HN Explorer

Show HN: An Anti-StackOverflow. A place to ask broad questions on how to start

31 points by cjcassar ↗ HN
I've built a place where it's encouraged to ask how to start a new software project. Currently it's free but will soon start paying the most helpful devs that answer questions.

https://buildfaast.com/

20 comments

[ 6.0 ms ] story [ 55.4 ms ] thread
mvind
I expect to see a landing page with questions instead of an registration page.
cjcassar
Hi mvind! thanks for this. Will take down the site registration so folks can have a look beforehand
cjcassar
I've updated the site, no need to sign up in order to lurk
peanut_worm
unfortunately the site is not usable on safari, iOS 14.3, iphone 8+

https://i.ibb.co/fMj2yG2/1-BE43053-6540-42-B3-B029-BD9-AFC97...

cjcassar
Yea currently it isn't optimised for mobile :S

Will get on that once I iron some of the main functionalities

FractalHQ
I would argue working is a main functionality :P
cjcassar
Definitely not arguing against that logic but still, I want to build for people using the platform!
inkeddeveloper
The problem with broad questions is that they are vague and difficult to answer.
georgeplusplus
Sometimes all you need are ideas or suggestions to get your project going.

I have design questions all the time that are vague because it’s a design choice that SO can’t help with but does that mean someone can’t offer guidance on how to solve a certain problem?

cjcassar
Exactly! The premise of the site is to be able to ask how to start based on the opinion of someone that went through it before.

Sure the answer won't be the most efficient but when I first started coding I didnt want that. I just wanted to know where to start, what videos to watch, and what to read that could help build my idea. This helps to save time rather than digging through loads of videos, articles, piecing together stack overflow questions, and buying tutorials that you realise you didn't need

mechero
Hey good idea, let me give you some constructive feedback.

I think people need a conversation to define how to build a software project, not a simple Q&A mechanism. Maybe you can add some possibilities to contact devs for further explanation.

Besides, to make it more realistic, your examples could use some basic requirements. Otherwise, people may get the wrong answer, based on a pile of assumptions.

cjcassar
This is really helpful! I've logged it, thank you
ranguna
It's said that it's stackoverflow based, so o was expecting a similar UI. But each question has a huge unrelated image on it, which is throwing me off real bad.

I probably wouldn't mind these images if stackoverflow was not mentioned beforehand, but it was and it set expectations of a clean UI, now I can't unsee it.

cjcassar
Apologies the UI has burned itself into your memory lol. I'm definitely going to clean things up for the users as the feedback comes. Just now I'm trying to focus on the dedicated people who just want to know where to start
ranguna
You have forever burned my neurons!

Jokes aside, the idea looks cool, keep it going.

cjcassar
Thanks ranguna! Will keep at it
[deleted]
(comment deleted)
tr1ll10nb1ll
Isn't Quora the anti-stackoverflow? Broad questions, vague answers, too many beginner questions, you name it.

P.S Some images are not loading and the UI is hard to navigate rn. However, I'm assuming that'll be fixed in future iterations.

Something that could help is :

- Forget the question images in the feed. Show them only when the user clicks on that question.

- Make the search bar smaller.

- Add some sort of social proof

- Most of all, remember that a good UI makes or breaks a platform so it IS a main functionality.

Hope you understand what I'm saying. Good luck!

cjcassar
Thanks for this, very helpful points that i'll add to the log.

Definitely I agree the UI is the main functionality for a platform. But at this stage I'm trying not to build something beautiful for nobody. First set of users will get to have the ability to set that.

Also, quora is a dead community. It's why beginner developers join udemy course communities instead