Creating a Free Feedback Platform From Scatch During Pandemic

Written by kshitijsingh | Published 2020/09/11
Tech Story Tags: product-development | javascript | react | clojure | startup | programming | side-project | makers

TLDR An anonymous feedback platform was created all from scratch during the COVID pandemic. Namelss is a side project + a production-ready version of an anonymous feedback tool. Users can give feedback in real-time (sort of chatroom) but all the participants can be anonymous or named based on their personal preferences. In just 2 months, working mostly on weekends and sometimes usual days, I could make it production ready and here I am launching it today. The project is a product hunt product hunt.via the TL;DR App

Hey there, sit back, relax, and enjoy the story about how namelss, an anonymous feedback platform was created all from scratch during the COVID pandemic.
Since my full-time job got converted to WFH setup, I was wondering
what to with the extra time I am saving these days (ex: office commute
time, no self-cooking time, etc).
Also, I wanted to learn Clojure and wanted to create a well-structured production-ready app.
So I started looking for a project idea to work on.
Just then I found one of my colleagues was struggling to find a tool
wherein he can be the single host and invite other people to give
feedback in real-time (sort of chatroom ) but all the participants can
be anonymous or named based on their personal preferences.
Bang! This was a perfect idea and requirement intersection wherein I
could have achieved all that I wanted (side project + Clojure based
app).
Within no time I wrote an RFC/ADR doc around the concept.
As soon as I felt I have captured basic requirements from the project, I started work on it as well.
In just 2 months, working mostly on weekends and sometimes usual
days, I could make it production-ready and here I am launching it today.
(Please upvote on product hunt if you like the project)
About Namelss
<code>🙅 No login/auth required by host or participants
🎭 Participants can be totally anonymous
✈️ Unlimited participants can join
📥 The host can export feedbacks/chats as CSV
🔒The host can lock room for entry when required participants have joined in.
⏳Realtime chatrooms and sessions
</code>
Bonus :
<code>📱The app is a PWA so it can be installed on any device
🔐 Conversations are E2E encrypted
🕸️ Minimal UI
📟 Open Source
It helps with :
    People giving feedback can be totally anonymous
    The host can interact and introspect feedback with audience realtime
    No limit on the number of people that can join the same room at a time
    No context of the data being stored
</code>
More details in the Github repo here

Written by kshitijsingh | Founder @ mytrashcode
Published by HackerNoon on 2020/09/11