hlpme.ru - service of gratuitous services
Hi Habrahabr! I am Vitalykurin , the creator of the hlpme.ru community, bringing together people who want to help others for free.
I want to tell about our history, about good and not so good steps taken during the development of the project. It so happened that the history of hlpme is inextricably linked with everything that happened to me, so you can not tell about my history, to better understand why I made these or other decisions.
Perhaps I will miss something, because several years have passed, and I don’t remember the events of the past very thoroughly. But, if that, I will try in the comments to answer all the questions that may arise.
')
Everything works very clear . If you can teach someone something, help rearrange the bookcase, put your grandmother across the road, then write about it on the website, and soon people who need your help will respond to the announcement. And vice versa: if you need help, write about it, and those who are ready to help respond to the ad. In principle, everything.
But, despite all the simplicity, this mechanism allows you to perform several tasks: to encourage people to think about others, find help, get people out of their homes and help them find new friends. Depending on this, people use hlpme for various reasons:
I will train you on Workout. Workout is a street workout for specials. shells (horizontal bars and parallel bars) with the use of elements of gymnastics and strength exercises. hlpme.ru/posts/8115/
I am looking for a person to help create video games, you do not need to be able to make games and write code, you just need a good imagination and it would not be bad if you could even draw something. hlpme.ru/posts/8125/
In 2011, I was a third year student at the Faculty of International Economic Relations at MGIMO . The future was clearly outlined and it was easy and carefree at heart. I found work in a large company where they paid well and the work itself was quite interesting. But after working for six months, I realized that I was doing something wrong. And my friends and I began to meet periodically, discussing some ideas and the possibility of their implementation. Just at that time, I was depressed by the fact that most people are completely indifferent to what is happening with the people around them, what problems they have and how they can be helped: their problems are in their ears. As a result of all these meetings, thoughts, viewed films (especially influenced by “Pay it forward” ), the idea of ​​hlpme was born.
I collected all the money accumulated from my salary and went to the Imagespark to order a site. Interestingly, a year later I got a job there as a programmer.
We met with the head of the Internet projects department and in the evening sketched the idea of ​​the interface and service mechanism. They decided to take the idea of ​​design from Pinterest, which is gaining popularity: cute and beautiful. We thought for a long time how to make the rating mechanism so that no one would be offended: neither those who help, nor those who accept help. As a result, it turned out to do something more or less working.
The choice of language, thoughts about the further scaling of the project I was then little interested. I generally understood little of this then and decided to rely entirely on the performer. My participation in the development of the project for the most part consisted in testing the resulting and writing letters describing the bugs.
A few months later the hlpme was ready. And I stayed with the site, without money and especially without ideas how to earn them. When creating the goal was not so much the desire to earn money as the desire to make some cool stuff.
As it turned out, no one had such an idea. Once upon a time there was the “Bureau of good deeds” on Autoradio. And the recently closed service “Drugdrugu” was working. I learned about them around the middle of the development period - just then they won a grant from Durov . But I decided not to abandon what had begun, and as it turned out, not in vain: despite the outward similarity and the same idea, the philosophy of the two projects was diametrically opposite.
Looking for a fellow traveler to Europe on a motorcycle! In July-August, I want to ride a motorcycle to Europe from Moscow. I will not build illusions, I’ll have a motorcycle when I’m in old age, I don’t take a lot of things with me, but I’ll have to go in any weather. hlpme.ru/posts/8119/
I began to create ads myself, attract friends . After some time we scored the first hundred participants. It was like a holiday. Then I decided to advertise on Layfhakera (this was the only ad placed on the network during the entire existence of the project). This allowed us to get another 100 users. And then I learned Zen.
As if mad, I rushed through meetings, conferences, forums of people to whom my project might have seemed interesting. Conferences of social projects, freemarkets, meetings with interesting people, I did not miss a single opportunity to talk about my project, and it always turned out that I found someone interesting, acquaintance with whom I strongly influenced me. Even became the operator.
