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Comment by mattmaroon | Hacker News Reader

Trust me, the worst idea ever, by a factor of ten, is sleep.fm. Compared to them you don't even rate.

The Kramer test for 'bad ideas': imagine Kramer explaining to Jerry why he just invested a bunch of money in the company ("but Jerry - it's an alarm clock... AND it's SOCIAL!"). If it sounds like something he might say, then it's probably a bad idea.

To sleep.fm guys: not trying to offend, I genuinely think it's a bad idea.

To those who were in elementary school when Seinfeld was on: damn kids:-)

After QuickMeet, they could use the platform to implement QuickMeat -- which lets users post their ETTBGD, or Estimated Time To Beer Goggles Drunk.

Like Redux, they would be helping their users get laid.

The thing is, Kramer had some decent ideas. Particularly hiring an NYU student as an intern for Kramerica Industries. Easiest way to get a personal assistant ever.

The giant oil bladder wasn't a bad idea -- the test was flawed.

The make your own pizza restaurant wasn't too far off the mark. I've heard of it succeeding as a format for parties at least.

Yeah, now if only every day of the year was somebody's birthday...

Somewhere, someone is dreaming up a social coffee table book about coffee tables.

Will the site double as a coffee table in case you don't have a coffee table?

there's an optional accessory that bolts onto your laptop. i hear its waterproof too.

slep.fm is better than all of the ideas still on the drawing board ;-)

I disagree. A turd in hand is worth less than 1000 in the bush.

You have to handle the turd to find the diamonds in it.

Sometimes a turd is just a turd.

Yeah, I don't know what gscott is eating.

Brad Feld likes to say finds the diamond in the turd. Meaning to pull out the one or two good ideas and focus on those. When you said turd, it reminded me of that.

The only thing you're going to find in sleep.fm is corn.

sleep fm would be better if they made a decent video (browser area only), removed the stylesheet (the interface is horrible) and lost the sleep fm 'loves you' type impression. Its a utility.

It could be useful if they streamlined it and marketed it without the corn :P

The youtube videos are priceless. DADDY I LOVE YOU! WAKEUP!

The quote actually was:

"Out of all the ideas you could build for this platform, this one is quite possibly the worst idea ever."

Sleep.fm probably didn't work on android :P

Actually, I really like this idea, though this implementation might be a bit rough. Making this an iphone app, which would be your alarm clock, might be better than having your laptop next to your bed.

And like youtube there could be top rated wakeup messages and bedtime stories. It could be a passive voicetwitter that helps you in and out of your day.

It's not a bad idea. It's a good idea. Seriously. In a year, they will sell it for a few hundred thousands and you'll not be happy.

I wouldn't be unhappy if that happened. I don't wish the founders any ill will. But no, they won't.

Everywhere sleep.fm is mentioned on HN, you are around. It is funny that although it is a bad idea to you a few thousand people like it enough to go back to use it everyday. Not a lot of startups can claim those numbers.

Umm, a few thousand users is basically 0 on the web. Investors ignore you until you have half a million.

Are you one of the founders?

So that's what business is for you? Are you making a product for yourself or for investors? Why should I care what investors care about - I'm trying to make a product for users, and not for investors. A few thousand people following my product is EXCELLENT, because out here in RL, a thousand people are not following me.

You have the wrong attitude if you are only focused on what investors want.

You extrapolated that comment way too far.

They have thousands of users?!

Unbelievable if true.

Check your Compete toolbar when you visit their site. Plus it is a steady traffic which tells you that every single morning someone is woken up by the social alarm clock.

EDIT: To answer your other question, I am not a co-founder, but looking at pure numbers they are doing better than my last two trials and those of a lot of us.

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