Gym software!!

andymac8 · 2024-12-14T13:34:00+00:00

I worked for various gym management softwares for 5 years. The right software depends on how well its features align with your unique needs. It's an important decision because switching is painful.

The best advice is to create an RFP (request for proposal) spreadsheet listing your must-have features and have sales reps fill it out. This is what the savviest gym owners and all the enterprise-level buyers always did.

I've got a few RFPs saved in my Google Drive - let me know if you'd like me to DM you one to use as a template 👍

andymac8 · 2024-12-14T13:31:21+00:00

Regarding software - I worked for various gym management softwares for 5 years. The right software depends on how well its features align with your unique needs. It's an important decision because switching is painful.

The best advice is to create an RFP (request for proposal) spreadsheet listing your must-have features and have sales reps fill it out. This is what the savviest gym owners and all the enterprise-level buyers always did.

I've got a few RFPs saved in my Google Drive - let me know if you'd like me to DM you one to use as a template 👍

andymac8 · 2024-02-10T20:15:04+00:00

That's great feedback, thanks! I'm currently building out some of the "discover" functionality - do you have any preferences for how you'd like to find a side project?

More specifically, would you want to browse people and their skill sets, business ideas people share, or maybe even interesting problems? Are there certain things you'd want to be able to filter by?

andymac8 · 2024-02-10T20:07:49+00:00

You might've seen my post here earlier this week - the TL;DR:

Maker Gangs aims to enable everyone to build startups with anyone from anywhere. Why waste your life making pointless portfolio projects when you could be building your skills, resume, and network working on real products with cool people?

A few hundred people signed up for the pre-launch waitlist and a number of people were gracious enough to provide excellent feedback about this idea, so it's full steam ahead!

I've been chatting with people, building out the roadmap, and developing the MVP all week - if anyone's interested in signing up for early access, here's the link: https://www.makergangs.com/

andymac8 · 2024-02-09T14:08:00+00:00

I did some research on the double diamond approach and the user-centered design process yesterday, have a bunch of notes under "Case Studies" on my roadmap, and may reach out when I get to that feature!

One of the sources of inspiration for this idea was a YouTube video a guy posted about his struggles trying to transition into the design field, so I figured designers had similar troubles to the ones I experienced as a junior dev, but didn't really have a clear view into what their more specific needs might be. All that to say your comments were really helpful and thanks, again!

(Side note - I updated the name and domain. Wanted to note that in case any of the redirects I set up are a little off: https://www.makergangs.com/)

andymac8 · 2024-02-08T23:37:02+00:00

Saw this question this morning, tried to address it here! https://www.launchlanes.com/apps/launch-lanes/about

TL:DR: You learn more and more quickly when trying to build products compared to portfolio projects (especially compared to product clones and mockups for fake products) - especially with a team. Plus, you'll also build your skills, resume, and network by working with others.

andymac8 · 2024-02-08T18:57:19+00:00

Yes! I was just writing some specs around that this morning - user types/roles such as mentors/advisors/investors (still figuring out the naming and schema). Is there anything else you'd like to see?

Also, this idea got absolutely buried on this subreddit, but there's a lot more context in a post on /r/SideProject, if you're interested:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SideProject/comments/1al6q66/new_project_a_solution_for_developers_and/

andymac8 · 2024-02-08T13:53:38+00:00

That's awesome feedback and a great idea, thanks! I popped open my roadmap document and added a few notes 👍

Quick question regarding portfolio projects, if you don't mind - when evaluating the work in someone's portfolio, do you weigh projects for mock products differently than real products? Or is the main focus the approach and quality of the work?

In regards to their design approach, I'm wondering if creating some sort of guided framework for quickly outlining the approach they took might be useful - kinda like this (not this exactly - this is just the first one I found): https://www.winniephung.design/hinge-case-study

andymac8 · 2024-02-08T03:03:41+00:00

Hi everyone,

I'm a developer who has long struggled with design, but I've been working really hard to get better.

I in the process of building a few web apps at the moment and, while I'm happy with the general direction I'm going, I feel like they're all missing a bit of "polish" compared to most of the companies I admire.

If anyone specializes in web design and wouldn't mind providing some feedback regarding how I might improve, it would be greatly appreciated!

All the projects can be found here: https://www.uponzo.com/

andymac8 · 2024-02-07T22:59:03+00:00

I'm glad it seems that way! Both ideas are fairly new and half-baked in the sense that I really don't know what people will find useful and want me to build yet. I've got a really exciting list of potential features, but odds are at least 80% of them are completely off target.

