5 ms·

HiMom (YC S12) Helps Your Parents Keep Up With Your Life

54 points by martin_tipgain 14y ago

prawn 14y ago
Flip it around. Have parents choose things like "Thinking about you. What have you been up to lately?" "Haven't seen the girls for a while - send me a photo!" Right now, my parents look at my Twitter feed and then text me comments.
greenranger 14y ago
Hmm yeah, they might be reaching a bit on this one. I'd wager we have just about sucked "social" dry. A lot of companies are trying to see just how far they can niche down the social networking concept, and I guess time will tell how much longer that lemon can be squeezed.
2arrs2ells 14y ago
Hacker tested, Mom approved ("You're so sweet!").
yukuan 14y ago
I think this app is great! I've always been the kind who's terrible about staying in touch, and it's so nice to have something that I can send out quickly without spending much time, yet still looks nice when it gets there.
kristenlee 14y ago
Wow, this is really going to change the world. YC S12 is probably the best class out of YC so far. A mobile app that allows me to send a postcard to my mom...genius!!! A billion dollar company in the making.
- michaelt 14y ago
  Contemporary start up culture seems to be in favor of launching with a "minimum viable product" as a way of gauging market demand before you sink too many resources into a product. Not every product is amenable to this, of course, but HiMom is and you are seeing it in action.
- dmix 14y ago
  Can't tell if sarcasm or not. HN has made me a cynical one.
  - Animus7 14y ago
    Poe's law [1] at work. My bet is on parody though. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poes_law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poes_law
  - jansen 14y ago
    It's sarcasm. Billion dollar company or not, doesn't matter to me and most people out there. It's useful and something people will like. It's perfect for me at least to make my Mum happy from time to time so you'll see me using this!
- icebraining 14y ago
  Oh, the irony: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3769997 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3769997 "(...) and ignore the inevitable onslaught of negativity you read here...its par for course lately."
Comrade 14y ago
Interesting. Although, I don't like it for the same reason I don't like the Pair app. I think communication between loved ones should be more personal. I don't think these types of relationships should be encouraged. You should be calling your mother more. You should be taking the time out of your day to send a personal email or letter if they aren't technically savvy. I get it, it's easy. Few taps on your iPhone and a postcard is on the way to your Mom. I just think that life is too short to subject a relationship as important as the one you have with your parents to a mobile app. Can you imagine: "Hi Mom it's Kelsey, here's a picture of me and my new dog, Snookums!" -This message delivered to you with no effort at all by HiMom, the mobile app for terrible sons/daughters Just call your parents. They love you and miss you.
- ernestipark 14y ago
  I agree, but I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. This is not a substitute for calling or spending time with your loved ones. Sending physical media though is often a very nice gesture that people appreciate. In today's age of email and texts, it's nice sometimes to get a letter or postcard.
  - sadfasf333 14y ago
    completly agree. This is just an additional medium for communication. They all have there place.
    - jmathai 14y ago
      That's the theory. The reality is we gravitate to the lowest common denominator in terms of ease. I find out way too much information about my family through Facebook than a phone call or email.
- abbasmehdi 14y ago
  I get it, it's easy. Few taps on your iPhone and a postcard is on the way to your Mom. Exactly why it's useful. I just think that life is too short to subject a relationship as important as the one you have with your parents to a mobile app. Constant postcards will be welcome (at least by my parents), in addition to the call. Especially useful if you have young kids growing up far from grandparents.
slykat 14y ago
Besides the postcard format, how is this different from PicPlum (YC S11)?
- sadfasf333 14y ago
  This is not only about sending photos. “HiMom is about improving engagement between the young social networking generation and those who are not connected there”. Looks like they are first concentrating on it.
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
kirillzubovsky 14y ago
The app looks really good and worked great for me. Whether or not I would send a physical card to my mom, I don't know, but this is really nice to send occasional photos to mom. I know she appreciates and this makes it quite effortless on my part. Just as fast as email, but looks nicer.
pavel_lishin 14y ago
Is anyone else reminded of Fisheye's explanation of the Mafia philosophy in Snow Crash? "It's just a thing with us. We like to go person-to-person, the old-fashioned way. Like, on my momma's birthday, I don't pick up the phone and dial 1-800-CALL-MOM. I go there in person and give her a kiss on the cheek, okay?"
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
- Comrade 14y ago
  I bought Snow Crash because I heard so many good things about it. I really need to get around to reading it.
slap_shot 14y ago
I think this could be huge. I just don't know if it will be in its current fashion. I just checked my email, and in the last 30 days I've sent my parents 11 emails that were just picture of attachments of things I was out and about doing. Sure, it doesn't have a cute post card design, but they get the pictures delivered to the only medium I can efficiently get it to them (neither have any social media accounts) and I can add a quick message. So I don't immediately see a need for an app to do just that. But maybe some people find emailing to be too much of a hassle. However, I have to think of what this can become. I have a particularly close relationship with my parents, and we talk everyday (actually, we call twice a day...and I'm 25!). They usually know what I've done each and every day. But a lot of my friends are equally as close with their parents, but communicate a lot less. It could be scheduling conflicts because they live 3-4 hours away, or something other restriction on their time. But maybe there are parents out there that would love a news feed of sorts in their email about what their children or loved ones are doing. It seems there would be an upper limit on its purpose as each generation adopts technology more and more. But I think they are on to something. I dig it!
- markus_tipgain 14y ago
  Hey slap_shot, thanks for your comment. You also can send an email with HiMom. Good thing is that we try to enrich the email for your parents as much as possible. We are retrieving automatically Wikipedia information of the place where the picture has been taken. Also we are detecting the location of the picture and displaying that in the email. HiMom is not focusing purely on postcards. Our main focus is to simplify the communication with the tech-savvy generation. Postcard is one medium of it. The current version is just the beginning.. Let me know if you want to be our beta tester to always test out the newest features. Cheers Markus
brycecolquitt 14y ago
I wonder--does it become less special because it's sent in a medium like this? Nearly automating the process seems to take the thought out of it, and it really is the thought that counts with your parents.
rane 14y ago
For a moment I thought Hipster [1] had changed its name. [1] http://www.hipster.com http://www.hipster.com
Smile2012USA 14y ago
I tested out the app and sent out a barage of family photos 3,000+ miles across the country and the most rewarding immediate gratification / User Interface I enjoyed was a ready made mobile album of the photos and messages I chose to share with family...it was a digital album & archive of the faces and memories I most wanted to cherish and share with loved ones...I think the true benefit of the App is in the eye of the user - Unlike my clunky gmail or gluttony of FB Timelines which are so easily lost on that account - HiMom is more focused on single instances, timelines, post cards of news. Quick, Simple and readily archived.
nikitafemme 14y ago
Lets make the app fashionable use it for ur social media life. As they develop more features that are coming we can sed pics of anything in a good fashionable format. I do like the fonts. Have a company contest from an event with a central email for someone to organize favorites. Teach the kids how to use the apps while you travel. Our daughter travels more than we do and has been in europe twice this summer. She texts us before calling to show us the fun things she is doing. Im looking forward to using this app.

