and see how it goes.
- timae 18y ago
  Thanks for the feedback. I would say the ideal customer would be someone with at-least 3 programs. So for example, if you had points with United, Marriott and American Express, then I think you would find the site useful. However, the more programs you have, the more useful the site becomes. The one feature I think anyone with at-least 1 frequent flyer or hotel program could use is the "points or pay" calculator (there's a "points or pay" link in the tab-like menubar).
vaksel 18y ago
your valid XHTML image doesn't seem to load on the design note, those are some really good images...did you make them yourselves? Also very clean overall design Also...kudos on the short sign up page
- timae 18y ago
  Good call on the W3C validator. The site does validate, but I think I'll take that button off anyway (it was giving me some problems too). Regarding the images: We got most of the icons from istockphoto (the planes, calendars, mini charts, etc.).
siong1987 18y ago
Remove the valid XHTML image. It has no impact at your customers at all as long as you make sure that the layout is correct in every possible browsers. Anyway, nice and clean layout.
- timae 18y ago
  done!
adamdoupe 18y ago
On Firefox 1.5 on Linux (It's what they make us use at school), the "points or pay" text extends beyond the tab. http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=20k3o0z&s=4 http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=20k3o0z&s=4 But beyond that, I agree with the comments so far, excellent design and I wish you the best of luck.
soundsop 18y ago
I like the idea. You may want to let users know on the front page which rewards programs you support. I see that it's in the FAQ, but to see that information instantly might be more reassuring to the user (especially, the one that isn't going to look at the FAQ before leaving). Personally, I would never trust your website with my reward site password (I think that's how the site works). I'm not picking on you, I simply don't trust any website with another website's password. This doesn't seem to be a hindrance to sites like Facebook that ask for your Gmail/Hotmail/Yahoo password, although, unlike your site, they don't store the password (or so they claim). I don't know how you would possibly get around this limitation or whether you should bother trying, as you may get more users from the convenience of storing passwords.
breck 18y ago
asp? interesting. (i'm not judging at all, just curious as to your reasons for using it) i like the design. the messaging isn't that compelling for me however "track your balances". when i sign up for something i like to think "what am i going to get?" tracking balances isn't something that i get. could it be something like "see where you can go [with your current points]"? that would make me want to sign up.
rokhayakebe 18y ago
Very beautiful design. Great idea as well. I have worked for 4 years with frequent fliers and they all experience headaches with their miles and rewards....
terpua 18y ago
Have a sign up button at the end of the learnmore page.
pjharrin 18y ago
I believe travelfli.com/ is going to be doing a similar thing, so make sure you market a lot to get the market share
- terpua 18y ago
  http://blog.travelfli.com/ http://blog.travelfli.com/ They are talking to a lot of airlines and hotels.
inrev 18y ago
What does acruw mean or stands for?
- there 18y ago
  accrue? as in accruing miles?
  - timae 18y ago
    correct.
shawndrost 18y ago
Oh thankyou thankyou thankyou. I was looking for this earlier.
mattmaroon 18y ago
Personally I'd be worried about giving a brand new startup my OnePass creds, considering I have a stored credit card there and you could use them to book flights. I like the idea a lot though. I used to travel quite a bit, and mainly stuck to one airline due to the mileage.
terpua 18y ago
Awesome idea and clean execution. Please add international airlines. Great for the expat community which uses multiple airlines for different regional destinations.
tomsaffell 18y ago
As someone who has a fair few miles in each of 6 different FFPs I like the idea, but it's probably not useful enough for me to use it. I don't find any of the things listed in 'With acruw you can...' hard to do today (= you're not removing pain). Where you would be removing pain is if you could do searches for reward seat availability for me. Like a kayak.com but for points. I would use that for sure (searching for reward seats is real pain).
mikkom 18y ago
Same question of always (because you are asking about startup, not website): What is your revenue model?
- timae 18y ago
  Right now, focusing on getting users. We do have some ads up, including: 1. adsense 2. affiliate marketing of airline and hotel credit cards (on your Delta "details" page, for example, you'll find a link to sign-up for the Delta amex card). A pretty relevant ad, given you're looking at the details of your delta miles and you're presented with an ad that allows you to earn 25,000 additional miles for signing up (or whatever the promo is). 3. Orbitz referrals on the "points or pay" page.
- steveplace 18y ago
  I didn't make it, but I have an idea: Create a paid-enterprise model (think RescueTime) that tracks corporate rewards on credit cards. That way you could maximize reward usage and possibly save on overhead costs.
eli_s 18y ago
As stated already - really great looking design. The idea looks good to me too. Are you thinking of travel based advertising for revenue?
pierrefar 18y ago
You have some rendering weirdness in Firefox 3.0.1 on OSX Leopard: I've put up a screenshot: http://cli.gs/152EXg http://cli.gs/152EXg . Look at the first blue rectangle's left side edge and the bottom right blue box's right edge. Interesting idea, too :) Pierre

