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Ask HN: Life coach idea, need your input

2 points by ranaway ↗ HN
Hi HN - I have an app idea I'd like to ask your input on.

Imagine a service that collects information on your life and then nudges you to make better decisions. Every day (or some time period) it nagged you into make some life improvements. A digital life coach. It would keep track (as best it can) which nudges worked, which didn't, how frequently it needed to nudge, etc. You could ask it to nudge future-you about specific things.

Here are some examples:

- Career Why don't you have a linkedin profile? Your linkedin profile hasn't been updated since... When did you last connect with an old colleague? Upload your CV to me, I'm going to check it for spelling/formatting/etc. Want advice on networking in your city?

- Finance It's the start of the month, remember to top up your savings account. Are you keeping weekly budgets, would you like help to? Could you swap expensive name-brands for identical no-name versions? I can help with suggestions

- Health What time did you get to bed last night? Did you use your phone in bed? How many portions of fruit/veg have you eaten ntoday? It's good weather today, you should go for a jog Need help finding a gym near your office/home?

- Relationships Send your SO a loving message out of the blue, they'll appreciate it. Look up an old friend you haven't spoken to in a while. Single is no fun, want help finding a speed dating event?

- Family Weekend is approaching, time to plan a family outing. Weather is good, how about a picnic? Did you read a story to your kids last night? Want to see the latest research on why it's a good thing? Your (wedding anniversary is approaching, I'll remind you in a week but you should think about a gift. X's birthday is approaching, I'll remind you in a week but you should think about a gift.

Without getting bogged down in "how it'd work" or "how it'd scale". Is this something you'd like/use/share?

7 comments

[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 27.4 ms ] thread
blobman
It sounds like the most annoying thing ever
ranaway
Yep, I suppose that's the point. My mother nags me in annoying ways all the time but she's almost always right.
sharemywin
Sounds like a variation on a virtual assistant. Might be more of a feature turn "nag" or reminders on/off.
sharemywin
or it could be a personality for a virtual assistant. "Mom" versus "Benign female"(Siri) versus "Sexy mistress"
brudgers
The problem with a description of a product is that anything I might say is probably more based on my imagination/ideas about the product than those of the person who is describing it. The 'this' in would I "use this" is in my head not in the world.

My advice is to build something minimal and figure out why I am or am not using/sharing/liking it. Show me what the 'this' is. It will be more effective than telling me about something that probably won't be what gets built.

Good luck.

Phithagoras
Sounds like a more pervasive version of Clip the microsoft word assistant. I don't know if people will use it.
cauterized
Nope, one more source of guilt over things not done or not done well (because my time and energy are not infinite, dammit!) is the last thing I need.

Which is not to say I couldn't use a life coach. But I could use one more in the almost-a-therapist sense of someone to talk to about problems and decisions and help me find solutions that are right for my specific personality and other life factors. That's not the same as a nag-bot - even a smart nag-bot.