7 ms·

Ask HN: Startups: Tell me 3 problems you wish somebody would solve for you

11 points by ceekay 13y ago

3 really painful problems you have NOW that you wish somebody built a solution for, right now!

a3voices 13y ago
1) A replacement for http://stickam.com/ http://stickam.com/ 2) A really good text to speech app for news so I can listen to it in my car I can't think of a third right now.
- eurleif 13y ago
  > A replacement for http://stickam.com/ http://stickam.com/ TinyChat is the closest one-to-one replacement, but it's not quite the same, and its business model is a little annoying (crippling the product for a paid upgrade). But ChatRoulette and Omegle, while not the same, stole a lot of Stickam's audience, and a similar site is never going to get to be as big as Stickam once was.
  - a3voices 13y ago
    Stickam was a place where you could just kind of hang out. TinyChat annoys me for some reason, maybe it's just me though, although I haven't tried it in a while. ChatRoulette and Omegle require you to actively participate.
    - eurleif 13y ago
      >ChatRoulette and Omegle require you to actively participate. Absolutely -- they're not direct replacements. The problem is that a lot of what made Stickam fun is the size of its audience, and the demand for a Stickam-like site is much lower now that ChatRoulette and Omegle exist. So there probably won't be a Stickam-like site that's as fun as Stickam was.
- asenna 13y ago
  > A really good text to speech app for news so I can listen to it in my car I use Umano (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sothree.umano&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sothree.um...) while travelling. It is actually news recorded by professionals.
  - thejteam 13y ago
    Out of curiosity, how is this different from a radio station?
capkutay 13y ago
Transportation in the bay area..Perhaps private wifi busses as a paid service where you could crowdsource the destinations/routes?
- wh-uws 13y ago
  That is literally the startup I'm working on right now. http://driveless.co http://driveless.co Originally was going to start working on the nightlife vertical of this market (i.e. we all live in an apartment complex or dorm together and want a shuttle to the bar district so we don't have to drive drunk) and the messaging on the site now is to that effect. But as I've been around the country researching I'm seeing there is probably a bigger opportunity around commuters and other activities like shuttles around festivals. If you have any feedback or suggestions feel free to contact me (info is in my profile) and also sign up on the site. I'm launching mvp in 2 - 3 weeks.
lgieron 13y ago
Seamless Scala - Eclipse - Maven integration
NovemberWest 13y ago
I need a better Android app for filling out PDF paperwork. Does that count? (Suggestions welcome.)
- sosagain 13y ago
  Could you be more specific on what the app is suppose to do?
  - NovemberWest 13y ago
    I have paperwork in PDF form. I need to fill it out. I am medically handicapped, limited to using my Android tablet for this task, basically. The PDF is not designed to be "fillable". I bought an app that lets me type stuff in anyway, but it is extremely tedious and I am having trouble getting things to line up neatly so that this important paperwork is both legible and professional looking. I can't seem to find a copy/paste function or similar. It is just tough to use for several reasons. I just want to type my freaking answers in and Done! but I am tearing my hair out. Anything else you want to know?
    - sosagain 13y ago
      I see. A few questions though, what app are you currently using do do your typing? Also, what would you envision would be a better tool to fix your problem?
      - NovemberWest 13y ago
        I am currently using qPDF Notes, the first android app I ever paid for. I got frustrated with it and also bought ezPDF Reader. It is far less useful and a total waste of money for me. This was after downloading and trying a few free apps, none of which had any of the capability I needed. I am not sure what you mean by your second question. I would like to be able to, for example, make sure dollar values line up in column. They are currently sort of randomly all over the place on a PDF document which provides a neat column of blank spaces after questions. I cannot figure out how to do this neatly, in a visually professional seeming manner or in a way that is at all convenient from the data entry side either. I have a lot of spaces I need to mark either 0 or N/A and I have no means to just hit "enter" or "repeat" over and over. Is that clearer? I don't mind answering more questions. I am medically handicapped and I prefer the cleanliness of a tablet but I am frustrated by the limitations of the available tools. It is currently a "toy" in the computer world, not taken seriously as a means to work. The bar is set pretty low for app quality. I have a strong academic background etc and I am kind of a snob who expects things to work and work well. Android apps are mostly not there yet. I will likely go back to a laptop or net book at some point even the keyboards are disgusting germ infested shitholes of crumbs and dust that cannot be properly cleaned. My tablet can be wiped down and, voila, it is clean. No hidden cracks and crevices full of muck. So if I could the productivity I need out of a tablet, I would prefer it for life. If I can help make that a reality, do not hesitate to email me at any time.
jf22 13y ago
This is a bad way to get ideas.
macowar 13y ago
I want a product that comes up with new product ideas.

