HN Explorer

Show HN: HumanAlarm – Real people knock on your door to wake you up (humanalarm.com)

38 points by soelost ↗ HN
I built HumanAlarm because I'm a heavy sleeper who's missed important things despite multiple phone alarms.

It's exactly what it sounds like - you book a wake-up time, we send someone to knock on your door for 2 minutes. If you don't answer, they wait 3-5 minutes and knock again. Simple as that.

We're live in select cities.

Would love feedback on the concept and execution!

30 comments

[ 3.6 ms ] story [ 61.7 ms ] thread
spidersenses
How are you preventing the service being used to terrorize people by impersonating them and ordering knocks at 5am?
graypegg
I might suggest adding a list of cities you're live in. Right now I think you just have to intuit which cities work based on the address autocomplete.

Cute idea though! I'd be curious to see what your user-facing application looks like when you have an alarm set. Do you provide some sort of proof that the "alarm went off"? Package services usually take a photo of the door/porch as proof, might be a good idea in case anyone tries to dispute a charge for "not being woken up" heh.

Like another sibling comment mentioned, yeah, abuse potential is there. Could consider a snail-mail-letter-with-a-code verification method for addresses, though that's obviously rather slow.

soelost
Thanks for the suggestions! Just added service areas back to the site. For proof of service, I like the photo idea - definitely considering that for when we scale beyond just me doing the knocking.
sudobash1
I was curious, but your FAQ and Contact links do not work for me (Firefox & Chromium on desktop Linux).
FinnKuhn
How do you ensure that the address I enter is actually mine and not the one of someone I want to wake up?
prats226
You can always put automation for your google home to blast music at full volume at right time. And if you don't wake up from sound of music yourself, your neighbour will knock on your door for sure!
Animats
Railroad workers had that as a union-negotiated right until at least the 1970s.
soelost
Interesting! Makes sense for shift workers who couldn't rely on family to wake them. Same core need.
stevage
The first question I have with a site like this is "in what regions does this operate" and I'm always surprised if a site doesn't immediately answer it.
soelost
You're absolutely right - just added service areas back to the top of the site. Currently serving Silicon Valley and expanding based on demand.
serbuvlad
Wouldn't a timed breakfast delivery be about the same price for the same effect -- and also bring me breakfast?
soelost
Sounds great until they show up 30 minutes late and barely tap on your door. Breakfast delivery also assumes you're awake to receive it and that restaurants are open before your wake-up time! We show up on time and knock persistently - plus not all wake-ups are in the morning.
averageRoyalty
Starting from $19? And I assume those are American dollars? Wouldn't it be more cost effective to buy a loud alarm clock and place it across the room? If I buy two and set their alarm time 3 minutes apart, aren't I effectively doing the same thing cheaper and with no risks?

I'm not trying to shit on your idea, but I don't understand the consumer value proposition.

soelost
Fair question on price! But if loud alarm clocks across the room worked for heavy sleepers, this wouldn't exist. I've tried every alarm hack - the human element and social pressure is what makes the difference. Plus $19 occasionally vs missing important meetings/flights is worth it.
ben-gy
It’s a fun, niche solution, but I’d posit when you start looking into the minimum financial requirements to operate this business in a way that “guarantees” everyone’s safety and insures against worst case scenarios, this is not a viable business even at the smallest scale.

I’m not sure how things are in America, but in Australia you can be made personally liable (both small and large businesses) for things that go wrong in your company, especially when someone gets injured e.g. https://www.ohsrep.org.au/prosecutions_sn_699_connect

BrokenCogs
What's the logic behind this? You are such a heavy sleeper that you miss an alarm from a clock or phone, but somehow you don't miss a door knock? Maybe you can change your alarm tone to a door knock or door bell if that's what gets you up in the morning.
soelost
Fair question! For me, phone alarms blend into dreams or I unconsciously turn them off. But a real person knocking? That's an external force I can't dismiss subconsciously. Plus someone is literally waiting for me to get up. But if changing your alarm tone to a door knock works for you, then by all means!
Dilettante_
I've been thinking about something like this, except it was scheduled phonecalls. That'd probably scale easier too right? I'd use it for sure.
soelost
Definitely easier to scale since you can automate the whole process, but there are at least 4 apps in the phonecall space.
ekusiadadus
This is what I need. Waiting for plan in Japan.
soelost
Japan would be amazing! Maybe we'll be there on your next trip
Noumenon72
I got this service for free once from my boss at the plastic factory and it convinced me to be more responsible about waking up for work.
soelost
Exactly! Nothing like real accountability to make you take responsibility. Your boss was onto something.

Where and when was this?

squishington
This sounds a bit like a Tim and Eric Cinco product.
soelost
My feelings have been hurt!
Paradigm2020
Avoid stand your ground states...

Also funny comment in the nano banana thread that this used to be a job before the alarm clock... Serendipity

ieuanking
How will the HumanAlarm knockers wake up for their bookings? Will they book other HumanAlarms?