While I haven't tried this service and thus cannot vouch for it, I can say that:
"I love your business model!"
It's simple, it provides a lot of value for a little bit of money (yet still allows you, the owner, to make a tiny profit on each transaction), and it doesn't require a complex database driven website...
Also, I'm guessing (but not knowing!) -- that a business like this could be started for $50 or less... the only thing you'd really need is a good enough postcard printer (OK, so maybe a bit more than $50 if you include that), some cardstock, and the willingness to make a trip to the post office (or local mail drop-off point) every day (or when orders were received...)
Again, I reiterate, "I love your business model!"
The only real thing that a business of this sort would need then is some online advertising...
Google ads would be too expensive relative to the cost to acquire new customers -- so you'd have to advertise via single links posted here and there on public forums...
Well, I upvoted you and favorited you here on HN -- which might generate a teeny tiny bit more traffic for you -- or so I hope!
Wishing you and your business well, whoever you are!
As for the business, it’s 100% automated. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work at scale with everything else I have going on.
It’s also designed to simply be a fun thing for me and others to use, and isn’t really meant to be anything more than that, money wise. The price point, at the average use numbers, pretty much cover my costs. :)
I just wish I had this running when everyone was locked inside in 2020, I bet it would have been fun to use then!
Again, it's well done from a pure business / bootstrapping / resourcefulness / "MacGyvering" (for lack of a better term!) perspective.
Academically (and it is a purely academic question) -- I'm looking to put together a table of capital tiers (i.e., $1-$10, $10-$100, $100-$1000, etc.) -- and what types of businesses could be created online at each tier.
Of all of them the $1-$10 tier is the hardest (well, unless we count $0 as a tier!), that is, "what type of online business could someone invest $10 in and generate a return?". Same question for $100, $1000, etc., etc.
Your business would fall somewhere in the (I'm guessing here -- $50 to $100 is that accurate?) amount to start it up, depending on initial costs with the postcard mailer, domain name, and if a color postcard printer is needed or not... or at least I'm guessing...
>As for the business, it’s 100% automated. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work at scale with everything else I have going on.
That's extra nice -- you definitely don't want to have to make a trip to the post office (or even probably not-too-far away local mailbox) every day...
So, "well done" (well played, perhaps?) -- on the automation front!
>It’s also designed to simply be a fun thing for me and others to use, and isn’t really meant to be anything more than that, money wise. The price point, at the average use numbers, pretty much cover my costs. :)
Again, very nice!
Hobby A.K.A. "fun" projects -- usually teach a lot, too!
>I just wish I had this running when everyone was locked inside in 2020, I bet it would have been fun to use then!
Well -- "we all fall short" -- of most of the opportunity inception points presented to us by life(!) -- I'm still berating myself for not investing in Tesla... before that, Google... and before that, Microsoft... (that's a lot of self-loathing and disrespect I have to put up with every day -- from myself, of all people!) <g> :-) <g>
I love the idea. It’s simple, it’s solves a user problem. You can explain it in 1-2 sentences. Setup = adding your number to the contact book.
Tips/ideas:
Consider adding a CTA pointing to a .VCF file so people can “install” your app with 2 clicks.
Consider changing the design/bg photo a bit so the copy is more visible.
Q: Could you share any details regarding your stack (tech or services)?
I was thinking about building a slightly similar tool, but as a site where you could drag and drop a photo and then pay with Apple Pay. I think I like text more though.
Thanks! Simplicity is something I’m obsessed with. I hate website copy these days and how I can rarely tell what companies do by visiting their websites anymore.
Tech stack is simple: Rails on DigitalOcean app platform. Everything is automated because why not :). It’s not the most efficient, but simple > profit margins.
The address parsing is also done via libpostal statistical NLP. Addresses need to be broken into components for all services that require an address (line 1, line 2, street, city, state, zip), but asking users for each of these is so much friction and sucks from a UX pov. It’s not perfect, but works well in the intended market right now.
This is fun. I worked at a company that did something very similar around 2008. We had too much fun testing it out and I remember getting lots of ridiculous post cards in the mail from co-workers. I don't know that it was ever something that was likely to make much money, just one project among many at the company. Unfortunately, 2008 was a bit of a wrecking ball and we never got to find out. We had an iPhone app back then and my boss was skeptical that Android would ever really compete.
You should add a ‘tap to add to Contacts’ link - I think a vCard would work?
I don’t want to send a postcard right now, but I’d definitely like to store the number for later use. It’s actually kind of hard to do that, though, on iOS at least. Tapping opens up Messages, where there isn’t an easy way to add to contacts without sending a message, and long-press doesn’t seem to contain ‘add to contacts’ option. I’m stuck copying the number, launching Contacts, and creating a new contact by hand.
