Updates on My Recent Ventures and Discoveries
Lastest Updates on Curl2Url, Google Indexing API and More
This last week has been amazing, it hasn’t happened anything special, but I have finished and tried several things I wanted to invest time in. Let me share the highlights with you.
Curl2Url Enhancements
I have been working with Curl2Url and I have added two features that I believe are game-changers. Now, you can easily convert a curl request into Python code and even serialize the response if it’s in JSON format. Additionally, I've added the ability to edit a curl request. While these are the last two features I wanted to implement, there's still more to come. I'm currently addressing a few bugs, adding terms of service, creating an About webpage, and working on a promotional video.
I've already crafted two simple videos demonstrating how to get curls from different browsers, and I'm considering a YouTube marketing plan for more engaging content. Here is an example of the simplicity of the video.
Exploring Google Indexing API
Some weeks ago I saw that Tej from the Small Bets community is building Supacrawl, a product for fast indexing websites on Google. This discovery led me to learn about Google's Indexing API. Next week reading X tweets I discovered that Guilherme was sharing a script that used this API. This has been the perfect excuse to get deep into it. I tested it on Bonetflix, a site where I've encountered issues with pages not being indexed. Here is the relation between indexed web pages and non-indexed ones.
I suspect this might be linked to the multiple localizations on the site, including Spanish and English languages with Spain, UK, and US localizations. We will see if indexing makes a difference in this graphic.
The API has a 200-request quota per day (you can check if that changes here). This means I will need some days to index all remaining pages.
X evolution
In December, I began dedicating time to X, and although I haven't been very active, I've been sharing my Substack publications.
After two months on X, I saw that the number of followers or people that want to extract value from you is related to the result of success or the credibility you have gained doing “X”, literally and figuratively. This aligns with the perspective shared by
in his insightful newsletter.
It's noteworthy that individuals often seek guidance from those who have triumphed on a similar path. In my case, I've found inspiration in top solopreneurs who have traversed the indie hacker path for several years. However, their strategies may not be universally applicable, especially for those, like me, who are still in the early stages of building an audience. Hence, I find greater resonance and relevance in learning from peers who share a similar situation or are a few steps ahead in their journey.
While the followers on my personal account have remained relatively stable, the evolution of Bonetflix accounts has been quite promising. From December to today, here is a snapshot of the growth:
Bonetflix: 20 Followers to 46.
Bonetflix UK: 0 to 3 followers.
Bonetflix Spain: 0 to 2 followers.
Bonetflix US: 0 to 20 followers.
It's important to note that Bonetflix follows country-related accounts, and the most substantial progress is evident in the main account and the US account. Additionally, Trim, a competitor offering an extension that displays movie ratings on Netflix and Prime Video, has started following all my Bonetflix accounts. Their strategy seems to involve following all relevant Netflix-related accounts, anticipating reciprocal follows, given their limited content sharing.
While I like their use of an extension, I am cautious about pivoting Bonetflix in the same direction, as I believe profitability might be challenging without resorting to tracking user data extensively, akin to having a spy on your browser.
Movie trailers
In the pursuit of enhancing movie recommendations, I considered the option of incorporating trailers to provide a more engaging viewing experience. To have that option up my sleeve, I first needed to download the trailers. I took Playwright to gather YouTube URLs and YouTube-dl to download YouTube videos. This method allowed me to amass a collection of trailers for various movies.
However, it's essential to approach the use of these trailers with caution, as they are subject to copyright regulations. Having delved into different sources on copyright issues, such as a relevant Quora question and a thread on Reddit, I am aware of the potential legal implications. While trailers serve as promotional tools for movies, they are protected by copyrights, making it necessary to navigate this terrain carefully.
Potential risks include facing DMCA takedown notices, depending on the copyright owner or their legal representatives. While I anticipate minimal issues, it's essential to recognize the possibility of having the account where the videos are posted removed as the most severe consequence.
Here's the recap of a week with a sense of accomplishment. We will see how things evolve.