Next generation of database tooling
Hi fellow Indie Hackers!
I am working on some prototypes of a tool with which I want to massively enhance database handling. I am using PostgreSQL and MySQL for many years now and the tools around it work well (pgAdmin, MySQL Workbench), but can feel a bit clunky. After working with Airtable and Google Sheets a lot, I really like the lightweight feeling of the collaboration and the simple handling of the tables.
I now see several areas where a tool could provide enormous value and would like your opinion on what YOU find valuable.
a) Super easy interface to your databases, similar to google sheets or airtable, a table-centric instead of sql-centric view
b) Invite other people to a database by their email address and allow real time collaboration on the data, with fine grained permissions
c) Have rich column types like regex text columns, markdown text columns with wysiwyg editor, url columns with file upload to a CDN, better multi-select columns, and many more
d) Access your database via a mobile app for easy on-the-go editing
e) Quick online database creation and playground
So: Do you find any of these points a-e valuable? What spikes your curiosity, what would you like the most? Leave a comment, any feedback is highly appreciated and will get you free beta access! :)
I would really like this.
Excel + Sheets + RDB
Additionally out of the box REST APIs would be cool.
Thank you so much for your feedback Hansolar and glad to hear that, I will be working on this!
(b) and (e) are most alluring to me. I've set up a Postgres RDS for my indie project, and use Workbench to do both admin and data analysis. I'm not a fan of Workbench at all.
If it helps, I got this idea in my backlog as well. The reason i'm not chasing it is because I don't see an immediate target group or problem that is being solved. If targetting non-programmers I think Google sheets/airtable already solve their needs. If you're targetting programmers they probably want the power of raw sql anyway. Maybe the no-code movement might be interested in this but I'm not an expert in that area. Or maybe you can differentiate through a different payment model (pay per use?).
Indeed, I see this as well. This tool would be a nice to have and not a pain point. But on the other hand, if executed well there should still be enough interest for a viable business, imo.
Oh I'd absolutely kill for feature (a) and (d) -- (e) if it means data can quickly be extracted and visualised for presentation or as just a prop for discussion.
(a) and (d) are literally the only reason why I'm using airtable - so that my non-tech co-founder and team mates can access the data collected easily without having jump through 1000 hoops.
Would LOVE to connect on this if you'd like. Drop me a DM on here or twitter (@tzeyingcheng) and hopefully we can chat more about it.
Thank you so much for your input Tzeying! Glad to hear that you also use Airtable to provide your non-tech collegues with data management!
Not sure how to message here so will DM you on Twitter
I think you are on a right track, I have a similar idea for a better wrapper on top of existing database as a service solutions. Right now DB as a service gives you IP address, admin credentials and very rudimentary monitoring (and also read replicas, which are nice! and hard to setup & monitor)
What they don't provide:
If you don't build this. I will :)
Cool, thank you so much for your input and I WILL build it haha! Or at least "nice UI to look through data and update it", didn't have monitoring and replication on my list so far.
This idea has been bouncing around in my head for a very long time. Not because I think that the world needs another tool (what I've got in mind would be better than existing solutions, but not 10x better), but because I think that it would be fun to build.
Instead, I'm actually working on a tool to manage database and data model documentation. It's not terribly exciting (unless you think that data modelling and documentation management are exciting, which I do) but it's something for which I've validated an actual need.
Take a look at FileMaker (I.e., Claris). With WebDirect and Go, Airtable and Servoy really aren’t all that competitive.
Google Sheets is another flat-file system.
Come up with something as good as FM sans the licensing costs and you’ll have a killer RDBMS platform and probably make a killing!
Thank you for your answer and Filemaker/Claria looks interesting.
Still would be curious which of these features sound most alluring to you? :)
A and B, for sure!
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Thank you so much for your input! Yes, I read everything from Fieldbook! Of course it's not a good sign that they folded, though haha.
I will reply to your comment again when there is a beta access, will be excited for your opinion! :)