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Today’s Daily Digest was crafted by Product Hunt and sponsored by our friends at Blockstack.

Not too long ago, we wrote about how Blockstack (the decentralized computing network and secure app ecosystem) filed with the SEC for a qualified token offering. Last week, that filing made history by becoming the first digital token offering qualified by the SEC.

What does it mean?!

For one, it means you (or anyone who is a qualified purchaser) can purchase Stacks tokens (STX) as part of the qualified sale under Regulation A+. It’s a big step for the future of crypto (and fundraising in general), proving there is a viable path for SEC-qualified token offerings in the US. Before the Reg A qualification, only accredited investors, like VC firms USV, YC, Winklevoss Capital, and Naval Ravikant, had the ability to purchase tokens legally in the U.S. Now it is open to everyone.

More $$$ for decentralized apps

Buoyed by the initial success of Blockstack’s App Mining program and the ongoing token offering, Blockstack plans to increase monthly App Mining payouts starting next month. By May 2020, they anticipate that up to $1M paid will be paid out (in Stacks tokens) monthly. For the record, this money goes directly to developers buildings apps on Blockstack.

Apps!

At Product Hunt, we’ve been an App Reviewer for Blockstack since the beginning of its App Mining program. We’ve had a front row seat to new secure, privacy-focused applications that put users in control of their own personal data.

There’s now more than 170 of these decentralized applications aimed at protecting you from the ground up, including solutions for blogging, fundraising, and creative collaboration. A few of our recent favorites:

💸 BitPatron is a decentralized, censorship-free Patreon alternative
🔑 Closet is a password and secrets manager for teams
🤑 Lannister Capital is a simple wealth manager and financial planner
👀 Paid lets you sell anything and pocket everything with bitcoin
🔮 Predicto lets you make predictions to earn money

You can also check out all of the decentralized apps (there’s 170 of them!) with a Blockstack ID.

Important legal disclaimer below. Sorry, we know it’s long! 😅

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has qualified the offering statement that we have filed with the SEC. The information in that offering statement is more complete than the information we are providing now, and could differ in important ways. You must read the documents filed with the SEC before investing. The offering is being made only by means of its offering statement. This document shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

An indication of interest involves no obligation or commitment of any kind. Any person interested in investing in any offering of Stacks Tokens should review our disclosures and the publicly filed offering statement and the final offering circular that is part of that offering statement here. Blockstack is not registered, licensed or supervised as a broker dealer or investment adviser by the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) or any other financial regulatory authority or licensed to provide any financial advice or services.

Forward-looking statements: This communication contains forward-looking statements that are based on our beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to us. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “will,” “expect,” “would,” “intend,” “believe,” or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements in this document include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans for developing the platform and future utility for the Stacks Token, our Reg A+ offering and launch of our network, and collaborations and partnerships. These statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause actual results or performance to be materially different. More information on the factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause or contribute to such differences is included in our filings with the SEC, including in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion & Analysis” sections of our offering statement on Form 1-A. We cannot assure you that the forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. We disclaim any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

There’s a housing crisis in San Francisco. There’s also crisis-level housing shortages in New York, London, Denver, Phildelphia, Detroit, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle and Boston, to name a few.

This week, we saw an earnest attempt to solve this very real problem with a ~creative~ solution on Product Hunt. It’s called Rent the Backyard, and it’s exactly what it sounds like. 🏡

How it works: Rent the Backyard quite literally builds a studio apartment in your backyard, lists the unit online and then splits the profits with you.

The details: Each studio comes with a bed, a kitchenette and a bathroom with a shower. Depending on the unit, homeowners can also make a few customizations. The startup plans to out these units with solar in 2020, but for the time being, they connect to your home’s utilities to run. Rent the Backyard says it will pay you for these costs off the top of the rental income. 💸

Some initial thoughts from the Product Hunt community:

“This is going to help provide quality rental property in areas that really need it! It will also help keep folks in their homes by monetizing the asset.”

“Could people rent these out to their own adult children and/or ‘pick’ the renter?“

Tell us your thoughts here. 💬

Obviously zoning issues are top of mind for a venture like this, and according to the company, building these type of units are all jurisdiction-dependent. For example, California passed a statewide law in 2016 that eased regulation on these time of structures, which are also known as “Accessory Dwelling Units.” If you’re curious about your area, Rent the Backyard will research your city’s/county’s planning laws on your behalf.

The idea is a turnkey solution to affordable housing, both for renters and homeowners in expensive markets. According to the company, most people will be able to make anywhere from $10-20K in income each year from one of these backyard apartments.