11 points by ceekay 13y ago

3 really painful problems you have NOW that you wish somebody built a solution for, right now!

1) A replacement for http://stickam.com/ http://stickam.com/ 2) A really good text to speech app for news so I can listen to it in my car I can't think of a third right now.

eurleif 13y ago
> A replacement for http://stickam.com/ http://stickam.com/ TinyChat is the closest one-to-one replacement, but it's not quite the same, and its business model is a little annoying (crippling the product for a paid upgrade). But ChatRoulette and Omegle, while not the same, stole a lot of Stickam's audience, and a similar site is never going to get to be as big as Stickam once was.
- a3voices 13y ago
  Stickam was a place where you could just kind of hang out. TinyChat annoys me for some reason, maybe it's just me though, although I haven't tried it in a while. ChatRoulette and Omegle require you to actively participate.
  - eurleif 13y ago
    >ChatRoulette and Omegle require you to actively participate. Absolutely -- they're not direct replacements. The problem is that a lot of what made Stickam fun is the size of its audience, and the demand for a Stickam-like site is much lower now that ChatRoulette and Omegle exist. So there probably won't be a Stickam-like site that's as fun as Stickam was.
asenna 13y ago
> A really good text to speech app for news so I can listen to it in my car I use Umano (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sothree.umano&hl=en https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sothree.um...) while travelling. It is actually news recorded by professionals.
- thejteam 13y ago
  Out of curiosity, how is this different from a radio station?

capkutay 13y ago

Transportation in the bay area..Perhaps private wifi busses as a paid service where you could crowdsource the destinations/routes?

wh-uws 13y ago
That is literally the startup I'm working on right now. http://driveless.co http://driveless.co Originally was going to start working on the nightlife vertical of this market (i.e. we all live in an apartment complex or dorm together and want a shuttle to the bar district so we don't have to drive drunk) and the messaging on the site now is to that effect. But as I've been around the country researching I'm seeing there is probably a bigger opportunity around commuters and other activities like shuttles around festivals. If you have any feedback or suggestions feel free to contact me (info is in my profile) and also sign up on the site. I'm launching mvp in 2 - 3 weeks.

lgieron 13y ago

Seamless Scala - Eclipse - Maven integration

NovemberWest 13y ago

I need a better Android app for filling out PDF paperwork. Does that count? (Suggestions welcome.)

sosagain 13y ago
Could you be more specific on what the app is suppose to do?
- NovemberWest 13y ago
  I have paperwork in PDF form. I need to fill it out. I am medically handicapped, limited to using my Android tablet for this task, basically. The PDF is not designed to be "fillable". I bought an app that lets me type stuff in anyway, but it is extremely tedious and I am having trouble getting things to line up neatly so that this important paperwork is both legible and professional looking. I can't seem to find a copy/paste function or similar. It is just tough to use for several reasons. I just want to type my freaking answers in and Done! but I am tearing my hair out. Anything else you want to know?
  - sosagain 13y ago
    I see. A few questions though, what app are you currently using do do your typing? Also, what would you envision would be a better tool to fix your problem?
    - NovemberWest 13y ago
      I am currently using qPDF Notes, the first android app I ever paid for. I got frustrated with it and also bought ezPDF Reader. It is far less useful and a total waste of money for me. This was after downloading and trying a few free apps, none of which had any of the capability I needed. I am not sure what you mean by your second question. I would like to be able to, for example, make sure dollar values line up in column. They are currently sort of randomly all over the place on a PDF document which provides a neat column of blank spaces after questions. I cannot figure out how to do this neatly, in a visually professional seeming manner or in a way that is at all convenient from the data entry side either. I have a lot of spaces I need to mark either 0 or N/A and I have no means to just hit "enter" or "repeat" over and over. Is that clearer? I don't mind answering more questions. I am medically handicapped and I prefer the cleanliness of a tablet but I am frustrated by the limitations of the available tools. It is currently a "toy" in the computer world, not taken seriously as a means to work. The bar is set pretty low for app quality. I have a strong academic background etc and I am kind of a snob who expects things to work and work well. Android apps are mostly not there yet. I will likely go back to a laptop or net book at some point even the keyboards are disgusting germ infested shitholes of crumbs and dust that cannot be properly cleaned. My tablet can be wiped down and, voila, it is clean. No hidden cracks and crevices full of muck. So if I could the productivity I need out of a tablet, I would prefer it for life. If I can help make that a reality, do not hesitate to email me at any time.

jf22 13y ago

This is a bad way to get ideas.

macowar 13y ago

I want a product that comes up with new product ideas.