[Edit: Uh, and this is cool! Sorry to be the first commenter with a slightly negative post! I love it.]
I would love an email bot. I sent a message to the number from a prepaid EU sim, it told me to send an image, I sent an image, I got a "mms not supported" error. I remember mms from around 10 years ago, not sure if they are still standard in US?
You can't receive iMessages via an API, except for "iMessage Business Chat" which can't be started by inputting a phone number and isn't all that widely used.
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"I love your business model!"
It's simple, it provides a lot of value for a little bit of money (yet still allows you, the owner, to make a tiny profit on each transaction), and it doesn't require a complex database driven website...
Also, I'm guessing (but not knowing!) -- that a business like this could be started for $50 or less... the only thing you'd really need is a good enough postcard printer (OK, so maybe a bit more than $50 if you include that), some cardstock, and the willingness to make a trip to the post office (or local mail drop-off point) every day (or when orders were received...)
Again, I reiterate, "I love your business model!"
The only real thing that a business of this sort would need then is some online advertising...
Google ads would be too expensive relative to the cost to acquire new customers -- so you'd have to advertise via single links posted here and there on public forums...
Well, I upvoted you and favorited you here on HN -- which might generate a teeny tiny bit more traffic for you -- or so I hope!
Wishing you and your business well, whoever you are!
As for the business, it’s 100% automated. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work at scale with everything else I have going on.
It’s also designed to simply be a fun thing for me and others to use, and isn’t really meant to be anything more than that, money wise. The price point, at the average use numbers, pretty much cover my costs. :)
I just wish I had this running when everyone was locked inside in 2020, I bet it would have been fun to use then!
Again, it's well done from a pure business / bootstrapping / resourcefulness / "MacGyvering" (for lack of a better term!) perspective.
Academically (and it is a purely academic question) -- I'm looking to put together a table of capital tiers (i.e., $1-$10, $10-$100, $100-$1000, etc.) -- and what types of businesses could be created online at each tier.
Of all of them the $1-$10 tier is the hardest (well, unless we count $0 as a tier!), that is, "what type of online business could someone invest $10 in and generate a return?". Same question for $100, $1000, etc., etc.
Your business would fall somewhere in the (I'm guessing here -- $50 to $100 is that accurate?) amount to start it up, depending on initial costs with the postcard mailer, domain name, and if a color postcard printer is needed or not... or at least I'm guessing...
>As for the business, it’s 100% automated. Otherwise, it wouldn’t work at scale with everything else I have going on.
That's extra nice -- you definitely don't want to have to make a trip to the post office (or even probably not-too-far away local mailbox) every day...
So, "well done" (well played, perhaps?) -- on the automation front!
>It’s also designed to simply be a fun thing for me and others to use, and isn’t really meant to be anything more than that, money wise. The price point, at the average use numbers, pretty much cover my costs. :)
Again, very nice!
Hobby A.K.A. "fun" projects -- usually teach a lot, too!
>I just wish I had this running when everyone was locked inside in 2020, I bet it would have been fun to use then!
Well -- "we all fall short" -- of most of the opportunity inception points presented to us by life(!) -- I'm still berating myself for not investing in Tesla... before that, Google... and before that, Microsoft... (that's a lot of self-loathing and disrespect I have to put up with every day -- from myself, of all people!) <g> :-) <g>
Anyway, wishing you well!
I love the idea. It’s simple, it’s solves a user problem. You can explain it in 1-2 sentences. Setup = adding your number to the contact book.
Tips/ideas:
Consider adding a CTA pointing to a .VCF file so people can “install” your app with 2 clicks.
Consider changing the design/bg photo a bit so the copy is more visible.
Q: Could you share any details regarding your stack (tech or services)?
I was thinking about building a slightly similar tool, but as a site where you could drag and drop a photo and then pay with Apple Pay. I think I like text more though.
Tech stack is simple: Rails on DigitalOcean app platform. Everything is automated because why not :). It’s not the most efficient, but simple > profit margins.
The address parsing is also done via libpostal statistical NLP. Addresses need to be broken into components for all services that require an address (line 1, line 2, street, city, state, zip), but asking users for each of these is so much friction and sucks from a UX pov. It’s not perfect, but works well in the intended market right now.
I don’t want to send a postcard right now, but I’d definitely like to store the number for later use. It’s actually kind of hard to do that, though, on iOS at least. Tapping opens up Messages, where there isn’t an easy way to add to contacts without sending a message, and long-press doesn’t seem to contain ‘add to contacts’ option. I’m stuck copying the number, launching Contacts, and creating a new contact by hand.
[Edit: Uh, and this is cool! Sorry to be the first commenter with a slightly negative post! I love it.]
Lowest friction is what I’m going for here. Thanks!
Really cool idea for a product though, love it!
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