Hardcover Live

SummaryIn this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss various topics ranging from culinary trends in France to seasonal changes and outdoor activities. They delve into winter preparations, project updates, and technical challenges faced in their work. The discussion also covers the resurgence of Rails and caching strategies, as well as community contributions and future plans for their projects. In this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss the ongoing development of their application, focusing on UI enhancements, data integration, and user experience improvements. They explore the challenges and solutions related to statistical data presentation, the use of chart libraries, and the transition to Rails for better performance. The conversation emphasizes the importance of community engagement and feedback in shaping the future of their product.TakeawaysYoung chefs in France are revitalizing traditional restaurants.Seasonal changes inspire outdoor activities like hiking.Winter preparations involve gathering plans and shipping projects.Technical challenges arise from the current architecture of their platform.Rails is experiencing a renaissance with new deployment options.Caching strategies are evolving to improve performance.Community contributions are encouraged for artwork and coding.Custom headers for books can enhance user experience.The importance of security in project development is emphasized.Future updates will significantly improve app performance. The UI development is focused on integrating custom data for a better user experience.Customization options for users, such as uploading cover images, are being prioritized.Statistical data presentation will be improved with flexible layout options.The team is considering the use of SVG for charts to enhance maintainability.Community feedback is crucial for refining the application and its features.Transitioning to Rails is expected to improve development speed and performance.The current challenges with Next.js are prompting a shift to a more controllable framework.The team is excited about the potential of Rails to streamline their workflow.Maintaining user excitement is essential for the success of the application.Future updates will focus on enhancing the overall user experience and addressing community needs.Chapters00:00 Culinary Trends in France02:59 Seasonal Changes and Outdoor Activities06:02 Winter Preparations and Project Updates08:59 Technical Challenges and Architectural Improvements15:01 Rails Renaissance and Caching Strategies19:58 Community Contributions and Future Plans30:00 UI Development and Custom Data Integration32:59 Enhancing User Experience with Customization35:56 Statistical Data Presentation and Layout40:13 Chart Libraries and SVG Implementation47:00 Future Planning and Community Engagement52:00 Transitioning to Rails and Performance Improvements

SummaryIn this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss their recent experiences, including attending the FANX convention and the upcoming Dragonsteel convention by Brandon Sanderson. They delve into the technical aspects of migrating their application from Next.js to Rails, addressing challenges and solutions encountered during the process. The duo also shares insights on the development of a customizable dashboard and stats page for their application, while contemplating the future of augmented reality and AI in reading and design.TakeawaysSte shares his experience at a friend's wedding and returning with a cold.Adam discusses his excitement for the upcoming Mediterranean cruise.FANX convention was a fun experience for Adam, with many panels and vendors.Brandon Sanderson's Dragonsteel convention is highly anticipated.The duo discusses the challenges of migrating from Next.js to Rails.They explore the potential of a customizable dashboard for their application.The importance of user-specific data in the migration process is highlighted.Ste presents a mockup of the dashboard with various widgets.The conversation touches on the future of augmented reality and AI in reading.They express excitement about the potential of AI to enhance development. Chapters00:00 Introduction and Personal Updates03:00 FANX Convention Experience05:58 Brandon Sanderson's Dragonsteel Convention08:53 Gaming Cafes and Community Spaces10:11 Migration from Next.js to Rails10:55 Technical Challenges in Migration14:52 Dashboard Mockup and Features19:58 Stats Page Development30:02 Future of Augmented Reality and AI

Today we're advancing on Stats, and we'll be doing a building session on the actual components you'll see on your profile. If you want to get a sneak peek and see how we're building Hardcover, join Adam and Ste in an hour-long live.Sound Bites"That's exciting! That's like a big step.""I live in Europe, so that's pretty much by default.""I managed to implement the add widget, remove widget thing."Chapters00:00 Exploring the Real Estate Market02:57 Living in Salt Lake City vs. Europe06:02 Cultural Experiences and Bookshops09:01 Tech Development and AI Integration11:53 Designing the Dashboard for Readers14:55 Backend Migration Challenges17:58 User Experience and Hydration Issues21:11 Stats and Insights for Readers23:57 Supporter Features and User Engagement26:58 Sharing and Social Features30:01 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

