
Ask HN: I have an idea, but need help. Where do I go for it? - wakkaflokka
I&#x27;ve had a project idea that I&#x27;ve wanted to do for a while now. Unfortunately, I don&#x27;t have time or know-how (on the programming side). I&#x27;ve tried to start the project in Python, but always realize it&#x27;s going to take more time than my wrists can handle (I work as a data scientist, already too much time at the keyboard).<p>I&#x27;d like to create software that will take all your personal data that you are able to download - like Google, Amazon, Facebook, LinkedIn, Mint, Health Data, SMS&#x2F;texts, RescueTime, RSS Readers, CVS prescription history, 23andMe, etc. - and compile it into a &quot;personal analytics&quot; software. For example, help answer questions like:<p>1. Where do I spent the most money around town (location data + mint transactions)?<p>2. Where do I send the most angry texts (location data + NLP on texts)?<p>3. At what time and after what Google searches do I end up buying the most junk off Amazon (Google + Amazon)?<p>4. Recreate your life as a movie (Google street view + texts + purchases + etc.).<p>Those are just the start.<p>My first foray into this was writing some basic Python code to see where my girlfriend and I crossed paths before we met (we were within a mile of each other at the same time, two years before we met).<p>1. This has to be all done locally, no cloud involved because of the clear privacy implications. What kind of local DB that interfaces well with Pandas&#x2F;Python would be appropriate?<p>2. How would I encrypt the data locally, and potentially allow &#x27;agents&#x27; to interface (for example, seeing where you overlap with somebody else in location)?<p>So the Ask HN question is this - when you have an idea and want it to materialize but you need help - where do you go?<p>If you have a <i>little</i> bit of money, do you hire a freelance programmer?<p>Do you post a barrage of Stack Overflow questions?<p>Do you partner with somebody, or do you throw the idea out there in hopes somebody else might pick it up?
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greenyoda
_" If you have a little bit of money, do you hire a freelance programmer?"_

Long before you spend any money trying to build this, you should probably do
some research to see whether there would be any market for such a product.

For example, see if you can find 50 people (average folks, not data
scientists) who think this might be something they'd want to use.

Personally, I can't think of any uses I'd have for such a product.

~~~
longqzh
Good idea!

