Ask YC:Sleep.FM (my startup) seeks UI designer

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=104452

by ryanspahn • 19 years ago

14 43 19 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I see that I can not post in the job section not being a part of Y. Forgive me If I have formatted this post incorrectly.

My name is Ryan Spahn and I am seeking a UI designer/consultant for my startup ( http://Sleep.FM ).

If UI design (HTML, CSS and Photoshop expert) is your specialty it would be great to hear from you!

This would be a work for hire. If interested in learning more please contact me at ryanspahn@comcast.net (links to your work are appreciated).

Thanks, Ryan

mattmaroon3• 19 years ago

I hope the salary is high, because that's still the worst startup idea I've ever seen. You should hire an idea designer.

thorax• 19 years ago

I can't fathom how it makes money, but I could see a lot of Facebook sorts of apps revolving around your friends controlling certain aspects of your life. E.g., choosing your current music, picking the next book you read, the videos you watch one afternoon, your alarm clock music (maybe?). It's kinda like the new form of mix-tapes.

I dunno-- just brainstorming.

amichail• 19 years ago

Maybe you could try publishing this in alt.chi. I like the idea of exploring social startup ideas revolving around sleep in general. It may not turn out to be profitable, but it's interesting.

NSX27• 19 years ago

Are you a management consultant? Because at least those guys figured out how to get paid for their inconsequential opinions on how OTHER people should run THEIR businesses ... remind us all again what makes you the definative expert on OTHER people's prospects for success?

rms5• 19 years ago

he made a bunch of money playing poker and his current startup has obvious money making potential

rokhayakebe3• 19 years ago

that's mean. And quite frankly it is very low for anyone to attack people in such a manner. If you cannot say something that adds value maybe you can save the keystrokes to promoting your gambling site.

davidw2• 19 years ago

It was pretty direct, and I think I might have chosen a softer way of saying it, but I don't like the idea much myself, either. Telling someone you respect the truth "adds value" in my opinion.

Who knows though, maybe Ryan will be able to repurpose it into something cool with just a little bit of effort, and come out ahead. I hope so.

What I think I would say to Ryan if I were talking about it over a beer, and trying to be a bit humorous about it, is that it really reminds me of something Kramer from Seinfeld would be trying to sell Jerry and Elaine on. "But Jerry, it's great, it's an alarm clock and it's social!". Later in the episode Kramer would be walking around in an obviously sleep deprived state.

rokhayakebe3• 19 years ago

Dude, if I ever come down to the level you (which won't happen in this lifetime) I will say you are an idiot. But I will never be at that level, so I will never say it. But just so you know, a lot of people won't work at your startup for too long if they have to put it with your brains. Idiot.

rms5• 19 years ago

Ryan, the other idea you talked about here, bringing internet radio to cell phones, is much better than this... I just don't think there is much potential here and I don't like seeing you spend money on it.

mattmaroon3• 19 years ago

His target audience for this one seems to be people who meet the following criteria: 1.) Don't have a cell phone 2.) Sleep with a computer on in their room 3.) Want to let others wake them up, but not enough to just sleep near their phone.

ryanspahn7• 19 years ago

Dude thanks for your passionate opinion!

LoL

curi• 19 years ago

Dude, please locate the reply button. Threaded comments win.

fake2• 19 years ago

sleep.fm seeks expert failer

NSX27• 19 years ago

Methinks you protest too much ...

fake2• 19 years ago

not sure what you mean

russ• 19 years ago

I'm also looking to hire a UI designer for my Jump to Conclusions Mat. Any takers?

ryanspahn7• 19 years ago

My post here was not asking for feedback. I already heard from you guys in this regards. Thanks...most of it was helpful!

I was politely asking if any UI designers are available and interested.

If not cool.. I just thought I'd reach out to fellow entreprenuers/designers & coders.

rms5• 19 years ago

But what does it say that the reaction you get here, from your peers, is so harshly negative?

randallsquared2• 19 years ago

Not much, necessarily. What if the guy(s) behind myspace had asked for feedback in a hacker forum in 2002? It's not clear to me that many would have recognized it as a huge moneymaker.

ryanspahn7• 19 years ago

This a brand new concept and Im encouraged by the following articles...

http://tinyurl.com/3xk392 http://krisabel.ctv.ca/blog/CoolLinks/_archives/2007/12/12/3... http://tinyurl.com/3yzeo9 (translated from French)

Also, Sleep.FM was chosen as a TechCrunch40 semi-finalist, chosen to present alongside Google, Microsoft and Facebook at NY Tech MeetUp, landing on Engadget.com (the readers comments do not all mirror comments here) and other encouraging things!

Again, i was just politely posting for a UI designer who maybe available and interested.

utnick• 19 years ago

what do you mean by 'work for hire'?

mikesabat2• 19 years ago

Ripping on someone's idea in this type of forum is a clear sign that you are an asshole. Period.

But for all of those that hate this concept, notice that Seth Godin posted the same idea on his blog, twice.

http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2007/09/alarm-clocks... http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2003/10/todays_free_...

rms5• 19 years ago

Seth Godin's improved alarm clock has nothing in common with sleep.fm, except they both have to do with alarm clocks.

Sleep.fm is an alarm clock where your friends can send you wake-ups with messages at any time they choose.

mikesabat2• 19 years ago

Did you click through to the second post? What makes you think that sleep FM wouldn't grow to include videos from your friends, weather reports, to do lists or overnight tweets?

paul9290• 19 years ago

I would never want to allow someone the power to wake me up when they want to. That would be so annoying!

The only difference from a regular boring alarm clock to Sleep.FM's Social Alarm Clock, is the tone that wakes you. You set the clock and when it goes off your alarm message(s) is the tone that wakes you. Whether it's Happy Birthday, wake up old lady dont forget to take your medicine, the meeting has moved to a different location, good morning girlfriend/boyfriend/best friend i wanted to share this new song with you( you hear it), hey X i'll meet you for breakfast at denny's before work, im sorry i wont be in the carpool today, dont take i95 huge traffic jam, it's snowing go back to bed, etc, etc....

I wonder rms did you happen to view a promo vid of ours? Knowing that is helpful...

wmeredith• 19 years ago

I love UI design and I am a Photoshop/css pro.

stuff I made: webdevelopersfieldguide.com (currently the top story ;-P) poptakeout.com <--mobile safari web-app. stanleymusic.com

contact me through wademeredith.com if you'd like.

wumi• 19 years ago

It's sad to say that in the span of 31 comments, Wade Meredith was the only UI designer that offered a hand.

Ryan's post: "I am seeking a UI designer/consultant for my startup" that no one wanted to answer.

Ask YC:Sleep.FM (my startup) seeks UI designer

Related Stories