sinak comments on Who Wants To Start An Important Startup? - Less Wrong

41 Post author: ShannonFriedman 16 August 2012 08:02PM

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Comment author: sinak 14 August 2012 09:16:02PM 13 points [-]

I'm an entrepreneur looking to found or join my next project, so I'm particularly in interesting what people are thinking about and working on.

An Improved Platform for Reading

Problem: We forget almost everything that we read. Current reading platforms (e.g. Kindle, Instapaper, Nook, web browsers) are very crude at helping us make the most of the time we spend reading.

Solution: A platform that uses the latest in efficient learning techniques to improve the quality of recall from reading. By adding interactivity and enhancing the reading experiencing using techniques like active recall and spaced repetition, I think we can build a considerably better interface for reading articles, books, and papers.

Real-world implementation: I think that this sort of platform could be very easily built as a browser plugin and/or mobile app for tablets. As users read a document, they would be able to highlight, add notes, and share these annotations. If users want to memorize a sentence-long summary of a particular document or a particular quote, word, or note, they can select to do so. Summaries of the notes made during reading would then be emailed at the each of day, and push notifications would be used to aid users in memorizing selected text using spaced repetition.

Current development: At present this is very much at the idea stage. I'm an entrepreneur, developer and UI designer myself, and looking for people who'd be interested in helping me build this. I'm also very interested to know whether people would be interested in using such a solution, and any suggestions for improving the idea.

Comment author: nwinter 17 August 2012 05:11:44PM 2 points [-]

I talked to someone building the browser plugin version of this a year ago. Sorry, I don't remember what it was called.

Comment author: meanzu 18 August 2012 06:06:35AM 1 point [-]

I think this is a great idea, especially in regards to modulization. I can see such a service being used in conjunction with existing interactive book platforms as well as standing on its own.

I am very open to contributing my ideas and experience (software development and pedagogical technologies) to further this project.

Comment author: MattTagg 02 September 2012 07:37:23AM 0 points [-]

I met a dude two weeks ago at a SuperHappyDev meetup in Mountain View, doing a very similar thing. Had been working on it as a Phd. thesis for a few years, but now wants to commercialize it. He was looking for a co-founder too. PM if you want his details.