prawn 14y ago

Flip it around. Have parents choose things like "Thinking about you. What have you been up to lately?" "Haven't seen the girls for a while - send me a photo!" Right now, my parents look at my Twitter feed and then text me comments.

greenranger 14y ago

Hmm yeah, they might be reaching a bit on this one. I'd wager we have just about sucked "social" dry. A lot of companies are trying to see just how far they can niche down the social networking concept, and I guess time will tell how much longer that lemon can be squeezed.

2arrs2ells 14y ago

Hacker tested, Mom approved ("You're so sweet!").

yukuan 14y ago

I think this app is great! I've always been the kind who's terrible about staying in touch, and it's so nice to have something that I can send out quickly without spending much time, yet still looks nice when it gets there.

kristenlee 14y ago

Wow, this is really going to change the world. YC S12 is probably the best class out of YC so far. A mobile app that allows me to send a postcard to my mom...genius!!! A billion dollar company in the making.

michaelt 14y ago
Contemporary start up culture seems to be in favor of launching with a "minimum viable product" as a way of gauging market demand before you sink too many resources into a product. Not every product is amenable to this, of course, but HiMom is and you are seeing it in action.
dmix 14y ago
Can't tell if sarcasm or not. HN has made me a cynical one.
- Animus7 14y ago
  Poe's law [1] at work. My bet is on parody though. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poes_law http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poes_law
- jansen 14y ago
  It's sarcasm. Billion dollar company or not, doesn't matter to me and most people out there. It's useful and something people will like. It's perfect for me at least to make my Mum happy from time to time so you'll see me using this!
icebraining 14y ago
Oh, the irony: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3769997 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3769997 "(...) and ignore the inevitable onslaught of negativity you read here...its par for course lately."