26 points by timae 18y ago

First impressions: I really like the overall look & feel of the site: approachable, modern, clean, and not needlessly "web 2.0" I have trouble knowing from your messaging who your target audience is, and whether I'm in it. E.g. needs for someone who travels casually and who is accruing miles towards a particular vacation would be very different for someone who travels for a living and has dozens of accounts to keep track of. For me, I've mostly standardized on United Mileage Plus and therefore make sure that any reward programs I participate in are compatible with United's program. Therefore, United's site serves as the aggregator for all my mileage/reward programs. I'll sign up and see how it goes.

timae 18y ago
Thanks for the feedback. I would say the ideal customer would be someone with at-least 3 programs. So for example, if you had points with United, Marriott and American Express, then I think you would find the site useful. However, the more programs you have, the more useful the site becomes. The one feature I think anyone with at-least 1 frequent flyer or hotel program could use is the "points or pay" calculator (there's a "points or pay" link in the tab-like menubar).

vaksel 18y ago

your valid XHTML image doesn't seem to load on the design note, those are some really good images...did you make them yourselves? Also very clean overall design Also...kudos on the short sign up page

timae 18y ago
Good call on the W3C validator. The site does validate, but I think I'll take that button off anyway (it was giving me some problems too). Regarding the images: We got most of the icons from istockphoto (the planes, calendars, mini charts, etc.).

siong1987 18y ago

Remove the valid XHTML image. It has no impact at your customers at all as long as you make sure that the layout is correct in every possible browsers. Anyway, nice and clean layout.

timae 18y ago
done!

adamdoupe 18y ago

On Firefox 1.5 on Linux (It's what they make us use at school), the "points or pay" text extends beyond the tab. http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=20k3o0z&s=4 http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=20k3o0z&s=4 But beyond that, I agree with the comments so far, excellent design and I wish you the best of luck.

soundsop 18y ago

I like the idea. You may want to let users know on the front page which rewards programs you support. I see that it's in the FAQ, but to see that information instantly might be more reassuring to the user (especially, the one that isn't going to look at the FAQ before leaving). Personally, I would never trust your website with my reward site password (I think that's how the site works). I'm not picking on you, I simply don't trust any website with another website's password. This doesn't seem to be a hindrance to sites like Facebook that ask for your Gmail/Hotmail/Yahoo password, although, unlike your site, they don't store the password (or so they claim). I don't know how you would possibly get around this limitation or whether you should bother trying, as you may get more users from the convenience of storing passwords.

breck 18y ago

asp? interesting. (i'm not judging at all, just curious as to your reasons for using it) i like the design. the messaging isn't that compelling for me however "track your balances". when i sign up for something i like to think "what am i going to get?" tracking balances isn't something that i get. could it be something like "see where you can go [with your current points]"? that would make me want to sign up.

rokhayakebe 18y ago

Very beautiful design. Great idea as well. I have worked for 4 years with frequent fliers and they all experience headaches with their miles and rewards....

terpua 18y ago

Have a sign up button at the end of the learnmore page.

pjharrin 18y ago

I believe travelfli.com/ is going to be doing a similar thing, so make sure you market a lot to get the market share

terpua 18y ago
http://blog.travelfli.com/ http://blog.travelfli.com/ They are talking to a lot of airlines and hotels.

inrev 18y ago

What does acruw mean or stands for?

there 18y ago
accrue? as in accruing miles?
- timae 18y ago
  correct.

shawndrost 18y ago

Oh thankyou thankyou thankyou. I was looking for this earlier.

mattmaroon 18y ago

Personally I'd be worried about giving a brand new startup my OnePass creds, considering I have a stored credit card there and you could use them to book flights. I like the idea a lot though. I used to travel quite a bit, and mainly stuck to one airline due to the mileage.

terpua 18y ago

Awesome idea and clean execution. Please add international airlines. Great for the expat community which uses multiple airlines for different regional destinations.

tomsaffell 18y ago

As someone who has a fair few miles in each of 6 different FFPs I like the idea, but it's probably not useful enough for me to use it. I don't find any of the things listed in 'With acruw you can...' hard to do today (= you're not removing pain). Where you would be removing pain is if you could do searches for reward seat availability for me. Like a kayak.com but for points. I would use that for sure (searching for reward seats is real pain).

mikkom 18y ago

Same question of always (because you are asking about startup, not website): What is your revenue model?

timae 18y ago
Right now, focusing on getting users. We do have some ads up, including: 1. adsense 2. affiliate marketing of airline and hotel credit cards (on your Delta "details" page, for example, you'll find a link to sign-up for the Delta amex card). A pretty relevant ad, given you're looking at the details of your delta miles and you're presented with an ad that allows you to earn 25,000 additional miles for signing up (or whatever the promo is). 3. Orbitz referrals on the "points or pay" page.
steveplace 18y ago
I didn't make it, but I have an idea: Create a paid-enterprise model (think RescueTime) that tracks corporate rewards on credit cards. That way you could maximize reward usage and possibly save on overhead costs.

eli_s 18y ago

As stated already - really great looking design. The idea looks good to me too. Are you thinking of travel based advertising for revenue?

pierrefar 18y ago

You have some rendering weirdness in Firefox 3.0.1 on OSX Leopard: I've put up a screenshot: http://cli.gs/152EXg http://cli.gs/152EXg . Look at the first blue rectangle's left side edge and the bottom right blue box's right edge. Interesting idea, too :) Pierre