Ask HN: What are you working on? (October 2024)

Hacker News Discussion ↗

HN’s monthly “What are you working on?” thread showcases hundreds of side projects ranging from AI tools, open‑source libraries and new programming languages to custom hardware, robotics, games, education tools, and even home‑built bio labs. Contributors emphasize learning and personal curiosity as much as utility, with many projects aimed at fixing small but real pains in areas like dev tooling, accessibility, personal productivity, and kids’ online safety. A recurring theme is how to balance genuine tinkering with startup-style self‑promotion, and how HN can better foster collaboration and idea‑sharing without being dominated by commercial launches.

Meta: Purpose and Norms of “What are you working on?” Threads

  • Several comments clarify these threads are meant for side projects and “weird obsessions,” not as another startup-promo channel.
  • There’s debate over whether this anti-promotion stance is helpful:
    • One side argues stricter limits preserve genuine conversation and reduce “grindset” self-promo noise.
    • Others say HN already heavily promotes YC startups, so limiting indie self-promo creates a “caste system” and advantages big/corporate players.
    • Some propose clearer, contribution-based rules (e.g., post 10x non-promotional content; more explicit areas where self-promo is welcome).

Community Projects: Broad Themes

  • Many posts are classic hobby builds: game engines, web toys, VR viewers, graphics experiments, telescope and robot builds, CNC/3D-printer hacks, and custom keyboards.
  • Numerous SaaS/“serious” tools also appear despite the “side project” framing: authentication services, API management, build tools, monitoring, ATS, SEO tools, CMSes, etc.
  • Education and learning tools are common: language-learning apps, kid-friendly YouTube frontends, curriculum/game platforms, research organizers, and LLM-based tutors.

AI / LLM-Focused Work

  • Strong presence of LLM projects: personal assistants, town simulators, code-review tools, vector DB alternatives, eval frameworks, prompt-eval zines, multi-model sidebars, transcription/summarization services, and “AI workers.”
  • Some explicitly target children’s content curation, RAG systems, agent tooling, and compliance/robustness for EU AI Act-style regulation.
  • There’s both excitement about new capabilities and concern about “addiction engines” and recommendation algorithms, especially for kids.

Hardware, Robotics, and Bio

  • Many hardware builds: quadruped robots, telescope trackers, infusion pumps, kayak autopilots, custom NC machines, split-flap collators, retro-computer projects, DIY EVs, ZXSpectrum recreations, and home labs.
  • A notable bio project aims at ultra-cheap DNA synthesis via a home lab; thread includes both admiration and legal/ethical skepticism.

Personal Projects & Wellbeing

  • Several posts focus on mental health, burnout, negative belief rewiring, and simply “working on not working.”
  • Non-tech creativity is valued: knitting, graphic novels, coloring pages, zines, journaling aids, and offline/analog hobbies.
  • A recurring undercurrent: desire for autonomy, meaningful work, and smaller, human-scale communities (local social networks, neighborhood tools, city-planning activism).