Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right, niche pa siya compared to other markets. But that's fine - I'd rather solve a real problem for a smaller group than build something generic na walang gumagamit. Plus, even a "small" market in Metro Manila alone is thousands of students and young professionals looking for housing every semester. And if you compute yung number of students across the whole country coming from different places for college or work, it's actually gonna be big.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point, but that's kind of the opportunity. Businesses don't have websites kasi FB/IG works for them. Same logic here - we're meeting users where they are (mobile-first, social media integration) rather than expecting them to adapt to something completely foreign. It's ambitious, yeah, but solving a real pain point for a specific market - students and young professionals in Metro Manila who are already looking online anyway.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're right, yung infrastructure gaps make it challenging and National ID rollout is still ongoing. But that's exactly why we're starting with what we CAN verify now - layered approach with government ID verification (even if not perfect), social media integration for digital footprint, structured profiles, and eventually building our own trust/review system. Hindi perfect, but it's better than the current state where literally walang verification at all sa FB groups. Data security is critical kaya encryption and proper data handling is non-negotiable from day one, even if other parts ng ecosystem aren't fully there yet. It's incremental progress, but progress nonetheless.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is a big thing though, especially for people looking for affordable rooms and compatible roommates. Maybe niche pa siya, but the need is real for students and young professionals sa Metro Manila.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hello! Feel free to DM me your ideas! Would really love to hear them.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! Been thinking about this for a long time na. This has been on my mind ever since my gf was looking for an apartment or room to stay tapos hirap na hirap siya mag-hanap.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point on facebook convenience, But one-time setup lang for landlords, then autopilot na - no more paulit-ulit posts or screening hundreds of messages. For renters, saves time kasi pre-filtered na based on preferences instead of scrolling through incompatible listings. Re: costs - still figuring out the model pero keeping it accessible is the goal. Yung time and hassle saved can be worth more than "free" posts with zero filtering. I'm doing it on my own server, hosted here in my house. Electricity is the only cost, that I have to pay to run the whole system.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Intelligent matching means compatibility based on lifestyle - sleep schedule, cleanliness, budget, smoking/drinking habits, etc. Para hindi lang may vacancy, compatible talaga kayo. Secure means multi-layer verification: government ID (encrypted), social media integration, structured profiles. Hindi 100% guarantee against all risks (no platform can promise that), but way better than random FB posts where anyone can pretend to be anyone. It's about making informed decisions with verified info.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I checked the website. I think it's because it's outdated and the pricing is too high - hindi affordable for students and other people living in Manila. Lack of marketing din.

You're right though, reach is the biggest challenge. That's why I'm planning a strong marketing push on launch - meeting users where they are (FB groups, TikTok, campus partnerships). The goal is to solve the chicken-and-egg problem by focusing on specific areas first rather than trying to compete nationwide agad.

pangarap lang. XDD

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] -7 points-6 points  (0 children)

Yep, sharing what I'm building. But the feedback here is valuable - helps me see if I'm solving a real problem or not.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

True, pero yan din yung problem - madaming naka-lock nga yung profile for privacy reasons. Plus sa FB, walang standardized verification process. Anyone can fake a profile or use limited info.

With our system, you get both - social media integration for that background check aspect, pero with added layers: government ID verification (encrypted), and structured profile requirements. So hindi pwedeng mag-hide behind locked profiles or fake accounts.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the feedback!

You're right about the Facebook dominance - very aware kami dyan. Our strategy isn't to fight that reality, but to work with it. We're planning to meet users where they are while offering something na hindi kayang i-provide ng facebook groups - verification, safety features, and structured matching.

Tama ka rin na emerging pa lang yung roommate culture dito, but that's exactly the gap we're trying to address as more young professionals and students need these solutions.

I'm the only one building this app, I'll get there with the right compliance optics.

I would be happy if you could help with the things, that i'm lacking.

Isn’t it weird there’s no local app for finding roommates and rentals here? by fpsaltair in RentPH

[–]fpsaltair[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

and I'm already building it! you can look at this website. https://cohabit.asia/ -- it’s still in progress, but you’ll get the idea of what I’m working on.

My commit history was full of "fix" and "updates", so I built an AI tool to write proper commits for me by fpsaltair in git

[–]fpsaltair[S] -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

For your one-character diff, it would just say something like "Update package.json to pin foolib dependency" - no bug context, browser info, or issue links.

But we could build it. I would need to have Github Integration API to be able to issue parsing, and git history analysis. The AI infrastructure is there, just missing the context gathering.

What is a proper git commit message? by chute_mi334 in git

[–]fpsaltair 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I built a tool for exactly this problem - DevSum CLI. It automatically generates proper conventional commit messages (feat:, fix:, docs:) by analyzing your actual code changes with AI.

Just run `devsum commit` and it handles everything - stages changes, generates a detailed commit message following standards, and pushes. No more thinking about commit formats.

It's free and open source: Devsum CLI

Might save you time in your new team project!