SummaryIn this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss their recent activities and plans. They talk about embracing the Paris lifestyle, the culture of characters in Japan and South Korea, upcoming events, and their exploration of moving from Next.js to a React app within their Rails app. They also discuss the challenges and complexities of web development, the potential of open-sourcing their codebase, and their plans for building customizable stats and a dashboard for Hardcover. The conversation focuses on designing the dashboard and stats page for the Hardcover app. They discuss the layout, widgets, and insights that should be included. They also consider the technical aspects of data loading and caching. The conversation ends with a plan to create different widgets for the dashboard and stats page.TakeawaysEmbrace the local lifestyle and culture wherever you are.Consider the use of characters and cartoons to denote brands and create a unique identity.Explore different frameworks and technologies to improve the performance and development process of your app.Consider open-sourcing your codebase to foster collaboration and innovation.Design customizable stats and a dashboard to provide users with personalized insights and a better user experience. The dashboard should include widgets for currently reading books, social activity, journal entries, and progress charts.The stats page should provide insights into reading habits, such as genre preferences and reading slumps.Widgets should be adaptable and allow users to customize their dashboard.Data loading and caching should be optimized to ensure fast loading times.Different headers and controls may be needed for the dashboard and stats page.Narratives and qualitative data can enhance the stats page and provide more meaningful insights.Chapters00:00 Embracing the Paris Lifestyle and Culture of Characters05:31 Exploring the Move from Next.js to a React App within Rails12:31 Challenges and Complexities of Web Development14:37 The Potential of Open-Sourcing the Codebase20:27 Building Customizable Stats and a Dashboard for Hardcover31:59 Designing the Dashboard and Stats Page55:11 Customizable Widgets for Personalized Dashboards56:25 Optimizing Data Loading and Caching58:07 Adding Insights and Qualitative Data to the Stats Page

SummaryThe conversation revolves around Ste's eventful trip to South France and Adam's use of the Apple Vision Pro for focused reading. They discuss the deployment of a new update for hardcover and the feedback received from users regarding the desired stats for reading habits. The top themes identified include pages read, genres read, books read, top authors, and comparisons with other readers. The chat GPT analysis aligns with these themes and also highlights the desire for a year-end summary and understanding trends in reading habits. The conversation explores different visualization options for tracking genre preferences over time and understanding the correlation between genres and themes. It also delves into the desire for insights into reading habits compared to others and the triggers behind reading slumps. The conversation highlights the importance of narrative-driven stats and the potential for sentiment analysis to understand readers' experiences. The top four stats mentioned are books read, pages read, authors, and genres. The conversation concludes with plans to create prototypes of these stats and potentially release them to supporters for feedback.TakeawaysSte had an eventful trip to South France, experiencing a 12-hour train journey due to vandalism, but ultimately enjoyed the sunny beach with his family.Adam shared his use of the Apple Vision Pro for focused reading, finding it helpful for deep concentration.They discussed the deployment of a new update for hardcover, including color-coded avatars and the potential for users to customize their colors.The feedback from users highlighted the desire for stats on pages read, genres read, books read, top authors, and comparisons with other readers. Users also expressed interest in a year-end summary and understanding trends in their reading habits. Visualization options for tracking genre preferences over time and understanding the correlation between genres and themesDesire for insights into reading habits compared to others and the triggers behind reading slumpsImportance of narrative-driven stats and the potential for sentiment analysis to understand readers' experiencesTop four stats mentioned: books read, pages read, authors, and genresPlans to create prototypes of these stats and potentially release them to supporters for feedbackChapters00:00 An Eventful Trip to South France03:10 Focused Reading with the Apple Vision Pro05:58 New Update for Hardcover and Customizable Avatars11:25 Desired Stats for Reading Habits31:04 Visualizing Genre Preferences Over Time33:16 Understanding the Correlation Between Genres and Themes34:45 Exploring Reading Habits and Triggers for Reading Slumps42:13 Stats Based on Feedback48:17 Reading Slumps and Genre Preferences52:43 Improving Genre System for Accurate Tracking56:47 Storing Daily Reading Stats01:00:20 Creating Prototypes of Top Four Stats

