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9 Comments

💡 Ideas Thread 💡

Can sharing of business ideas or problems that need solving help other indie hackers get a thing off the ground?

  • Got any ideas or problems worth giving and sharing?
  • Has anything been frustrating you lately?
  • Is there something you wish existed?

Discuss, share and maybe collaborate?!

  1. 4

    Finding best places to eat in a new city is still too hard.

    This idea is DANGEROUS since it is a periodic need but feeling it right now.

    I wanted to find the list of best acai bowls in San Diego. Got a few lists. But I don't know where any of those places are, so I have to google map each one, and compare to where I am.

    Would be nice to have them all on one google map.

  2. 1

    "Update the web" plugin / app.

    App / plugin like Visbug ( https://visbug.web.app/ ) where the user can modify any webpage directly on the browser but ALSO can save the changes.

    Main use case:

    • If the user owns the page (backed on CMS, database, repository) save the content there

    Future harder use case:

    • If the user doesn't own the page save them somewhere (locally or in the cloud) so they can see them again when they visit that page.

    Crazy probably never happen use case:

    • Share those changes with your friends so they can see them too.

    So for the main use case I can see content editors writing their articles / blogs directly on the browser and see what they would look like (granted there's a draft mode and versioning support)

    For the second scenario, you can customize the sites you use. Want to use indiehackers in light mode? Go and change the colors.

    For the crazy one: end users (not designers or tech people) can go and create their own website starting from a template (another existing page) and share it with the world.

    Thoughts?

    1. 2

      Interestingly, that's how the web was originally envisioned with the browser not just as a tool for consuming web pages but for editing them as well.

    2. 1

      I do not see valid use cases. Bloggers have the ability to see the draft in every blogging CMS there is. There is usually a lot of backend code before the page gets to the browser and even there are frameworks like Angular/React where the edited html code you see is useless for development/changes. If i wanted to change something on a page i would certainly know html/css so the developer tools that are present in every major browser allows me to do those changes pretty well. In fact the developer tools in browsers do exactly what you plan to do.

      What would be usefull is some kind of page builder where you define the layout quickly then use the skeleton html for additional development.

      1. 1

        Bloggers have the ability to see the draft in every blogging CMS there is.

        Right, but they edit it in a different app/tab/window and then have to hit refresh to see what it will look like.

        I would think editors don't want / need to know / learn all these CMS systems if they can edit directly on the page.

        There is usually a lot of backend code before the page gets to the browser

        Yeap that doesn't change that's still needed and I don't think there's an easy way to replace it. no-code tools get closer, but they're not quite there yet.

        Developer tools that are present in every major browser

        Exactly, the ability to persist it is missing though, and of course there's the big gap in knowledge on how to use them effectively (even experienced front end engineers struggle)

        What would be useful is some kind of page builder where you define the layout quickly then use the skeleton html for additional development.

        Right, although this is way more complicated because of the way "invisible" things (like layout divs) are visualized (or aren't rather) can lead to a bunch garbage. But the idea precisely that ( in a later phase though) , provide building blocks to build your own thing and then be able to edit it.

  3. 1

    What I'm thinking of for my next project: Travel app for PanAmerican travelers, geared towards those working while traveling.

    Goals:

    • Use crowdsourcing to keep border crossing requirements and fees up-to-date
    • Help end-users plan their travel length/departure date by providing advisory warnings (e.g., May is rainy season in Costa Rica, March is rainy season in Bolivia)
    • Provide sightseeing locations worth stopping by if the traveler is nearby

    Basically NomadList but for PanAmerican travelers and with much more accurate ratings and location details.

    Edit: An app already exists out there for PanAmerican travelers, called iOverlander. But, the UI is awful.

  4. 1

    YouTube Vlog Uploader, fast and simple. Just need to create a video on my phone, do some generic edits, then upload it.

    1. 2

      You would have to be pretty sure you can do something about that process way better than YouTube itself. So this is dangerous. When YouTube sees people use your app to improve upload process, they would copy your functionality and your app would become useless.

      But some simple editing like "add saved intro with this text: blah blah", add outro and background music in the middle could be useful.

      1. 1

        One way to reduce the risk of bigger companies copying the functionality is to really focus on the niche market. The idea is to make it so easy for one very specific type of user that they'd rather use your app than the alternatives.

  5. 1

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