Introducing PitchFork

Hello! This is my submission for the Appwrite Hashnode hack-a-thon. Just a heads up, I've utilized a feature called "details" in Hashnode. It works like a dropdown, allowing you to click and reveal hidden text. This helps keep the article clean and organized. Simply click on each dropdown to explore more information.

Team Details

PitchFork is only made by one person: Me!

• My GitHub

• My Hashnode RangerDevv

• Gmail: rangerdevv@gmail.com

Description of Project

PitchFork is a platform designed for sharing product ideas and receiving real-time feedback. It provides a convenient "poll" feature that enables users to vote on ideas effortlessly. Additionally, PitchFork offers creators the opportunity to showcase their projects. The platform boasts a clean and user-friendly UI/UX, with a minimalist design for the creation and edit pages.

One of PitchFork's primary objectives is to ensure that all creators and their products and pitches have an equal chance to be seen by users. To achieve this, various shuffling functions and algorithms have been implemented. These mechanisms generate interest in different products and pitches, ensuring fair and balanced exposure for creators. This approach encourages diversity and enables users to explore a wide array of offerings on the platform.

The Inspiration Behind PitchFork

I had been contemplating the idea for PitchFork for several months. Before this project, I had created Rewrit, a platform for sharing documentation and tutorials. I realized that I wanted to create something similar to ProductHunt. Having launched multiple products on ProductHunt myself, I became aware of certain issues. It was challenging to perform basic tasks like editing information, as the buttons and user interface required careful attention and required you to jump through various hoops. Additionally, I noticed that smaller products often struggled to gain visibility, particularly during the middle of the day when users primarily focused on the top-ranked products and rarely scrolled down to discover new and interesting offerings. This observation sparked the idea for PitchFork.

Around the same time, I came across Fireship's videos discussing the process of starting failed applications or businesses. This resonated with me, and I felt compelled to take action. The Appwrite Hashnode hackathon provided the perfect opportunity and served as a calling for me to create PitchFork.

The Real World

Often times people have ideas, whether it was made during a car ride, during a cold shower, or whatever the case might be, people need a way to see if their idea is good or if it is in demand they need a good place to post it. PitchFork serves as a valuable platform in the real world by offering a centralized space for users to share their product ideas, receive real-time feedback, and showcase their projects. It addresses the need for a user-friendly and accessible platform that enables creators to gain visibility and gather insights on their ideas. By incorporating features like polls, easy editing capabilities, and recommendations, PitchFork creates a dynamic and engaging environment for both creators and users. It fosters a supportive community where innovative ideas can thrive, helping entrepreneurs and small businesses gain exposure, refine their products, and connect with potential customers. Ultimately, PitchFork contributes to the growth and success of product development in the real world by facilitating collaboration, feedback, and discovery.

Tech Stack

This is a list of all the packages that I used to create PitchFork:

Usage of Appwrite in PitchFork

PitchFork uses Appwrite in several locations including:

• The Create Page createDocument && createFile

• The Edit Page createDocument && createFile

• The Dashboard Query && listDocuments

• Product Viewing Page listDocuments

• And Much More

Appwrite plays a key role in PitchFork. From sorting the posts to allowing the user to create and edit products and pitches. It utilizes various parts of Appwrite such as user auth, document querying, Appwrite buckets, arrays, attributes, and indexes.

Here are some of the code snippets that use Appwrite

   async function getComments() {
       const promose = appwriteDatabases.listDocuments(
            docId,
            docCollection,
        [
            Query.equal("PostId", postId),
        ]
    );
        const result = await promose;
        comments = result.documents;
    }

Getting the comments using the Appwrite listDocuments feature. Comments.svelte

async function UploadIcon() {
    try {
      if (IconUpload !== null && IconUpload.files) {
          Icon = await appwriteStorage.createFile('646547f5019189c8092b',ID.unique(),IconUpload.files[0]);
      }
    } catch (e) {
        console.log(e);
    }
}

Uploading an Icon using the Appwrite Buckets and createFile function. create.svelte

const entries = (await appwriteDatabases.listDocuments(
    '646538e35dd17306c589',
    '646538eeeface7a4cd39',
    [
        Query.orderAsc('LaunchDate'),
        Query.lessThanEqual('LaunchDate', new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)),
    ]
)) as ProductList;

Sorting the products on the dashboard page using the Appwrite Query function. index.astro

Challenges I Faced

There were multiple challenges that I faced in the process of creating PitchFork. Here are some of the big ones I faced:

Links

Website: https://pitchfork.vercel.app/

Github Repo: https://github.com/RangerDevv/Pitchfork

Video

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank many people for making PitchFork possible. I would first like to thank Appwrite and the Hashnode team for organizing the awesome hack-a-thon. I would like to thank byawitz#8041 from the Appwrite Discord server for being a lifesaver when it came to simple Appwrite and Typescript questions. Lastly, I would love to thank Chad G. Peter (ChatGPT) for helping me write this article.

Thank you so much for this awesome experience

RangerDevv 💖