tomcavill's comments

tomcavill | 11 years ago | on: Show HN: Peeps – Send selfie video messages to groups of friends

Well it's quite different in that it functions more similarly to a traditional messaging app than SnapChat. In other words -- messages are stored indefinitely so you can view them back; the app's homescreen is a list of your existing messages; and the item you can send is limited to front-cam video only -- there's no choice between back cam, front cam, video or photo. This is in order to make it a very fast way of communicating.

tomcavill | 11 years ago | on: Show HN: Peeps – Send selfie video messages to groups of friends

Hi all,

Brief intro to the app. This is something I've made with fellow HNer Alex Edge (@edgeman27). The idea is to make a more personal messaging app, that combines the convenience of texting with the emotional connection of Skype.

Would be interested to hear your feedback or questions. Thanks.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Offer HN: Tell me what you need, and I'll program it (for free)

I have an app written in ASP.NET MVC with an API. Would like to either convert it into, say, RoR (or Python/Django/whatever if you prefer). Or, write a separate web app that uses the existing API.

To explain further, I had the app built in ASP.NET and find I don't give it enough love because I'm a mac-using product person (design and front-end dev). But it's a nice app that has some potential. There's an iOS app in existence that utilises the API.

Would be nice to have a web-app to complement it that we could work on in unison perhaps. It probably won't amount to anything more than a side project, but I've always found it enjoyable to work on.

My twitter is @tomcavill if you'd like more details.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Didn't realise that. Looking for ways to ensure that doesn't happen. Do you have any ideas?

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

I know the fabric does appear a little thin in the photos, but honestly, they're really high quality tees. We consulted with our printer and they assured us they are the best available at a reasonable price point. I think the see-throughness is exacerbated by the harsh flash from the camera. In reality they are a good weight and made from high quality cotton.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Thanks, very kind.

We're going to try and utilise the fact you can 'create' a tshirt with just a link, i.e. http://helvetitee.com/tee/foo-bar. It's so quick to react to trends and happenings, or suggest a tee to someone based on their actions, that we feel the product can benefit from virality and p2p sharing. Plus a healthy mix of the usual Google ads etc.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Haha, we will react to demand on that front.

Thanks re: design. Nice to hear.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Thanks. You're right. We've changed the price down to $25 based on so much feedback suggesting it.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Changed the helper text, hopefully this fixes.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

That's very cool. I wonder if .io domains are too geek-centric, though?

It's very memorable.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Definitely on the roadmap

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

That's a great idea, and something close to what we're thinking a few versions down the line. The free shirt after 5 purchases is very clever, and probably a better model than standard affiliate stuff.

I've changed the footer based on hearing this suggestion a couple of times :)

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

We are using Helvetica Neue with Helvetica as a fall-back, and a Helvetica clone (Nimbus sans) after those two in the font stack. You'd have to have some funny configuration not to see Helvetica. What's your setup?

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

We'll intro geo-based pricing asap :)

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Yeah. It's a tough one. We might change the name if we can find the right domain.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Yeah I like v-necks too. It's definitely something we'll consider, but it has to balance with not having too many options (simplicity being the by-word for this project).

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

We wanted to ensure we could post anywhere in the world and not lose money or have to charge extra. I think at this price orders will be slow though, so we've slashed it to $25 to see what happens. Should still make a profit unless the order is in very far-flung lands.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Thanks for all the feedback so far. We've changed the price to $25 (formerly £25) as almost everyone said the price was too (damn) high. Margins will be cut significantly, but it was definitely too high before, and we'll still make a small profit with the new price.

We're probably going to put it up to $30 after the opening two weeks, so consider this an 'early adopter' discount...

Here's a humble suggestion for fellow HNers: http://helevetitee.com/tee/Founder

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

Fair point. We'll come up with a better price as everyone seems to agree it's too high.

tomcavill | 13 years ago | on: Show HN: Helvetitee: Custom tee. No bullshit. (Our four-day startup)

All the feedback so far indicates our pricing is too high. That'll definitely be the first thing we'll fix.