How I developed a solution to a niche problem
by JordanHello IndieHackers! I'm Jordan and I wanted to dive with you into the journey of how I came up with the idea behind my recently launched project "SeamTube".
Introducing: the problem
Like many of you, I’ve always found joy in creating. The satisfaction of piecing together something from scratch is unmatched. Therefore, I wanted to find a project to work on during my spare time. A meaningful one to both me and (hopefully) others.
Beside that, after 2 years of bouldering, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and started to look for a team activity. Dancing seemed like a challenging yet exciting option.
I quickly signed up in an association and discovered new parts of my body that I was not aware could move. However, as weeks went by, a problem was beginning to emerge.. The teachers and students were often complaining about how painful learning through YouTube videos can be. What if this was the problem I was looking for?
The project idea
Learning from YouTube videos often feels not so fun. Pausing, replaying, remembering timestamps, and adjusting the speed felt more like chores than part of a seamless learning journey. Whether it's mastering a dance step or a guitar chord, the road to mastery already requires enough practice, precision, and patience.
That's where the concept of SeamTube sparked. A platform designed to customize and enhance the video learning experience. Imagine being able to snip, repeat, adjust, and even mirror specific segments of a video and to then save or even share the sequence. No more juggling with controls and links, just pure focused learning.
A few words on the technical part
SeamTube isn't just another "YouTube repeat" platform. It’s the answer to a genuine problem many learners face. Crafted with a responsive VueJS front-end, it offers a seamless experience whether you're using a computer at home or a smartphone outdoors, ensuring users can tailor their video consumption to their learning style.
During its development, various challenges arose. Perfecting the UX, finding a responsive way to display the sequences, refining functionalities... Yet, the mission was unwavering: simplify the video learning process.
To stay organized and motivated, I used Notion tasks. This tool allowed me to categorize features and bugs in a ticket format, complete with labels and version numbers. Phrases like, "Better finish those three frontend tickets if you want to roll out v0.0.8!" served as unique motivational boosts.
The path forward
It's an exhilarating journey to transform SeamTube from an idea to a resource that helps learners globally. The project is still in its early stages, but the vision is expansive. With a feature-rich roadmap awaiting execution, the platform's horizon is brimming with potential. I even begun receiving some incredibly encouraging feedback, fueling my motivation further!
I'm eager to continue sharing this adventure with all of you in the coming months. If you've got a moment to check out SeamTube (https://www.seamtube.com), I'd genuinely love to hear your thoughts!
Thanks a lot for reading me. Let's chat in the comments, whether it's feedback, some questions or just a hello :)
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I like this and the timing is great. I send out a monthly newsletter on safety training and this month's topic is using videos in training. (The August issue goes out in 3 days). A lot of trainers will share YouTube videos in a training class but finding the key segments can be difficult. Additionally, when using videos for hands-on safety procedures, the option to slow down a video will be great so trainees can see exactly how to do something. I'd love to share a link to SeamTube with my subscribers.
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Thanks a lot. I'd be honored to have SeamTube featured in your newsletter!
It would also be fantastic to receive feedback from your subscribers, as I'm continually looking to refine and improve the platform based on real-world needs. If you don't mind, I'd love to know more about your newsletter. Is it the one of safetyfundamentals?
Furthermore, if there are any specific features or details you'd like to know more about, just let me know. I'm here to help!
Thanks again.-
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Hi Nauf - The newsletter is through Substack and has about 3k subscribers (the majority are occupational safety professionals who create and deliver training as part of their job.) The newsletter that went out yesterday and contains a link to your site can be found at https://safetytraining.substack.com/p/back-to-school-issue-2023
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Haha, nice idea, I also had it added to my ideas list for a while, here were my quick notes on the idea:
https://i.snipboard.io/8BG6UR.jpg
My idea came from practising table tennis and needing a better way to analyse videos on YouTube or my own videos.
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Hey! Thank you for sharing your notes and idea! That's an interesting use case I haven't encountered during my test sessions. It really showcases the versatile and universal need for improved video analysis haha.
Have you tried developing it, perhaps an MVP or POC? And have you discussed this idea with people you play with?-
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I haven't tried developing it, I have tens of such ideas, I usually just write them down and move on.
I tried your app, it's pretty good. The functionality is pretty much how I imagined it.
Some feedback: I couldn't really use it for table tennis because the shots/strokes are very fast (less than one second), but in your UI I can only select integer second values (I would like to be able to segment the video a lot more precise). Also, the time input slider should also be a number input (so I can type the time) instead of having to fidget with dragging around to the precise timestamp.
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Thanks a lot for giving SeamTube a whirl and for your feedback!
At the very beginning, it worked with integer inputs, but many of my friends from dance classes felt it wasn't user-friendly enough, so I opted for a slider limited to seconds.
However, I completely understand the need for a more precise input and I agree that it should be something. I'll definitely look into implementing an option that allows users to switch between sliders and integer inputs! I don't know yet when I'll be able to release this feature, but I added a reminder to the ticket and will make sure to update you here when it's live. Thank you again!
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I had a similar idea focused on language learning -- subtitling. However, I was expecting that many/most uses would want to sell the subtitled videos they had created. Actually in my case they weren't modifying the videos but just creating subtitles. But I was still concerned that it would be illegal for them to sell subtitles for a copyrighted work (even if the subtitles were a separate file from the video itself) -- similar to it being illegal to sell a translation of a copyrighted work. What are you thoughts on the legalities of users selling videos they have edited with your tools? Or are you thinking people are primarily just making the edited videos for themselves?
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Thanks for your feedback and for sharing your perspective! It's a very interesting point, and I must admit that this use case didn't initially cross my mind.. I've had "test sessions" with some friends in my target niche, and none of them considered using it commercially. However, I share your concerns; the legal implications were a significant consideration for me in the early stages of development.
My primary intent with SeamTube is for users to enhance their personal learning experiences. Thus, the core concept isn't centered around selling or redistributing content but on personal customization. I do think the majority of my users would use it in that way! I also do not allow to export anything, which already limit a bit the risks.
Yet, your feedback underscores the importance of having clear user guidelines and terms of service. I will ensure that these guidelines explicitly explain what's permissible on the platform. I'll also take some time to brainstorm ways to detect and block this potential misuse, it's an interesting technical challenge.
Once again, thank you for bringing this point to my attention! It's discussions like these that help refine and perfect the platform!
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Yeah, I think in your case it is likely people will use it for personal use only. My idea with the subtitles was mostly based on the idea that people would subtitle videos as a learning tool for others, and to earn money by doing so. Here's how it went in practice, even without charging for the subtitles: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6019182
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Whoa, that's quite a story. Thanks for sharing the link, it's crazy how tricky and unexpected things can get when you're trying to provide a cool service or tool for people.. I think the movie / TV show industry can sometimes be stringent and "agressive" about fan-made content. Even though SeamTube have different focuses, it's always smart to be cautious, I'll keep these potential challenges in mind.
Chatting with folks like you is super insightful, thanks a lot. I’m hoping to steer clear of such issues but I may try to see if I can seek some legal advices.
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Interesting to read where the idea behind a project comes, best of luck!
I have a question. You said you just launched but you also said that you already received "some incredibly encouraging feedback". How did you get feedback that early?-
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Thank you for your comment! For the feedback, I got the first few ones by reaching to individuals. I looked for small "influencers" in one of my niche, I contacted them with a short email, and 3 (out of 7) came back to me!
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