SummaryIn this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss their plans for upcoming Hardcover Lives and the importance of marketing emails. They also talk about their personal lives, including their experiences with baguettes and outdoor concerts. The main focus of the conversation is on the development of stats for Hardcover, with Adam and Ste discussing the survey they are creating to gather feedback from readers. They explore the types of stats readers are interested in and how they can make the stats more shareable. The conversation focuses on the design and implementation of stats for the Hardcover app. They discuss the types of information users would like to see, such as reading habits, genres, and themes. They also explore the idea of different user personas and how the stats can cater to their specific needs. The conversation delves into the challenges of creating open-ended survey questions and the time it takes for users to provide thoughtful responses. They discuss the importance of both quantitative and qualitative data in understanding reading habits. The conversation concludes with a discussion on sharing stats and the possibility of adding a header and footer with the user's username when generating shareable images.TakeawaysPlanning and marketing upcoming events, such as Hardcover Lives, can help generate excitement and engagement from readers.Creating a survey to gather feedback from readers is an effective way to understand their needs and preferences when it comes to stats.Stats should provide valuable insights and solve specific problems for readers, such as tracking reading progress and comparing it to goals.Making stats shareable can enhance the reader experience and encourage engagement with friends, family, and book clubs.Considering the frequency and platforms on which readers would like to share their stats can inform the design and structure of the stats. Stats should provide users with insights into their reading habits, genres, and themes.Consider different user personas and tailor the stats to their specific needs.Open-ended survey questions require more time for users to provide thoughtful responses.Both quantitative and qualitative data are important in understanding reading habits.Explore options for sharing stats, such as generating shareable images with a header and footer containing the user's username.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Planning Hardcover Lives07:45 Personal Experiences with Baguettes and Outdoor Concerts15:59 Developing Shareable Stats for Readers21:25 Gathering Feedback through a Reader Survey26:26 Creating Valuable and Insightful Stats27:25 Enhancing Reader Engagement through Shareable Stats28:03 Catering to User Personas29:20 The Challenge of Open-Ended Survey Questions30:12 Balancing Quantitative and Qualitative Data37:32 Enhancing the Sharing of Stats

SummaryIn this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss their recent experiences with DevOps work and a security breach. They then shift their focus to redesigning the stats page on Hardcover. They brainstorm different sections and features for the page, including overall takeaways on books, authors, genres, and moods. They also consider adding stats on reading speed, formats, and referrals. Additionally, they explore the idea of a book calendar, genre breakdowns, and rating comparisons. They discuss the possibility of highlighting the best genre-mood combinations and answering specific questions with one-off stats. The conversation explores various ideas for stats and metrics that could be included on the Hardcover stats page. They discuss stats related to reading activity, book referrals, journal entries, prompts, series completion, and more. They also consider the possibility of creating nested referrals and showcasing stats for people who have created prompts. The conversation ends with a plan to share the ideas with the Hardcover community and gather feedback on the most important stats to include.TakeawaysDevOps work and security breaches can lead to opportunities for improvement and learningThe stats page on Hardcover can be redesigned to include various sections and featuresOverall takeaways on books, authors, genres, and moods can provide valuable insightsStats on reading speed, formats, and referrals can enhance the user experienceA book calendar and genre breakdowns can help users track their reading habitsRating comparisons and one-off stats can provide unique perspectives on reading preferences Include stats related to reading activity, such as average pages per book and average pages per day.Consider including stats on book referrals, such as the most referred book and the total number of readers referred.Explore the possibility of showcasing stats for people who have created prompts and participated in reading challenges.Include stats on series completion and highlight the series that readers have spent the most time in.Gather feedback from the Hardcover community to prioritize the most important stats to include on the stats page.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Discussion of DevOps Work and Security Breach09:24 Redesigning the Stats Page on Hardcover15:33 Overall Takeaways on Books, Authors, Genres, and Moods21:34 Enhancing the User Experience with Reading Speed, Formats, and Referrals25:27 Tracking Reading Habits with a Book Calendar and Genre Breakdowns30:30 Gaining Unique Perspectives with Rating Comparisons and One-Off Stats32:37 Introduction and Overview36:08 Book Referral Stats38:36 List and Favorite Stats43:12 Journal and Quote Stats50:26 Series Completion Stats52:50 Borrowed and Owned Stats56:30 Community Feedback and Conclusion

SummaryAdam and Ste discuss their living situations and the differences between their apartments in Paris and Salt Lake City. They also talk about a recent incident where someone downloaded a large amount of data from their website. They then shift their focus to designing the stats page on Hardcover, discussing the selection of timeframes and the layout of the page. They also consider making changes to the profile page and incorporating custom cover images. In this conversation, Adam and Ste continue their discussion on improving the stats page. They focus on the design and layout of the page, including the different views and sizes of the stats widgets. They also discuss adding additional information, such as the number of books read, and implementing a supporter badge. They explore different design options and consider the user experience on both desktop and mobile devices. Overall, they make good progress on refining the initial impression of the stats page.TakeawaysLiving in a higher floor apartment can provide a quieter environmentDownloading a large amount of data from a website can cause issues and prompt the need for improved security measuresDesigning the stats page on Hardcover involves selecting timeframes and creating a user-friendly layoutConsider making changes to the profile page to align it with other pages on the websiteIncorporating custom cover images can be a valuable feature for users The design and layout of the stats page should create a positive and engaging initial impression for users.Consider different views and sizes of the stats widgets for desktop and mobile devices.Include additional information, such as the number of books read, to enhance the user experience.Implement a supporter badge to incentivize users to sign up for the supporter plan.Continuously refine and improve the profile page to make it more appealing and shareable.Chapters00:00 Introduction06:15 Dealing with Data Download Incidents10:47 Designing the Stats Page on Hardcover19:45 Improving the Profile Page22:18 Incorporating Custom Cover Images36:00 Designing the Stats Page49:48 Creating an Engaging Initial Impression53:13 Reaching a Good Point for the Day57:15 Liking the Idea with the Graph59:27 Stats as the Biggest Support Feature