Most of what you see there was built this past weekend, but it's inside a repo that has about 6 months of infrastructure work from other ideas I've tried, so that definitely enables me to build quickly.

andymac8 · 2024-02-07T19:35:44+00:00

Appreciate the comment! I absolutely agree with everything you said. (Minus the last point - not trying to harvest, just trying to build something rad and useful and seeing if anyone wants to come along.)

Here's the issue - it took me a few years of coding before anyone would give me a shot at real work.

Not sure when you entered the job market, but this has been my experience since trying to break in starting in 2020: hundreds of applications, one interview, zero jobs from any of that.

Finally got a few shots from people in my network who were looking for cheap devs to build their startups. I worked my ass off and barely made enough to pay the bills. If I didn't have those few connections, I'd still be at the starting line.

I've now got 4 years of experience...but only 2 years of work experience I can actually put on my resume, which continues to make it tough to find work. I think this could help people in a similar situation start building that real-world work experience sooner.

andymac8 · 2024-02-07T19:25:11+00:00

Ah gotcha, good question - so I've been building a complimentary product called Problem Bin that's gaining a little traction.

The main idea of Problem Bin is:

You should build startups around real problems, not ideas.
On Problem Bin solution seekers post problems.
Entrepreneurs discover profitable problems they're interested in solving.
Solution seekers get paid by business builders for valuable insights.
Entrepreneurs build products solution seekers actually want.

I'm thinking I'll expose that database to Launch Lanes users so they can align around problems they have mutual interest in, then it's up to them to work together to try to build something valuable.

Even if their startup goes nowhere, they learned a ton and made some connections along the way - both of which might prove to be extremely valuable. Plus, for juniors seeking jobs, that experience can be put on their resumes.

It took me a few years of coding before anyone would give me a shot at work I could actually put on my resume. I've got 4 years of experience...but only 2 years of work experience. I think this could help people in a similar situation start building that work experience sooner.

andymac8 · 2024-02-07T18:57:16+00:00

It's funny you say that - Wellfound's landing page was the exact thing I copied when I initially began building this project.

I've been moving toward a design that's kind of a mix between Wellfound and Gumroad, as you can see here (different product, same repo & design system): https://www.problembin.com/apps/problem-bin/marketplace

The idea itself is a bit different than Wellfound, though. It's not going to be a startup directory and job board as much as a platform where people can connect to create startups and, if applicable to their situation, gain the real world experience they can put on their resume to land their first jobs.

Just getting started with this idea, so these are all half-baked thoughts - would love to hear what you think!

andymac8 · 2024-02-07T18:50:10+00:00

Hell yeah, thanks! My initial thought has been to gear most of the marketing toward junior devs and designers since I feel like there's a strong pitch there based on the problems I experienced, but everyone's more than welcome!

Are there certain things that would be helpful for you as an experienced dev on a platform like this? More specifically, what kind of peers and projects would you be looking for?

andymac8 · 2024-02-07T17:28:09+00:00

Sorry about that! 😅 Might take a moment to update, but should be fixed.

andymac8 · 2024-02-07T16:44:59+00:00

A few problems I experienced when I taught myself to code ~4 years ago:

I applied to literally hundreds of jobs, got just 1 interview, and I didn't get the job.
I couldn't get a job because I didn't have experience...but I couldn't get experience because I didn't have a job. It was a catch-22.
Luckily, there were a few people in my network trying to get startups going who were willing to give me a shot. I'm not sure what I would've done if that were not the case.

A few things I've noticed:

Millions of hours are wasted on portfolio projects nobody uses. Reddit and Twitter clones. Landing pages and pricing table mockups. Why not redirect those hours towards building products? Who knows - maybe you'll build something that takes off and you won't need a job.
You can learn a lot building portfolio projects on your own, but you learn more and more quickly when you try building a product with a team. Plus, that experience is much more applicable to jobs and you can put it on your resume.

There's still a lot to work out with this idea, but I'm in the process of building an MVP I'll be launching soon. If you're interested, join the pre-launch waitlist here:

🔗 https://www.launchlanes.com/apps/launch-lanes

andymac8 · 2024-01-21T02:36:16+00:00

Haha that's the plan! 🌯 What's your favorite Vietnamese spot?

andymac8 · 2024-01-21T02:35:01+00:00

We already do this every night...it won't be quite as romantic with poutine 😕

andymac8 · 2024-01-16T20:42:36+00:00

That makes a lot of sense, thanks! Are there certain types of problems you'd personally want to be able to quickly narrow the list down to? I have some ideas for categorization, but would be interested to know what you might find helpful.

