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Working on https://shepherd.com/ https://shepherd.com/ and trying to help readers find books they will LOVE (not just like). In a few days, launching user acco
by bwb 2y ago
Working on https://shepherd.com/ https://shepherd.com/ and trying to help readers find books they will LOVE (not just like).
In a few days, launching user accounts + our first user feature using our new Book DNA review system that is trying to help narrow in on the type of books you love and why. The goal is to serve better recommendations going forward and get more people excited about reading.
It is fun :)
- y-curious 2y agoI enjoyed your site. Queries seem to be sluggish, but that's likely because you're getting a lot of traffic on HN. Well done!
- bwb 2y agoThanks :) Ya working on it, Alibaba and Amazon's AI is stuck on our website, having to block them as just destroying us for no reason. Really frustrating.
- bennycha 2y agoAwesome work
- bwb 2y agoThanks, have a bunch of cool features coming out soon too!
- bansuian 2y agoCool website, and cool domain. What is the difference between this and Goodreads?
- bwb 2y agoThanks! Yep, I am different because I focus on helping readers find books they will LOVE (not just like). So, I am trying to figure out why readers like specific books and how to get a book in front of them with a higher chance of them loving it. I am trying to build a Book DNA profile of each reader and see if I can use that data to deliver a better recommendation to them. I am hoping to increase excitement around reading if I can achieve this. The second focus is on helping readers browse and explore books in new/fun/unique ways. This is where I started, as it was an easier place to get going, and we've asked over 12,000 authors and experts to share five books around a topic, theme, or mood they are experts in or passionate about. We are trying to connect those in fun ways so you can follow your curiosity through the website. And we have a lot more crazier ideas coming :). The third focus is to build a strong community around sharing what books I love and celebrating them. A longer breakdown here: https://build.shepherd.com/p/what-is-shepherds-mission-for-readers https://build.shepherd.com/p/what-is-shepherds-mission-for-r... Goodreads is more of a pure book tracking app and they haven't really built anything new in 8 years. Which is a pity.
- yencabulator 2y agoWell, for one, Goodreads is owned by Amazon so I expect them to mostly show me things Amazon Audible/Kindle wants to get money for right now.