Launch HN: Joon (YC W22) – A mobile game that teaches kids to build good habits
The comment section here is pretty negative, and while I tend even to agree with a lot of it, as a school administrator working in the early childhood space, I can shed light on one important element that a lot of folks here are missing:<p>The demand for stuff like this is ABSOLUTELY real, and growing. Lots of folks here have made very thoughtful posts about why this is not an ideal way to motivate a child&#x2F;teach them habits&#x2F;etc., and lots of the responses counter with some wonderful practice that commenters do at home and works for them.<p>I, too, have delivered that spiel about a gazillion time for parents. More specifically, when talking about internet safety, or healthy device use, my mantra is always about how ineffective the notion that &quot;some tool&quot; can solve this for them is, and that honest, deep, meaningful communication with their children is the only real way to address these things. You know... parenting.<p>But 100% of the time, as soon as I am done, I get asked for all sorts of recommendations for things that I JUST told them are actually suboptimal and, ultimately, ineffective. I tend to work with mostly very high-earning families, who either by choice or circumstance, spend usually not that much time with their children and look at this stuff as another one of their many problems that they can outsource a solution to.<p>It seems that OP here has developed a tool that can sell well to the parents (you are developing good habits!) while also appealing to the kids (its just a game!), and has high production value. The thing I&#x27;d argue most of you are missing is that the educational value of this, IF THEY ARE TO SUCCEED AS A BUSINESS, actually takes a backseat to the perceived value that this has for the parents and the kids. Those are not one and the same... at all.<p>One commenter here said that they were surprised, as a parent, that YC would fund something like this. I chuckled, because I think something like this is exactly what following &quot;make something people want&quot; leads you towards, especially in contrast to &quot;make something people need.&quot; I fully agree that no family needs this, and that frankly they are missing out on a lot thinking that this is a healthy thing to bring into their home. But I promise you that loads, and loads of family with lots of money WANT this.