Once I met at one of these meetings with a man who lived in the next doorway. He worked as a journalist in a newspaper, and soon he wrote an article about us. I printed flyers and distributed them wherever possible and where it is impossible: in my university, on the street, in the subway, at the doors of other universities. This bore fruit, and a year later the number of users reached 5,000.
In addition to working on the project itself, I organized weekly offline meetings: we went on photo walks, played on the tabletops (if anyone is interested, we can start dating again), arranged meetings with interesting people. This allowed me to get acquainted with the users of the project and to understand them more.
Not without the typical monetization problem for modern projects. As I have already said, the idea was primary, and only then was it earned. Therefore, until now the content of the project is paid from my salary. Affects the specifics of the project. We were repeatedly offered to insert paid ads, but, as always, the answer was negative. On hlpme will never be paid content. The only thing that is on the site: context. He brings 300 rubles per month with 500 unique visitors per day. I would like, of course, that the hosting project pays off, we must come to this.
The main mistake was the pursuit of new unnecessary features. At some point, when the people made an appointment they wanted to, this meeting fell into their personal calendar so that no one would forget about it. They did it, but as it turned out, nobody uses this thing.
Another setback, which we haven’t yet managed to cope with: Pinterest-style design. At first, this seemed to be something new and unusual; there were still not very many sites with a similar design. But to holistically perceive information from such cubes is not very convenient. We tried to change the approach, add a linear arrangement of the blocks, but so far failed to do this.
I will help to solve problems with the computer. Format, install Windows, any programs, configure the Internet, connect or replace the device. I will help with unlocking (root), flashing the smartphone, installing programs. hlpme.ru/posts/8091/
At some point, I realized that I didn’t want to work in my specialty (international economist), and went to the second university degree at VMK MSU. For the second year now I have been working as a Java programmer, in my free time I am trying to pump up knowledge of other languages, write games, pick my favorite arch. And I will say that I finally found what I really like. And the role of hlpme was not the last in this transformation.
Unfortunately, it so happened that I did not have the opportunity to devote a lot of time to the project and it has not developed much since then. We now have about 8,000 registered users and as many ads. And the number of "I want" and "I can" is approximately equal. It seems to be not so much, but on the other hand, for each of the users there is some real thing that brought people a little good. In the absence of a budget for advertising the project, I believe that we have done well. Moreover, the lack of a mass advertising campaign has made it possible to maintain high quality ads.
I am going to support the project at least at the level at which it exists now. And I want it to be not just an Internet project, but would turn into a real offline movement. I do not know whether it will work or not, but I try.
One of the areas of the project (not to mention improving usability and fighting bugs) I want to improve the quality of information presentation: make sane ad rankings, try to present information in a more readable form - so that the design is not for the sake of design, but for the sake of meaning. I will accept all possible assistance in the form of links and advice, and I will also be happy to hear any constructive criticism of both the project and the article. If you have any ideas about cooperation, I will be glad to hear and discuss them. Unlike other authors of articles, I ask to write about errors not in a personal, but in comments, as this will allow to learn something new, not only for me, but also for readers.
I can make a company in the morning or evening run for those who do not want or can not run alone. I live near the square. Kaposvara Victory Park - a great place for morning runs. hlpme.ru/posts/8096/
Thanks to everyone who has ever helped or assisted me. Maxim for the fact that he proposed to publish an article in Daroudar blog and once agreed to meet and discuss long ago. Cyril, for writing about us at the very beginning of our journey. All the people who organized meetings of users and those who came to them. Users for trying to make the world a better place. And all the rest!
PS I am thinking about writing an article on the topic of transformation from an economist to a programmer with the attendant changes in many aspects of the world perception. If interested, please write in the comments.
I want to tell about our history, about good and not so good steps taken during the development of the project. It so happened that the history of hlpme is inextricably linked with everything that happened to me, so you can not tell about my history, to better understand why I made these or other decisions.
Perhaps I will miss something, because several years have passed, and I don’t remember the events of the past very thoroughly. But, if that, I will try in the comments to answer all the questions that may arise.