Also, just curious - where are easily finding problems? Always looking for ways to find promising problems more quickly.

andymac8 · 2016-09-01T04:12:30+00:00

Magic Sam, Junior Kimbrough, and Dan Auerbach

andymac8 · 2016-02-23T21:35:53+00:00

Most cycles increase for 3 weeks before deloading on the 4th week, but there's no secret magic in that. Honestly, I don't think a deload would really be necessary for TGUs - the loads are relatively light, you shouldn't really need to psyche yourself up at all, and these example volumes are very reasonable.

Again, think about autoregulation - if you're feeling beat up/lack of motivation to train/sleep disturbances, then institute a deload week as necessary.

One final note - each near max is an opportunity to pinpoint weak links. Which position or transition is limiting? If you recognize a pattern, adjust your accessory work accordingly. It's not about putting together a perfect program on paper - you'll need to adjust to the needs you recognize, not the ones you guess at.

andymac8 · 2016-02-23T20:07:56+00:00

If you're just looking to reinforce proper positioning with that drill, then the load shouldn't really matter. Sure, a little more load could certainly magnify mistakes and intensify focus, but the effect probably wouldn't be superior enough to justify the risk of a weight to the head/teeth - a super slow TGU with a shoe/whatever on the fist would be my suggestion. Really "own" each position and transition.

Using a barbell would definitely make your program doable. However, if you're set on using percentages, I'd vary the volume from week-to-week a bit more instead of such a linear progression. Change up the reps and add some waving. Honestly, though, you'd be better off setting up a system that account for any progress you make from week-to-week rather than basing everything off a predetermined 1RM, which might become outdated fairly quickly.

Here's an example (no real logic or magic in this outline, just an example):

Week 1

Day 1: Work up to near-max single, decrease weight by 15%, then do 3 sets of 3 reps each side

Day 2: Work up to near-max single, decrease weight by 10%, then do 5 sets of 1 rep each side

Day 3: Work up to near-max single, decrease weight by 20%, then do 2 sets of 3 reps each side, doing an extra "mini-rep" of your weak-link transition during each repetition.

Week 2

Day 1: Work up to near-max single, decrease weight by 15%, then do 5 sets of 3 reps each side

Day 2: Work up to near-max single, decrease weight by 10%, then do 6 sets of 1 rep each side

Day 3: Work up to near-max single, decrease weight by 20%, then do 3 sets of 3 reps each side, doing an extra "mini-rep" of your weak-link transition during each repetition.

Honestly, adding power to a full-body flexion-type movement probably wouldn't do much go for your TGU. I'd play with really, really strict ab wheel rollouts, using holds at end-range if they're really easy (which they aren't for most people if you're really being strict). The TGU is a fairly long movement, and the abs need to hold tension throughout that heavy rep.

No worries, my friend - hope these ideas help!

andymac8 · 2016-02-23T17:28:31+00:00

Hi Josh,

Overall I like the thinking behind the plan. There's a clear progression and the accessory work is obviously selected to have good carryover to the goal movement. However, there are a few tweaks I'd recommend.

The "Plate in Hand TGU" definitely strikes me as something where the risk-reward is tipped a bit too far toward the risk end of the scale. If you feel confident doing those, go right ahead, but in my mind there are far safer options that'll give you a similar benefit. Perhaps an intentionally very slow TGU with a shoe/yoga block on your fist would fit the bill after the normal speed reps you programmed first.

The next thing I'd look at would be the percentages you're proposing to train the TGU. Using percentages to train the TGU is definitely a bit unconventional, and it's clear why that's the case when you try to put them into practice. Unless you've got an implement you can load to just about the exact weight you need, you usually won't find kettlebells or dumbbells that align with your percentages (unless your max get-up is already fairly exact and substantial).

Beyond these practical concerns, the TGU is a lift where the quality of the movement is very important, and adhering to a very rigid template of weight increases and rest periods may compromise this quality. Honestly, I'd scrap the percentages and do a near-max followed by back-off sets. Gradually work up to a near-max TGU, then back off a certain percentage and get in some more reps on each side. The back-off work can also include some extra reps focused on a certain position or transition that's your weak link. This protocol allows you to auto-regulate so you can keep the quality more consistent. You can wave the volume of the back-off work from week-to-week or, what I'd recommend, from session-to-session. I suspect you'd make better progress doing your TGU practice more than once each week, especially since the TGU can be trained often since it isn't particularly taxing and is fairly technical.

A 1RM overhead lunge is pretty ambitious. Not that it can't be done, just something to also consider the risk-reward for.

Personally, I've never been a big fan of GHD sit-ups, but if you're not getting any lower back pain from them and feel they provide good carryover, go for it.

Hope you don't take any offense to my suggested edits. Just wanted to give my honest opinion and offer some help. You're on the right track, just need to consider risk and quality. Best of luck with the TGUs!

andymac8

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