zapstar

11 ms·

1. 61.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   * Set up "office hours" where coworkers can come and ask you questions. Even if you don't actually have an office, this is just a set period of time that you've blocked off for people to visit you at your desk and receiv
2. 62.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   Yes, if you're in the position to find a job elsewhere, do it. This is an uphill battle that you don't need to fight. And there's no guarantee that you would win -- reason is of no use here. The most perfectly-constructed reb
3. 63.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   Thank you! I am using Amazon's Product Advertising API to retrieve prices from Amazon. There are a few hoops to jump through in order to get access, but it's the most legitimate means of acquiring their pricing data, so that'
4. 64.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   I like the simplicity of the layout, but I think one crucial data point is missing -- the price of each item that you're recommending! If you add that, I think you'll find that you'll get some traffic via search engines. I wo
5. 65.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   Focus on making something useful for your users. Don't have high expectations of profits immediately. Focus on making it a good product, and hopefully the users will come, followed by some profit after that.
6. 66.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   It depends on how you define "profit"... I have invested $10 for a domain, and if you exclude my development time, I'm making a profit on UnitPrice.org! [0] It's a website that analyzes specific categories of products on
7. 67.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   Were you comparing Amazon’s prices to a different retailer’s? Or comparing Amazon to Amazon? I’ve heard of the former being shut down, but not the latter.
8. 68.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   Thank you! Any additional features you’d like to see? Or product categories tracked? I was also thinking about potentially letting people subscribe to some sort of routine newsletter/summary about that day’s/week’s trends.
9. 69.▲
   by zapstar 7y ago

   Thank you! Do you have any categories that you’d like me to add in the next day or two?
10. 70.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    That’s a great point. Amazon isn’t a good deal for many things. The example I recall is mason jars. I never had a need for mason jars and had never bought them before. But then I needed some to brew cold brew. Looked them up on Amazon and t
11. 71.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    For those that are curious, this was built with some python scripts calling Amazon’s Product API, resulting in the generation of some data files that are fed into Jekyll, which generates the static website. It’s been a fun project using dif
12. 72.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    I developed https://unitprice.org for a number of reasons. I like aggregating and parsing data, I like shopping at Amazon, and I like finding the best deal. I also wanted an excuse to experiment with static website generators (s
13. 73.▲
    Show HN: Price per unit analysis on Amazon listings(unitprice.org)

    21 points by zapstar 7y ago|11 comments
14. 74.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    Could the same goal be achieved by offering a curated "shopping list" on Amazon, with all of the various items that you recommend purchasing? It seems like this doesn't need to be a subscription service. Perhaps just rely on
15. 75.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    Are you asking what led me to create a website that focuses on affiliate links? (If that's wrong, please correct!) I decided to create a website like this because I like this type of data, and it blended naturally with the potential up
16. 76.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    I've added some initial paper towel and toilet paper listings, FYI! More to come, so expect an even better deal later this evening! https://unitprice.org/categories/home
17. 77.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    Yeah, you can’t sneak past Amazon too easily. I am using their official API, so I’m trying to follow all of their rules and policies. Otherwise, I lose my affiliate status, and beyond having fun with this data, those affiliate fees are a si
18. 78.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    Awesome concept! Sounds like a great team-building activity.
19. 79.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    I will! Thanks for the suggestion! I have heard that from some friends as well.
20. 80.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    Good question. Sometimes Amazon does, and sometimes Amazon does not, even within the same product category. Or sometimes it will mix and match the unit. For example, sometimes they will provide the price per ounce for K-cups, and other time
21. 81.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    I'm working on a website that calculates the unit prices on Amazon products. Hoping to help save people some money, since there are a surprising amount of times where buying in smaller quantities actually saves you money. The website i
22. 82.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    Absolutely! I’m using that exact strategy on my latest project, and so far, I feel like I’ve started off on the right foundation!
23. 83.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    What a wonderful and refreshing approach to entrepreneurship. I loved his previous post about selling onions, and I like his strategy of picking a domain first and then running with it -- the details will be filled in later. Domain names ha
24. 84.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    As a non-Goodreads user, can you help me understand what Goodreads does poorly and what your website does correctly?
25. 85.▲
    by zapstar 7y ago

    Here's their original Hacker News post, which is always a fascinating read: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3053883