| > You need as much data as possible. You need to separate the signal from the noise, and ramping up the noise isn't the solution. Quality takes precedence over quantity. Benjamin Franklin identified thirteen 'virtues', and those signals seemed to work for him. > I propose a simple data entry framework: click a button, and that event gets tracked. The problem with data entry is that it requires the motivation and initiative of the user, which is precisely what the user lacks. That's the reason people get personal trainers and life coaches: you need someone else to keep you accountable and motivated. > Machine Learning Matters Here's where I think almost all of these personal-analytic type applications go wrong: it's trying to solve a very subjective human problem with a very objective machine program. Here's an alternative startup idea: a web application for life coaches and their clients, focused on providing them the tools they need to communicate better with one another. I'm betting that life coaches use email, text messages, phone calls, a calendar, and maybe a spreadsheet. They probably could use some help integrating all those tools and all the data they are collecting. |
And as far a motivation, the mobile component is essential because it will literally buzz in your pocket to remind you to do things.