')
How it all works
Everything works very clear . If you can teach someone something, help rearrange the bookcase, put your grandmother across the road, then write about it on the website, and soon people who need your help will respond to the announcement. And vice versa: if you need help, write about it, and those who are ready to help respond to the ad. In principle, everything.
But, despite all the simplicity, this mechanism allows you to perform several tasks: to encourage people to think about others, find help, get people out of their homes and help them find new friends. Depending on this, people use hlpme for various reasons:
- I can help
- I want help
- I want to find friends
Can
I will train you on Workout. Workout is a street workout for specials. shells (horizontal bars and parallel bars) with the use of elements of gymnastics and strength exercises. hlpme.ru/posts/8115/
Community Features
- We refused all incentives for participants through external incentives, and even removed the rating system and the ban on publishing ads, if you have not helped. I wanted people to help others just because they want to help, to teach people to take care of others.
- In contrast to registration and participation in most social networks, participation in hlpme required more active activities (sitting at home in front of the monitor was not enough): it was necessary to go out and meet other people. This is both our strong side and our problem. By this we limit the potential number of participants.
- For me it is also important that the project is practically self-moderated. When an ad appears which, according to the rules, does not suit us, people click on the “Call the police” button (yes, it is the police). And I just have to look at the list of complaints, and not view all the ads that appear. For this, I am very grateful to the users.
Want
I am looking for a person to help create video games, you do not need to be able to make games and write code, you just need a good imagination and it would not be bad if you could even draw something. hlpme.ru/posts/8125/
The birth of an idea
In 2011, I was a third year student at the Faculty of International Economic Relations at MGIMO . The future was clearly outlined and it was easy and carefree at heart. I found work in a large company where they paid well and the work itself was quite interesting. But after working for six months, I realized that I was doing something wrong. And my friends and I began to meet periodically, discussing some ideas and the possibility of their implementation. Just at that time, I was depressed by the fact that most people are completely indifferent to what is happening with the people around them, what problems they have and how they can be helped: their problems are in their ears. As a result of all these meetings, thoughts, viewed films (especially influenced by “Pay it forward” ), the idea of ​​hlpme was born.
About creating a service
I collected all the money accumulated from my salary and went to the Imagespark to order a site. Interestingly, a year later I got a job there as a programmer.
We met with the head of the Internet projects department and in the evening sketched the idea of ​​the interface and service mechanism. They decided to take the idea of ​​design from Pinterest, which is gaining popularity: cute and beautiful. We thought for a long time how to make the rating mechanism so that no one would be offended: neither those who help, nor those who accept help. As a result, it turned out to do something more or less working.
The choice of language, thoughts about the further scaling of the project I was then little interested. I generally understood little of this then and decided to rely entirely on the performer. My participation in the development of the project for the most part consisted in testing the resulting and writing letters describing the bugs.
A few months later the hlpme was ready. And I stayed with the site, without money and especially without ideas how to earn them. When creating the goal was not so much the desire to earn money as the desire to make some cool stuff.
As it turned out, no one had such an idea. Once upon a time there was the “Bureau of good deeds” on Autoradio. And the recently closed service “Drugdrugu” was working. I learned about them around the middle of the development period - just then they won a grant from Durov . But I decided not to abandon what had begun, and as it turned out, not in vain: despite the outward similarity and the same idea, the philosophy of the two projects was diametrically opposite.
Want
Looking for a fellow traveler to Europe on a motorcycle! In July-August, I want to ride a motorcycle to Europe from Moscow. I will not build illusions, I’ll have a motorcycle when I’m in old age, I don’t take a lot of things with me, but I’ll have to go in any weather. hlpme.ru/posts/8119/
About promotion
I began to create ads myself, attract friends . After some time we scored the first hundred participants. It was like a holiday. Then I decided to advertise on Layfhakera (this was the only ad placed on the network during the entire existence of the project). This allowed us to get another 100 users. And then I learned Zen.
