Ask HN: Is scratching your own itch a solution looking for a problem? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Is scratching your own itch a solution looking for a problem?

4 pointscodazoda3 comments

I build a lot of things to “scratch my own itch”, which is often recommended by resources I see on HN. As an example, last year I created an analytics tool for my own websites so that I don’t have to compromise my users privacy. It logs info about my site but never my users.

But, now I’m trying to describe the main pain point, and it’s starting to feel like I built a solution without a problem. After all, does anyone else care so much about their users privacy that they would use this system and give up some of that user data? If not, and I have to change my marketing angle, doesn’t it become a solution in search of a problem?

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I think it's an amazing thing that you made this tool, and I thank you for caring about the privacy of your users.

If this is a tool you wish to sell/license/distribute, I think it might be worth taking a look at specific cohorts that would be interested in this -- namely, any business that takes a position that they care about their users should be using a more private analytic/telemetric tool - if using it at all. This is moreso true in the privacy sector but, in general, would probably relate to anything that gears more toward technically inclined users (who are aware of said data privacy issues).

It might be worth sharing usage of this to some of the privacy organizations/non profits [for free] and seeing if they would be willing to blog/talk about it to build awareness (which is reallllllllly important to help even come to a conclusion that this is fulfilling a need or is in search of a problem).

Often times we'll see companies (like amazon is an example) actually just make MVP stuff to simply see if anyone wants to use the product. Is that a solution in search of a problem -- I think more like a method of identifying whether ppl are looking for said solutions to problems.

Congrats for building something useful!

There is a market for the product you’re describing. There are a few solutions out there. For example https://plausible.io/ — there are others.

Will the answer to this question change how you build things?

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