The Indian sanitary pad revolutionary (2014)

1 comment with "grit" doesn't indicate much.

It's still popular. 4 postings with that in the title in the last month: https://hn.algolia.com/?query=grit&sort=byDate&prefix&page=0... .

>Why does that make him a real hacker?

If you replace the word Hacker with Tinker, the answer might become clear. He reverse engineered the "real thing" and came up with a cheaper solution that met his needs. Think Unix to Linux.

Also, his actions embodied the LEAN startup principles: Fail Fast, Fail Often.

* He asked for feedback immediately. "He fashioned a sanitary pad out of cotton and gave it to Shanthi, demanding immediate feedback."

* When he didn't get feedback fast enough, "I can't wait a month for each feedback, it'll take two decades!" He got 20 more volunteers. But it still didn't quite work out. On the day he came to collect their feedback sheets he caught three of the girls industriously filling them all in. These results obviously could not be relied on. It was then that he decided to test the products on himself.

* Test Driven Development - He created a "uterus" from a football bladder by punching a couple of holes in it, and filling it with goat's blood.

Wife left him in "rural india" means went back to her parents place... very rarely does it mean shacked up with another guy..

Based on how the story is described, I can understand Shanthi's decision and the guys acceptance of her back.

Carry around an extra cup, empty current one into a toilet and place in a bag in your purse to wash later at home. The only time I know a woman is menstruating here in the US is when they tell me.

That's partly true. Women visiting temples is a very old obsolete tradition which was before pads,etc for sanitary needs in the temple which needs to be scrapped off. All the remaining taboos are mostly non-existent.No one I know off does them. It's possible there are cases but, really rare (1 of 500). I had to clarify that because BBC takes liberties when trying to describe stuff from developing nations.

Some women are similar to you and some are different. I know lots of women who swear by their menstrual cups.

I know that adoption is still low, but I do not know why, can you provide me more perspective?

My knowledge is based mostly on the diva cup ads that pop up here.

I don't know the con perspective, but I think it's important to point out, especially in the context of the article citing culture stigmas, the tampon was initially niche and the "original" invention first stalled.

My GF swears by it. And I fully support her decision to use it. I'd use it if I was born with the bit and had the need.

Probably less of an option in rural India though as a sibling comment pointed out.

Not sure why you are putting down menstrual cup users. I use one and it really is great. I also told my sister about it and she got one too and likes it. I also use cloth pads on light days. Both beat disposables by a wide margin in comfort.

Everyone has their own preferences.

[Male here]

Some I know of swear by the comfort and convenience of the cup. They all started with a lot of doubt and hesitation about how it would work, leaks, handling and cleaning it, etc. But once they got the knack of putting it, they claim it to be the best thing since <insert your favorite sliced bread equivalent here>. Plus, there are washable and reusable pads available that are (apparently) a lot more comfortable than disposable ones.

There are at least a few groups in India on more environment friendly and women friendly menstruation products, since the growth of commercial disposable pads is becoming a big environmental issue.

Here are a couple of factors I have noticed/heard of that may affect the adoption of cups. Like tampons, inserting a cup inside requires the woman to be familiar with anatomy and not being scared. The idea of putting something foreign may be tough for women who haven't had vaginal intercourse. With "virginity" still being a "virtue" in India, more so in rural places, women would be shocked if they were asked to use tampons or cups that one has to insert inside. Pads or even reusable/washable cloth pads are a lot easier to sell.

I swear by my menstrual cup. I know it's a niche product but I have no idea why, a possible explanation is that some people are uncomfortable with their body or perhaps they've never heard of it - I had never heard of it until I saw a mention of it on reddit in my mid-twenties. Cups have much higher capacity that pads / tampons, you can't feel them, they are clean, nothing irritates your skin, it's impossible to run out as you only need one and it lasts for up to a decade.