Comrade 14y ago

Interesting. Although, I don't like it for the same reason I don't like the Pair app. I think communication between loved ones should be more personal. I don't think these types of relationships should be encouraged. You should be calling your mother more. You should be taking the time out of your day to send a personal email or letter if they aren't technically savvy. I get it, it's easy. Few taps on your iPhone and a postcard is on the way to your Mom. I just think that life is too short to subject a relationship as important as the one you have with your parents to a mobile app. Can you imagine: "Hi Mom it's Kelsey, here's a picture of me and my new dog, Snookums!" -This message delivered to you with no effort at all by HiMom, the mobile app for terrible sons/daughters Just call your parents. They love you and miss you.

ernestipark 14y ago
I agree, but I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. This is not a substitute for calling or spending time with your loved ones. Sending physical media though is often a very nice gesture that people appreciate. In today's age of email and texts, it's nice sometimes to get a letter or postcard.
- sadfasf333 14y ago
  completly agree. This is just an additional medium for communication. They all have there place.
  - jmathai 14y ago
    That's the theory. The reality is we gravitate to the lowest common denominator in terms of ease. I find out way too much information about my family through Facebook than a phone call or email.
abbasmehdi 14y ago
I get it, it's easy. Few taps on your iPhone and a postcard is on the way to your Mom. Exactly why it's useful. I just think that life is too short to subject a relationship as important as the one you have with your parents to a mobile app. Constant postcards will be welcome (at least by my parents), in addition to the call. Especially useful if you have young kids growing up far from grandparents.

slykat 14y ago

Besides the postcard format, how is this different from PicPlum (YC S11)?

sadfasf333 14y ago
This is not only about sending photos. “HiMom is about improving engagement between the young social networking generation and those who are not connected there”. Looks like they are first concentrating on it.

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

kirillzubovsky 14y ago

The app looks really good and worked great for me. Whether or not I would send a physical card to my mom, I don't know, but this is really nice to send occasional photos to mom. I know she appreciates and this makes it quite effortless on my part. Just as fast as email, but looks nicer.

pavel_lishin 14y ago

Is anyone else reminded of Fisheye's explanation of the Mafia philosophy in Snow Crash? "It's just a thing with us. We like to go person-to-person, the old-fashioned way. Like, on my momma's birthday, I don't pick up the phone and dial 1-800-CALL-MOM. I go there in person and give her a kiss on the cheek, okay?"

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
Comrade 14y ago
I bought Snow Crash because I heard so many good things about it. I really need to get around to reading it.

slap_shot 14y ago

I think this could be huge. I just don't know if it will be in its current fashion. I just checked my email, and in the last 30 days I've sent my parents 11 emails that were just picture of attachments of things I was out and about doing. Sure, it doesn't have a cute post card design, but they get the pictures delivered to the only medium I can efficiently get it to them (neither have any social media accounts) and I can add a quick message. So I don't immediately see a need for an app to do just that. But maybe some people find emailing to be too much of a hassle. However, I have to think of what this can become. I have a particularly close relationship with my parents, and we talk everyday (actually, we call twice a day...and I'm 25!). They usually know what I've done each and every day. But a lot of my friends are equally as close with their parents, but communicate a lot less. It could be scheduling conflicts because they live 3-4 hours away, or something other restriction on their time. But maybe there are parents out there that would love a news feed of sorts in their email about what their children or loved ones are doing. It seems there would be an upper limit on its purpose as each generation adopts technology more and more. But I think they are on to something. I dig it!

markus_tipgain 14y ago
Hey slap_shot, thanks for your comment. You also can send an email with HiMom. Good thing is that we try to enrich the email for your parents as much as possible. We are retrieving automatically Wikipedia information of the place where the picture has been taken. Also we are detecting the location of the picture and displaying that in the email. HiMom is not focusing purely on postcards. Our main focus is to simplify the communication with the tech-savvy generation. Postcard is one medium of it. The current version is just the beginning.. Let me know if you want to be our beta tester to always test out the newest features. Cheers Markus

brycecolquitt 14y ago

I wonder--does it become less special because it's sent in a medium like this? Nearly automating the process seems to take the thought out of it, and it really is the thought that counts with your parents.

rane 14y ago

For a moment I thought Hipster [1] had changed its name. [1] http://www.hipster.com http://www.hipster.com

Smile2012USA 14y ago

I tested out the app and sent out a barage of family photos 3,000+ miles across the country and the most rewarding immediate gratification / User Interface I enjoyed was a ready made mobile album of the photos and messages I chose to share with family...it was a digital album & archive of the faces and memories I most wanted to cherish and share with loved ones...I think the true benefit of the App is in the eye of the user - Unlike my clunky gmail or gluttony of FB Timelines which are so easily lost on that account - HiMom is more focused on single instances, timelines, post cards of news. Quick, Simple and readily archived.

nikitafemme 14y ago

Lets make the app fashionable use it for ur social media life. As they develop more features that are coming we can sed pics of anything in a good fashionable format. I do like the fonts. Have a company contest from an event with a central email for someone to organize favorites. Teach the kids how to use the apps while you travel. Our daughter travels more than we do and has been in europe twice this summer. She texts us before calling to show us the fun things she is doing. Im looking forward to using this app.