Ask HN: HN complains, I propose solutions, nobody cares. Why?
Sometimes I think about solutions to common patterns in complains observed on HN. I build something, submit to HN, but get no upvotes / feedback. Trying to understand what am I doing wrong, if you could please help.
Here are some examples of common complains & actions I took:
1. High healthcare costs in USA.
I've started a free open source project to help with some areas: https://juvmed.com/plan Nobody cared. Since then, I've taken down the dashboard.
2. Medium sucks
Popups, paywalls, oh how we love to outline everything wrong with Medium! Proposed an alternative, didn't even get a vote or comment: https://reader.booxia.com/
3. High credit card transaction fees / PayPal
Wrote how bank transfers could be made easier https://medium.com/@mariusandreiana/open-letter-to-banks-please-make-bank-transfers-easier-d0200f803c68
and posted about a cheaper alternative https://straal.com/
If it's not initiated by Stripe, nobody seems to care.
What am I doing wrong?
8 comments
[ 5.7 ms ] story [ 27.3 ms ] threadHope this "simple" inside from myself helps to resolve your understanding.
I've noticed that, if I raise contrarian views in comments, those are swiftly downvoted, sometimes to oblivion. If I post a story which can't itself be downvoted, instead it's ignored.
This is one of the risks one takes when speaking out against the tragedy of the commons. Perhaps South Park [0] said it best, the crowd often chooses to "kill the wise one."
[0] http://southpark.cc.com/clips/t6qyw9/kill-the-wise-one
I have built stuff that nobody wanted. I put in far too much time on these projects only to hear crickets at launch.
Here are a couple of books that I found helpful for getting me to approach things from a different perspective:
$100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau
Will It Fly by Pat Flynn
This is Marketing by Seth Godin
Before you read another start up book or more effort in to another idea, read books on psychology. Also, try getting a job in an industry one of your solutions is targeting - that might help you become somebody rather than nobody.
Good luck.