Want to see how your hometown changed over the last 100 years?
Hi everybody!
I have this idea for a long time and this is the first time I am sharing it on the internet. I have a great passion for history so here it goes...
I want to create a single page app that would enable the user to see how some locations (street, square, building) changed over the decades (ex 1900-2020). I would harvest the old photos from the internet and place them onto correct location and provide some context story. Also, there would be a people section where everyday life in some decade would be shown.
It will have a map with grouped points of interest and the users will be able to contribute with their own photos and texts.
Also, there will be a mobile app that would provide the users the option to create their own photos combined with the old photo something like the picture in the attachment.
I think that it would be super interesting to see how someones' hometown or the location they are visiting changed in the past.
I have no clue how to monetize this idea, though.
Any honest feedback would be deeply appreciated.
Thank you.
Hey there! I saw a post you made on whether to start front end or back end first, and it linked to this post. I co-founded an LLC, GradGrid, that empowers hometowns by connecting natives with one another, their alma mater, and local industry.
I'm reaching out because as our customer and stakeholders are specifically hometowns' chamber of commerce and local business owners. Maybe we could find some way to work together to link your monetization strategy to those stakeholders that would be interested in this idea, as well as use it somehow with our platform.
Let me know if you're still interested in building your idea!
You know what I would pay for along these lines?
A mounted, framed photo of a building in my hometown--as it existed in the past and as it exists now.
Especially as you get older / start a job / start a family / move farther afield, it's nice to have a reminder of where you come from.
I could also see pubs, restaurants, office buildings, etc. wanting something like that for their walls to show that they have a connection to the community they're located in.
If the juxtaposition was tastefully edited and arranged, it would be a really cool thing to hang on a wall. I'm not sure what kind of print-on-demand options are out there that might make it easier to automate some part of the process, but it might be worth looking into.
Thank you for your feedback and a great idea. Indeed selling goods seems like a really interesting monetization option but until I find a reliable vendor for printing and delivery it will be the plan B. I am still trying to figure out some "nonmaterial" way to make users pay for the app. Medium has a nice content subscription model that currently looks the best for this kind of product.
very interestingone! Also thought about it in the past, but in different way a bit ) an app when you can picture yourself on the background of the history)
Super cool idea. I always like to see these type of posts on reddit. However, monetizing it is difficult. You should see if anyone is already doing this to enable another project/company and see if they will pay you to do it.
thank you for your feedback. I completely forgot about reddit. I will look into if someone is doing something remotely simliar