Ask HN: Most interesting tech you built for just yourself?

I set up custom entry codes that I could hand out to anyone. Everyone got their own code, and it would text me whenever someone used a code so I'd instantly know who was coming. The text conversation was my timestamped access log. I also put time constraints on some codes so e.g. Doordash couldn't open the gate in the middle of the night, or I could set up a temporary access code for a party, and I rotated codes too, with text notifications if an outdated code was used.

I thought about making a paid app out of it, but it just didn't seem worthwhile. I didn't expect that many people would want to pay for it. For a while I was excited about a YC startup called Doorport that was going to make a hardware device that you'd install inside those dumb call boxes and make them smart with all sorts of cool features, better than my Twilio hack. But I think they pivoted to a much less interesting pure software thing and then got acquihired.

I use twilio to make outbound calls to that number using my registered phonenumber. I put a Django app in front for home owners so they can add authorized phone numbers with a expiration date.

Whenever someone is a the gate they call a twilio number, my django app checks the validity, opens the gate by calling the gate’s number with my number as ID, plays back some welcome message “hello chris, welcome to…” and sends the owner a push notification that person X is en route.

Todo: add a feature to redirect an unknown number directly to the owner and open the gate after manual verification.

You could also have a fallback that forwards the call to your cell phone after a failed attempt at entering the code. But most of the reason I built this was so it would stop calling me at random times, so I didn't really want that.

With triggers like: If the cleaner is more than 15 min late 5 times in a period of 3 months and there are more than 5 resumes posted for cleaning positions do not open the door and fire them.

I had mine integrated with Home Assistant and got notifications via a telegram integration.

I also had mine setup so me or my room-mate in our apartment telegram group could register new codes, or generate single-use codes.

I also considered building it into a paid app, but came to the same conclusion :-)

Thieves didn't bother with codes, they would just climb over the gate or tailgate someone else.

Obviously to make a real app out of it I would have redone it in a real programming language and made some frontends for web/Android/iOS.

Someone else pointed out https://freshbuzzer.com which looks like a real product that does the same thing.

for people that don't want to click... $450/month and also buzzmein was the old name

I hope what you’re describing never becomes a reality. People aren’t disposable tissues for your convenience.

Also Hooked it up to Twilio so I could text a number and it would let me in.

Added passwords and such so I could share it with friends.