SummaryAdam and Ste discuss their recent moves and settling into new cities. They also talk about the challenges of moving with pets and the logistics involved. They then discuss the recent updates and improvements to the Hardcover platform, including the reading journal and addition tracking. They also discuss the upcoming stats feature and brainstorm ideas for selecting time periods for the stats. In this conversation, Adam and Ste discuss the design of the reading stats page on Hardcover. They explore different options for selecting date ranges, including using modals and drawers. They also discuss the implementation of a reading similarity feature, which would allow users to compare their reading habits with others. They brainstorm various stats and visualizations that could be included in this feature. Overall, they make progress on the design and layout of the stats page and plan to iterate further before starting the implementation.TakeawaysMoving to a new city can be challenging, but it's also an exciting adventure.Moving with pets can be more complicated due to paperwork and regulations.The Hardcover platform has recently introduced new features like the reading journal and addition tracking.The upcoming stats feature will allow users to track their reading progress and see personalized statistics.Selecting time periods for the stats can be done through predefined options like past month or past year, as well as custom date ranges. Different options for selecting date ranges were explored, including using modals and drawers.The reading similarity feature was discussed, allowing users to compare their reading habits with others.Various stats and visualizations were brainstormed for the reading similarity feature.Progress was made on the design and layout of the stats page, with plans for further iteration before implementation.Chapters00:00 Settling into a New City and Challenges of Moving with Pets03:09 Updates and Improvements to the Hardcover Platform04:56 Introducing the Reading Journal and Addition Tracking10:29 Upcoming Stats Feature for Personalized Reading Statistics16:32 Selecting Time Periods for Stats: Predefined and Custom Options39:34 Designing the Reading Stats Page42:06 Exploring Date Range Selection Options51:23 Implementing Reading Similarity Feature57:15 Brainstorming Stats and Visualizations01:06:41 Making Progress on Design and Layout

SummaryIn this conversation, Adam and Ste chat with Haley Hughes, a YouTuber with over 26,000 subscribers, about her experience with book influencing and creating content. They discuss how Haley discovered Hardcover, her background in mental health, her love for character-focused books, and the challenges of setting boundaries with her community. Haley shares advice for aspiring content creators and emphasizes the importance of staying true to your passions. Hailey discusses her negative experience with Goodreads and the lack of support she received after being attacked by an author and his followers. She highlights the importance of platform values and the need for platforms to take a stand against harassment and abuse. Hailey also shares her ideas for features she would like to see on book platforms, such as a blend of profiles to compare reading tastes and a tool to find book availability and prices. She mentions her upcoming read-a-thon and invites viewers to join her book club on Patreon.TakeawaysStay true to your passions and don't let trends dictate your contentSetting boundaries with your community is important for maintaining a healthy online presenceConsistency is key in content creation, but allow yourself flexibility to create in the momentBuilding a genuine connection with your audience is more valuable than commercializing your content Platforms should take a stand against harassment and abuse and prioritize the safety and well-being of their users.The values of a platform and the team behind it can greatly impact the user experience.Features like comparing reading tastes and finding book availability and prices would enhance the user experience on book platforms.Hailey's upcoming read-a-thon and book club on Patreon offer opportunities for engagement and community building.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Discovering Hardcover03:13 Balancing Mental Health Work and Love for Thriller and Horror Books16:14 Navigating Parasocial Relationships and Setting Boundaries23:58 Advice for Aspiring Content Creators: Stay True to Your Passions29:46 Negative Experience with Goodreads40:26 The Importance of Platform Values45:16 Enhancing the User Experience on Book Platforms49:49 Booktube and Content Creation55:10 Hailey's Book Recommendations57:30 Upcoming Read-a-thon and Book Club