“There’s a lot of complex challenges here but I think the biggest is in how we normalize sharing your backyard space like this. Airbnb and others like it have given us a good start, but installing a backyard apartment is a bigger commitment than trying Airbnb for a weekend. People in California are increasingly aware of these ‘Accessory Dwelling Units” and hopefully that eases the unfamiliarity’ - Rent the Backyard co-founder Spencer Burleigh

Product Hunt pro tip: Launches that inspire the most engagement tell a story.

Products that tie into culturally relevant moments like this new startup from Game of Thrones’ Maisie Williams, viral surprises like Facebook-acquired tbh, and big releases from well-known companies like GitHub often attract the most interest.

We (the Product Hunt team) try to learn from the community and build for things they do (not just what they say). So, back in late 2017 we started exploring how we might deliver tech news and stories in our own unique way.

By early 2018, we launched Sip, a tappable, no-spam tech news digest app that surfaced the most interesting and important tech stories via silent notification every day.

By all accounts, the launch went well:

• It received 2,375 upvotes
• It became the #1 Product of the Day
• It reached #4 Product of the Month

TechCrunch wrote about it. The Next Web wrote about it.

The community seemed to like it, too:



We were off to a good start. But starting is the easy part.

In January 2019, we quietly discontinued Sip. 💀

What happened? We decided to share some takeaways in this post mortem.

We also tease a new project we’ve been working on. Here’s a hint. 🥞

P.S. We want to hear your post mortem stories. Submit them to Maker Stories here.

Last year, Rally Rd. launched on Product Hunt with its investment platform that let anyone buy or sell equity in exotic cars. Last week, the company returned to PH to expand its investment offerings to include wine, whiskey, watches, rare books and other luxury goods. 👀

Rally Rd. ($9.9M raised) is part of a new wave of fintech startups focused on equity-based alternative investments. It’s the 21st century version of building a portfolio. 💸

“When we built V1 of Rally in 2016, we started by making Classic Car investing accessible to everyone — but the vision was always about creating a new paradigm in equity ownership. Since launch, we’ve completed close to 40 Initial Offerings, created true liquidity in alternative assets, and opened our first retail showroom in NY so that everyone can have access to the rarest collectibles on the planet. This week we took the next step in that mission and officially released our next 3 asset offerings: Sports Memorabilia, Vintage Books, and Rare Timepieces, all within the Rally Rd. app,” - Rally Rd. co-founder Rob Petrozzo

What Petrozzo means by “Initial Offerings” is that Rally Rd. prices the “asset” (whether it be a rare Mustang or a first edition Harry Potter book) based on comparable asset values and social data, and then splits the car into shares to run an SEC-qualified Initial Offering. It’s like a mini IPO.

But do people actually think alternative investing can generation a return? Some thoughts from the PH community:

“I've been a happy Rally shareholder since their first car's launch – a 1955 Porsche – and can't wait to invest in their newest asset classes. These are financial investments first and foremost, but there's nothing quite like holding one of these stock certificates, knowing it represents a part of something I dream of calling my own.” - Nick

“These guys get it and are delivering an easy and beautifully designed framework on which to research and trade.” - William

For the record, collectible assets have consistent histories of appreciation — this method of investing simply democratizes the process. For more alternative investments, there’s also Masterworks and Arthena for investing in art (though you need to have a net worth over $1M for this one). And there’s Mythic Markets for investing in fandom collectibles. Last week, Skillshare founder Michael Karnjanaprakorn launched Otis, a platform for fractional ownership of items like Supreme skateboard decks, vintage comic books and a KAWS tondo painting.

We expect to see a continued rise of fractional ownership startups. Would you invest tiny amounts into collectible assets? Tell us in the comments. 💬

Yesterday, Google’s experimental incubator Area 120 unveiled its latest project. It’s an app called Shoelace, and its goal is to help people find things to do with other people who share their interests. Sound familiar? Probably, because it sounds like another crack at a social network.

For context, Google’s last social network, Google+, shut down in April (sort of), and then was reborn as the enterprise-focused Google Currents. For even more context, it’s worth noting that Google+ is the successor to Google Buzz, Google’s social networking/microblogging/messaging tool that was discontinued in 2011.

How Shoelace works: Users can browse through Shoelace’s daily-picked activities, from pickup soccer to dog playdates to comedy shows, or add their own events, dubbed “loops,” to a map. It’s sort of like if Meetup and Facebook Events and a WhatsApp group chat had a baby, served up in a sleek design aimed at millennials and Gen Z-ers.

What it’s really closer to is a social network like Nextdoor, which is based on local connections. While Google is definitely entering a crowded market with Shoelace, there’s clearly a need for a digital tool that facilitates IRL, local connections, because companies keep launching these types of products.

