Hacker Tip: Hack What's Around You
Hi everyone,
My name is Jake and I'm a fellow American hacker/college student. Just wanted to share this story to give you inspiration.
I just got to Rome, Italy to study abroad. I walked by a gym and decided to take a look at the gym's website. I saw that it was old and certainly not mobile responsive. I decided to do a bit of research and found a website template and made my own version of their website that was mobile responsive. Then I went into the gym with my broken Italian and showed the owner the site. Next thing I know I have a gym membership this summer!
Hacking isn't always about making a $1 million+ Saas product...just hack what's around you and see what happens! :)
Cheers,
Jake
Reminds me of polishing the glasses in the alchemist book
True!!
Nice work Jake!
Thanks Davis!
I love this story. I had a great experience hacking while abroad too. When I was in London for a month I spent a lot of time walking around, and seeing amazing sights. But after a week, I realized that my routine was pretty set and I kept commuting along the same path. I built a little tool to send me a couple of text messages a day with interesting things to check out a couple hundred meters from where I was. I didn't sell it, and I didn't do much with it after I got home (It took me months to realize that it basically didn't work in Minnesota because there's almost never anything interesting within a couple 100 meters of where I am.) . But I did learn about a bunch of neat tourist attractions that I never would have seen without the little too.
Fascinating! What database of attractions did you use?
I used this, but it appears to have been taken down. https://wikilocation.org
Wikipedia has its own API, but it’s not giving me the level of detail I remember.
That's so cool! I want to start building more stuff that makes my life easier and better. That tool you built seems super useful...I'm sure I could use it here in Rome :)
A beautiful illustration of opening your eyes and ears to the opportunities which are all around you.
A lot of people come on here and say "I can't think of anything to code". What they really mean is three things:
I am incurious about the world around me
I am only interested in instant big hits
I don't want to move outside my comfort zone
You have just demonstrated the opposite traits.
A. You were curious about something
B. You weren't too proud to do something small and specific
C. You definitely went outside your comfort zone!
I'll be coming back to you in a few years to claim "mentor" royalties!
Thank you, Thomas!
👊
Very cool, the ability to sell is so much harder than programming. Congratulations to identify the opportunity and most importantly, do something about it.
I am developing a website builder with digital nomads and mobile professionals in mind. It is an Android App that works totally offline (no computer at all). I have no idea if it is actually something that nomads and web-mobile-developers would use, but I am using for my own customers, so it works for at least one person :D. It's currently in Beta Private and I will open to Public in 2 weeks here in IH for feedback. This community is awesome. If you interested I could send you an invite to check it out.
I am currently living in Porto/Portugal and I will travel to Italy tomorrow and stay 1 week with family on vacation (hope it is warmer than here). Have you been involved on the startup scene in Rome? If so, how is it?
Cheers
Thanks!
I haven't gotten involved but am looking for a part-time internship in Rome. Would love to meet up for a meal if you'd want to.
Cool! I will send you an email when I'm in Rome.
very awesome. good tip on recognizing that there are opportunities lying around if you can recognize them
Thanks Jonathan!
Love it, the initiative is great. This is a selling method that can be transferred to small businesses everywhere
Thank you. I am looking for other applications of this selling method :)
Awesome story!
Thanks kevin!
Great story. The lesson I take away is to (1) identify real problems and (2) take action!
I just followed you on Twitter. Excited to see what else you hack around you this summer during study abroad.
Cheers,
Jonathan
Thank you, Jonathan!
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