HN user

sandra_vu

9 karma

Designer investing in design-driven companies.

Get clarity on how to design your products here. https://www.sandrasletter.com/

Posts1
Comments35
View on HN

Hi HN,

We’re building DataRiver, a tool that converts PDF bank statements into structured, Excel-ready data (transactions, balances, dates), with a strong emphasis on privacy.

Unlike generic PDF extractors, DataRiver runs on a privately developed AI model trained specifically on bank statement layouts. Uploaded files are processed by our own model and are not sent to third-party LLM APIs, nor reused for training.

This approach came from working with sensitive financial data where accuracy and data isolation matter more than general-purpose flexibility. Many real-world statements include inconsistent tables, wrapped descriptions, or mixed formats that break rule-based tools.

Key points:

Private, domain-specific model for financial statements

High accuracy on messy, multi-column PDFs

No reuse of customer data for training

Files processed transiently and not stored long-term

DataRiver is used by accountants, auditors, and founders who need clean data without risking data exposure.

We’d appreciate feedback from anyone dealing with financial PDFs, especially on edge cases, privacy expectations, or compliance requirements.

Link: https://www.datariver.co

Happy to answer questions.

that is a cool list.

I love Todoist, but pen&paper to-do lists work better.

Qigong and weight-lifting is a life-changing routine for my focus.

Do you drink coffee? Stay away from Robusta and add Matcha to your routine.

hi cool ideas.

As a foodie, I salute the idea.

A few easy points to improve the design (and the conversion)

- Do not use the current pairing of yellow and green. It reminds me of radioactive colors. Not good for food - Use a serif from Google Fonts to bring a premium feel, try Crimson or Merriweather for example - Some of your gradients contain dead zone, search for clean gradient generation tool. This one https://www.learnui.design/tools/gradient-generator.html

- Avoid white text on white. Even with the drop shadow, it doesnt work. Check for WGSA contrast color tools if you are stuck.

Overall, good job for launching. Good luck.

Having more karts is an interesting marketing point. But more choices can overwhelm users.

Nintendo should have used Progressive Disclosure Design to reveal new karts as the game progresses.

Also, it could drive user interest when they can unlock secret mode, secret items from hidden mechanics inside the game.

hey, not an engineer but this could happen to any teams.

If you are doing this two things, you should do well.

1. Take care of yourself first. It is easier to act the right way and manage any situation when you are mentally and physically fit.

2. Take a step back and count your breath before reacting. Always assume the other person is hungry, stressed, have family issues, anything. Do not take any thing personally. Give yourself space and address this later.

Also show an effort in your questioning that you research well and could not find the anwser.