

Ask HN: Which of these non-computer hacks is better? - scobar

I have a couple stories for non-computer systems I&#x27;ve hacked to my advantage. My cofounder and I haven&#x27;t agreed on which is better for the YC app, so I would really appreciate your opinions.<p>1) In middle school, I devised a simple cipher and gave a key to a couple friends to memorize. Using the cipher, we&#x27;d pass encrypted messages on a calculator which we were allowed to share in math and science classes. While our classmates were punished for passing notes, we continued to use our system safely throughout high school.<p>2) When I was still in college, newly married, and very poor, our apartment had some furniture but very few electronics. McDonalds had a Monopoly promotion where some menu items would include game pieces and at least $1 in store credit for Best Buy. The rules had no restrictions against using multiple &#x27;Best Buy Bucks&#x27; in a single transaction.<p>I was able to work out a deal with some McDonalds managers that if I purchased a certain amount, they would give a few extra containers for free. Large fries were the lowest cost per game piece, so I would order 10-20 at a time and receive a few empty cases for free. We&#x27;d give what we couldn&#x27;t eat to the homeless around Santa Monica, but kept the containers.<p>I kept all of the Best Buy Bucks and sold the unpeeled game pieces on Ebay. With the free cases, I would break even on the initial investment and repeat the cycle. When the promotion ended we had gained lots of free (albeit unhealthy) food and about $800 worth of credit at Best Buy that we used to buy some electronics we needed.
======
joshschreuder
I think the second one is great, I always love reading about these kinds of
loyalty / rewards program hacking like the guy who ordered pudding to get
frequent flyer platinum status for life [1].

I've never done anything like the YC app, so I can't speak for which of these
would be better, but personally I like number 2. It shows compassion / social
responsibility (donating food), the ability to negotiate (getting managers to
give you free stuff) and a smartness with money (breaking even on the meals
you were buying).

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Phillips_(entrepreneur)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Phillips_\(entrepreneur\))

~~~
scobar
Thank you very much for your feedback! I originally thought the first was more
clever, but my friend and cofounder remembered this story from college and
told me to write about it too.

I'd heard about that pudding guy, and thought his hack was awesome, but I
never knew his name. Thanks for the link.

------
taprun
Rather than thinking about which one is "better", think about which story will
accomplish your goals.

The ycombinator folks are probably just looking for stories to help figure out
a) who is smart, b) who is creative, c) who gets things done, d) who is
excited about things

The second story accomplishes each of the above better than the first.

~~~
scobar
You're right; by "better" I meant to imply "better for accomplishing my
objective in this specific situation." So, your answer is exactly what I was
looking for. Thank you very much for your input.