As if mad, I rushed through meetings, conferences, forums of people to whom my project might have seemed interesting. Conferences of social projects, freemarkets, meetings with interesting people, I did not miss a single opportunity to talk about my project, and it always turned out that I found someone interesting, acquaintance with whom I strongly influenced me. Even became the operator.
Once I met at one of these meetings with a man who lived in the next doorway. He worked as a journalist in a newspaper, and soon he wrote an article about us. I printed flyers and distributed them wherever possible and where it is impossible: in my university, on the street, in the subway, at the doors of other universities. This bore fruit, and a year later the number of users reached 5,000.
In addition to working on the project itself, I organized weekly offline meetings: we went on photo walks, played on the tabletops (if anyone is interested, we can start dating again), arranged meetings with interesting people. This allowed me to get acquainted with the users of the project and to understand them more.
About monetization
Not without the typical monetization problem for modern projects. As I have already said, the idea was primary, and only then was it earned. Therefore, until now the content of the project is paid from my salary. Affects the specifics of the project. We were repeatedly offered to insert paid ads, but, as always, the answer was negative. On hlpme will never be paid content. The only thing that is on the site: context. He brings 300 rubles per month with 500 unique visitors per day. I would like, of course, that the hosting project pays off, we must come to this.
Main trouble
The main mistake was the pursuit of new unnecessary features. At some point, when the people made an appointment they wanted to, this meeting fell into their personal calendar so that no one would forget about it. They did it, but as it turned out, nobody uses this thing.
Another setback, which we haven’t yet managed to cope with: Pinterest-style design. At first, this seemed to be something new and unusual; there were still not very many sites with a similar design. But to holistically perceive information from such cubes is not very convenient. We tried to change the approach, add a linear arrangement of the blocks, but so far failed to do this.
Can
I will help to solve problems with the computer. Format, install Windows, any programs, configure the Internet, connect or replace the device. I will help with unlocking (root), flashing the smartphone, installing programs. hlpme.ru/posts/8091/
About the future of the project
At some point, I realized that I didn’t want to work in my specialty (international economist), and went to the second university degree at VMK MSU. For the second year now I have been working as a Java programmer, in my free time I am trying to pump up knowledge of other languages, write games, pick my favorite arch. And I will say that I finally found what I really like. And the role of hlpme was not the last in this transformation.
Unfortunately, it so happened that I did not have the opportunity to devote a lot of time to the project and it has not developed much since then. We now have about 8,000 registered users and as many ads. And the number of "I want" and "I can" is approximately equal. It seems to be not so much, but on the other hand, for each of the users there is some real thing that brought people a little good. In the absence of a budget for advertising the project, I believe that we have done well. Moreover, the lack of a mass advertising campaign has made it possible to maintain high quality ads.
I am going to support the project at least at the level at which it exists now. And I want it to be not just an Internet project, but would turn into a real offline movement. I do not know whether it will work or not, but I try.
One of the areas of the project (not to mention improving usability and fighting bugs) I want to improve the quality of information presentation: make sane ad rankings, try to present information in a more readable form - so that the design is not for the sake of design, but for the sake of meaning. I will accept all possible assistance in the form of links and advice, and I will also be happy to hear any constructive criticism of both the project and the article. If you have any ideas about cooperation, I will be glad to hear and discuss them. Unlike other authors of articles, I ask to write about errors not in a personal, but in comments, as this will allow to learn something new, not only for me, but also for readers.
Can
I can make a company in the morning or evening run for those who do not want or can not run alone. I live near the square. Kaposvara Victory Park - a great place for morning runs. hlpme.ru/posts/8096/
Thank
Thanks to everyone who has ever helped or assisted me. Maxim for the fact that he proposed to publish an article in Daroudar blog and once agreed to meet and discuss long ago. Cyril, for writing about us at the very beginning of our journey. All the people who organized meetings of users and those who came to them. Users for trying to make the world a better place. And all the rest!
PS I am thinking about writing an article on the topic of transformation from an economist to a programmer with the attendant changes in many aspects of the world perception. If interested, please write in the comments.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/217883/
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