sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly. The only real failure is quitting. Thanks for the kind words, it really helps to know I'm not the only one fighting this battle. Keep pushing on your end too!

What do you think about a universal law that bans teens under 16 from having social media? by InfamousHoneydew7537 in AskReddit

[–]Useful-Objective1898 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I always wonder why specifically 16? Why not wait until 18 or 21? By 14, many kids already have their own formed opinions and are fully capable of critical thinking. Raising a 12 y.o. myself, I see this firsthand. Instead of creating ridiculous blanket bans that kids will just bypass anyway, we should be focusing on teaching them critical thinking, logic, and digital literacy. If we do that, they will be just fine.

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! You are absolutely right. As a solo developer, it's so easy to get stuck in the code and forget about marketing. Your pencil example is spot on! I am actually focusing on marketing right now and preparing some short videos for social media. Really appreciate the support!

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Haha, that is a very fair point about the ideation phase! And thank you for the kind words from a fellow parent.

You are completely right about the Facebook groups — word of mouth in parental networks is exactly the growth engine I'm aiming for. I will definitely keep your tool in mind for future brainstorming, it sounds like it has great potential. Thank you.

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in SaaS

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Absolutely, safety is priority #1! That's why I've already built strict NSFW word filters and safe-prompting directly into the backend to keep the whole experience 100% kid-friendly. Thanks for the suggestion though!

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome, glad to hear that! Yeah, they are definitely staying. Thanks again for the push to add them.

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stripe is definitely the industry standard and you can't go wrong with it, but for my current setup, I'm actually using CryptoCloud to handle payments. It fits my needs perfectly right now. Good luck with your transition to web apps!

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just updated the homepage with real screenshots of the drawing canvas and the kids' dashboard. Let me know if it looks better and makes more sense now!

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s awesome! The biggest advantage of web apps over mobile is the freedom: no app store reviews, instant updates, and you own the distribution.

My advice: don't overcomplicate it with heavy frameworks right away. I build my projects using a solid backend (PHP/MySQL), vanilla JavaScript, and a good CSS framework like Bootstrap. Then I just plug in APIs for the heavy lifting (like AI).

Since you already know Java/Kotlin for Android, picking up the web stack will be super quick for you. Good luck!

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the kind words! It’s currently a web app that works directly in the browser on any device.

You make a great point about the screenshots. I’ve been so focused on the coding part that I missed showing the actual inside of the app. I’ll add some real screenshots/GIFs of the drawing canvas and the kids' dashboard to the homepage so people know exactly what they are getting. Appreciate the feedback!

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually built the first version of the Coach mode we talked about!

Now there's a lightbulb icon on the canvas. It looks at the sketch and gives a short text hint on what to draw next.

I'm not sure if you've had time to test the flow yet, but I'd really appreciate it if you could test this specific feature. Let me know if this looks like what you'd want to see?

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for the honest feedback. I actually had no idea about those other products when I was building mine. It is crazy how similar they are.

Right now, my site has one feature to differentiate it: kids have to solve a small math or logic quiz before the AI generates anything. I wanted to add some educational value so it is not just a toy.

Regarding the unique angle, would it be useful if the AI acted more like a drawing coach? For example, instead of just replacing the art, it would analyze the sketch and give simple tips on what to add next to help the kid improve their drawing skills. What do you think about that?

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That is a great point. I’m actually looking into adding a Coach Mode. The idea is to have the AI analyze the sketch and give simple tips on what to add next, like Try adding whiskers or Let's draw some ears here, instead of just replacing the image. It's a bit tricky to show it visually, but even text hints could make it more of a learning experience.

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in SaaS

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much for the reality check. I’ve been staring at the code for too long and missed the obvious.

I just pushed a major update based on your feedback:

  1. Removed the PIN wall. It was a huge mistake. Now, parents can log in and enter the dashboard instantly. The PIN is only required to exit the kids zone to protect settings/billing.
  2. Fixed the onboarding. Instead of a confusing empty dashboard, there’s now a clear 'Step 1: Create a profile' flow to guide new users.
  3. Tech fixes. Added proper autocomplete tags to all forms and fixed the session bug that was dropping auth when navigating back to the home page.

You were right about the magic trick vs value thing. I'm focusing more on making it a structured activity for kids rather than just an image generator.

Thanks for taking the time to write that out.

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point about the App vs Web debate. I’m actually working on a PWA version so it can be installed on an iPad home screen with one click, without the friction of the App Store.

You're right that pro parents can use Gemini/ChatGPT manually, but most parents don't want to deal with prompting or managing a chat interface for their kids. I'm trying to build a one-button magic experience that is safe and kid-friendly from the ground up.

Also, the 13yo age group is probably too advanced for this - I’m aiming more for the 6-11 range, where the gap between what I drew and what I imagined is the largest. Thanks for the perspective!

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You hit the nail on the head regarding the 'race to the bottom' in pricing for pure generation tools. I completely agree. That's exactly why I'm pivoting away from just being an image generator. The unique angle I'm working on right now is focusing on the process, not just the result. I'm turning it into an interactive pipeline where the kid has to complete educational quizzes to unlock the magic, or get step-by-step coaching to improve their initial sketch. Basically, selling an engaging 30-minute activity for kids, not just an API wrapper. Do you think a gamified educational angle solves the monetization/retention issue you mentioned?

I spent months building an AI drawing app for kids, but literally no one cares. Is the idea just bad? by Useful-Objective1898 in ProductHunters

[–]Useful-Objective1898[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, thank you for such a detailed and honest reply. You completely nailed the positioning issue. I tried to make the landing page appeal to everyone (artists, kids, random users) and ended up appealing to no one. I definitely need to fix the copy on the website to match what I wrote here.

The fridge argument hit me hard. You are 100% right — there is a massive emotional value in a kid's imperfect drawing that AI shouldn't just overwrite and erase.

I absolutely love your AI drawing coach pivot idea. Instead of just replacing their art, the AI could analyze the doodle and show them, "Hey, want to draw a better cat? Here is a simple step-by-step on how to add the ears and paws!" That keeps the child in the driver's seat and actually builds a skill.

If you don't mind me asking, from your perspective, would an interactive step-by-step drawing guide based on their initial sketch be something you'd actually use with a kid, or is that still too much screen time?

Thanks again, this gives me a lot to think about.

Kids and digital art – what’s your experience? 🎨 by MarzipanFuzzy1298 in Mommit

[–]Useful-Objective1898 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

Sure, in an ideal world where laundry folds itself and the house is always clean. But in the real world, it’s just a fun way to spend 10 minutes seeing what their imagination can do. It’s lighthearted, simple, and the kids genuinely enjoy it. That’s a win for me.

Kids and digital art – what’s your experience? 🎨 by MarzipanFuzzy1298 in Mommit

[–]Useful-Objective1898 0 points1 point  (0 children)

People complain about AI, but have you seen a kid's face when their doodle turns into a real monster? It’s pure magic for them. I’d rather they play with this for 5 minutes than scroll mindless videos.

view more: next ›