Ask HN: Interesting Ideas You're Too Lazy To Persue
I end up with a lot of cool ideas for projects, but I often discover that they are way beyond my skill range or I just lose interest in them after a while. What are your ideas like this?
4 comments
The last one that I wound up petering out on was an explanation of the Kelly Criterion on optimal gambling strategies.
I did quite a bit, see http://elem.com/~btilly/kelly_criterion/ and http://elem.com/~btilly/kelly_criterion/betting-returns.html for what I did. However I petered out once I had completely figured out the fun part, which is how to write the JavaScript to numerically solve the maximization problem of finding the optimal solution in any number of dimensions. (Of course I did so before I finished typing it up, which is why the calculator doesn't have an optimization option on it.)
I did quite a bit, see http://elem.com/~btilly/kelly_criterion/ and http://elem.com/~btilly/kelly_criterion/betting-returns.html for what I did. However I petered out once I had completely figured out the fun part, which is how to write the JavaScript to numerically solve the maximization problem of finding the optimal solution in any number of dimensions. (Of course I did so before I finished typing it up, which is why the calculator doesn't have an optimization option on it.)
I sometimes end up with a number of Visa gift cards. Maybe I use a $50 card to order a $47 book, and a $25 card to buy a $23.50 dinner.
So I have a bunch of Visa gift cards with a few dollars (or cents) on them. I would like to be able to create a new account "alias", such that I can go to an online store, enter my new account alias credit card number, and have it pull funds from my plethora of Visa gift cards, appearing to the merchant as one card, one transaction.
Not sure what the market would be for this sort of thing, but more than once I wish I could do it, and my areas of expertise are so far afield from this that I have no intention of trying to build it myself.
So I have a bunch of Visa gift cards with a few dollars (or cents) on them. I would like to be able to create a new account "alias", such that I can go to an online store, enter my new account alias credit card number, and have it pull funds from my plethora of Visa gift cards, appearing to the merchant as one card, one transaction.
Not sure what the market would be for this sort of thing, but more than once I wish I could do it, and my areas of expertise are so far afield from this that I have no intention of trying to build it myself.
Some vendors will let you split a bill across multiple accounts - that might help you use up these gift cards with small amounts left on them.
Yes, some do, but I'd like to see a more universal option. I imagine it'd be possible.
What I usually end up doing is, like, donating $1.47 to a political campaign...
What I usually end up doing is, like, donating $1.47 to a political campaign...
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Ideas are a dime a dozen. What separates boys from businessmen is acting upon one idea and executing to the finish.