[bentossell]

The first idea on the list: “ Create an auto-updating website from a Google Doc or Sheet” can be done pretty easily already, without writing code.

(I’m the founder of a company, Makerpad[*], that teaches people no-code)

Glide[1] - lets you create apps from a google sheet. Set up the template connected to your data and as it updates, your app will too.

Stacker[2] - build web-apps without code. Supports Airtable and most recently, Sheets.

Softr[3] - similar for websites but using Airtable as the data source. I think Sheets support will come soon.

Sheets2Site [4] - website builder with google sheets.

For GoogleDocs you can use parameters in the doc that change using something like Zapier (disclaimer: they acquired my company last year). I haven’t explored it the other way around eg. Data into a google doc updating something elsewhere.

[0] https://www.makerpad.co/ [1] https://www.glideapps.com/ [2] https://www.stackerhq.com/ [3] https://www.softr.io/ [4] https://www.sheet2site.com/

[dheera]

A few others

- Neighbor wrath saver: Constantly listen for shower and other bathroom noises and shut off any alarms if the user is deemed to be inside the bathroom and unable to reach the phone.

- Maps optimizer: Constantly listen to the accelerometer and if you determine the pattern to be the person running and there is a Facebook or Google calendar event starting within 30 minutes, automatically start navigating to it. If there are multiple simultaneous events in the calendar, try to determine which one the user is running towards and help the user reach that particular event. But also listen to the microphone and stop navigation if the user yells "shut up". Increase the font size and button size as well if the user is trying to operate phone while running.

- Caltrain ticket optimizer: If your GPS location is approaching a Caltrain station and the train is due to arrive within 3 minutes such that you're worried about purchasing a ticket in time, automatically download the Caltrain app and purchase a ticket for you so you don't have to fiddle with the machine. Work with Caltrain Inc so that it can unpurchase the ticket if you don't actually board the train

- Laundry optimizer: Automatically listen for sounds of laundry machines starting and remind you in 35 minutes later if it's the sound of a washer starting, or 45 minutes later if it's the sound of a dryer starting

- Cooking optimizer: Use front camera to determine if the user's hand is full of flour, oil, egg and if so, enable voice control of the UI of sorts e.g. "scroll down slightly", "kill that popup", "don't lock screen for the next hour" etc.

- Use the phone as a bluetooth mouse using the flashlight, rear camera, and accelerometer to determine motion on the table.

...

[stardenburden]

Everything but the last idea seem very annoying, prone to failure and highly battery-draining

[ajsnigrutin]

Why not just use wordpress + wysiwyg editor similar to *docs, and you're done?

[potatolicious]

- I'd have to set up the WP instance and maintain it. I'd have to manage the account(s) on it. I'd have to manage the plugins and all of the sundry parts of running a web service.

- The WYSIWYG editor isn't as good as GDocs (or Word, or insert other popular apps)

- Collaborative authoring is a pain. GDocs has this built in, via accounts everyone already has.

The utility of ease of use/low-friction/lightweight-ness can't be overstated. Getting rid of even a small amount of friction from systems often pays itself back exponentially.

[vageli]

Now you have to set up accounts and manage wordpress versus sharing a google doc or something similar.

[bentossell]

I dont really like using WP. Lots of alternatives out there that do great stuff.

[benoror]

Checkout baseql.com to generate a GraphQL endpoint from Google Sheets

[behnamoh]

just a quick feedback: your logo is very similar to Medium’s. in fact, at first I thought you used Medium, in line with the company’s mission to avoid code!

[bentossell]

Yeh never great with logos so just used an ‘m’ - haven’t had any issues yet…

[Vladimof]

His logo is an M and Medium's logo is a globe?