[Smudge]

If there's a real market for this kind of app, that's great and I hope it does well. But it's not something I would ever use. (This is intended as feedback -- think of me as the type of user you'd have to work hard to win over. Maybe it's a problem you can solve somehow.)

I already have several communication channels available for contacting my friends, and the cost of adding another isn't worth the slight benefit I might get from an app that targets such a specific problem.

In general, instead of managing accounts on 50+ apps, I've reduced most things down to a few spreadsheets and shared documents on Google Docs. It takes so much less effort and mental energy when I can just keep track of everything, however roughly, all in one place.

So, ask yourself, what would make Por Favor the exception to this rule?

[mheap]

Can your partner get the hang of your Google doc? How about your mum? Por Favor is about making things easy for everyone. Your partner types in 'pick up some eggs when you go to the shop' and chooses you as the recipient. When you get to the shop, your phone buzzes to remind you (using geofencing).

It is another communication channel, but it's one that's reserved only for the most important people, and only when they need something. If you get a message on it, you know it needs acting on, right now.

[Smudge]

I understand what you are going for, but in this case, I think a more relevant question is "can my housemate/co-worker/sibling/mom get the hang of email or phone?," in which case the answer is certainly "yes."

If I need something done, and it's important enough that it can't wait, it's also probably important enough to just call someone, instead of relying on a potentially less reliable middle-man service that might only add to the confusion.

I'll note that the Google Docs are generally just for my own use, with the exception of expense tracking and very simple shared lists, which I've never had a problem getting others to contribute to. (My family and friends are pretty good when it comes to tech, so maybe I'm not exactly your target customer when it comes to that.)

I definitely understand where people might benefit from Por Favor over communication channels that are less optimized for this kind of problem, but again, it's not for me. (I guess, in short, it's just too specific.)

Maybe if I were back in college, where the housing situation tends to be close to a lot of other people... I could see a case where my entire suite or floor would subscribe to this service. But I digress...

[mheap]

Por Favor's more than a phone call or a text though, it's also a set of reminders with an alarm to remind you to act on a task at a a specific point in time.

I'm obviously rubbish at the explaining what we do thing (though in my defence we're still working out the details)

I wasn't expecting to see many people on Hacker News saying that they'd adopt the system themselves, but I was hoping that some people would see the merit in it.

You hit the nail on the head about less optimised communication methods. Por Favor is primarily about asking people to do things, then reminding them when the time is right automatically. The time might be a specific time (e.g. 6pm), or when they're next in a certain area (geofencing) (or something else that we haven't thought of yet).

Based on feedback from HN, we're thinking about selling a "Family plan" or something like that, where it's a slightly higher fee, but you can share the service with X people. It's definitely about getting lots of people invested in the system, otherwise it's just another app on your home screen (or, hopefully on your home screen)