A sampling: There’s Islands for college students, Snap Map to see where your friends are, Hey! for matching and meeting up with others, IRL Social Calendar to help you plan IRL hangs and many, many more.

To start, Shoelace is testing the waters in NYC. If you’re based in New York, maybe try it out this weekend and tell us what you think. If you’re anywhere else in the world, would you use this in your city? Tell us here.

Today’s Digest was crafted by Product Hunt and sponsored by our friends at JotForm.

Some folks may think that forms are dead, and that chatbots and phone tracking software are the future of data collection. However, three-quarters of marketers still use web forms for lead generation, and there’s a reason for that.

JotForm is of the camp that forms are very much alive. The company is dedicated to innovation within the industry, and continues to develop new products, integrations, widgets, and applications in a relentless effort to improve user experiences and increase conversion rates.

As a result, JotForm now has over 5M users collecting critical information with simple-to-build, intuitive online forms.

The company’s newest development? JotForm Mobile Forms. With a powerful offline mode, advanced form fields, and unique features like “kiosk mode” and form assigning, it’s a mobile data collection app that lets you create, share and complete forms from your phone or tablet. You can seamlessly collect data anywhere you go.

More handy products from JotForm:

📝 10,000+ customizable form templates for any type of form you can think of

⚙️ 300+ form widgets designed to collect every bit of data you need

🔗 100+ integrations to link forms with payment processors, CRMs, email marketing and cloud storage apps

✍️ JotForm Cards offers a friendlier way to ask questions with fun, interactive forms

📄 JotForm PDF Editor converts form submissions into professional, personalized PDFs

No, they’re not fake nuggets. They’re real nuggets, made by the world’s first chicken nugget startup, NUGGS.

Yesterday, NUGGS, which makes nuggets from texturized pea protein technology (instead of animal-based technology) officially launched (with $7M in funding). Why it’s not just another plant-based alternative to the animal-based meat industry: NUGGS founder Ben Pasternak plans to run the venture like a tech company.

The team spent over a year of research and development on the “product” — the nuggets — which are free from major allergens like eggs, wheat, dairy and soy. They’re also cholesterol free, contain 22g of protein (about 2x more than animal-based nuggets) and are 180 calories (about 20% less than animal-based nuggets), a formula that “kills you slower,” according to the company. And NUGGS plans to release product updates — they will continuously share how the formula improves over time based on user feedback.

Some feedback for NUGGS from the PH community:

“Indistinguishable from a real chicken nugget, much better” - Allan

“Would love a low(er) carb version if possible!” - Dilan

“I'm excited that tasty meat alternatives are becoming available to the public for a reasonable price! The slick branding and website are a bonus” - Ani

It’s worth noting that Pasternak is 19 years old, and previously created Monkey, which was acquired in 2017 and currently has 20M users. Other NUGGS team members include 20-year-old Head of Product Liam Mullen, a self-taught molecular gastronomist, and 20-year-old Head of Growth Alex Michelle, a social media guru with six million Instagram followers.

For more inspired food choices, check out these products that have launched in the past year:

🍅Misfits Market is ugly produce, delivered monthly

🤑Budget Meal Planner provides calculated recipes on a $5/day budget

😋Soylent Squared are 100g mini meals

🍔Creator makes robot-made burgers

☕️Dripkit Coffee is portable coffee

Today in distracting technology: you can now watch Netflix at work and make it look like you’re on a conference call.

Yesterday, Netflix Hangouts, a Chrome extension that disguises Netflix as a fake four-person conference call, made a splash on Product Hunt. During the “call,” your show of choice will appear in the bottom right grid, while three fake coworkers will appear in the other feeds.

The concept is clever, though you’re coworkers might get suspicious if you’re hangin’ in a Hangout all day. Or if they catch Michael Scott in your meeting.

Some instant reviews:

“This is a terrible idea guys! So terrible it's gooooood” - Robby

“Already watched season 3 of Stranger Things” - Mike

“I don't see how this could possibly go wrong” - Sharon

The maker behind the project is Daniel Greenberg out of Mschf Internet Studios. Over the years, Daniel has made some truly weird, hilarious products that are very internet-y. Most recently, there was Track This by Firefox (opens 100 tabs to distract trackers), The Texting Doorbell (what it sounds like), FlexTime (FaceTime simulations with Kim Kardashian, Post Malone, etc.) and The Persistence of Chaos (malware art), to name a few.

Check out all his projects here.

Now go forth and watch Netflix! Meaning go to work. 😳

Last month, Bye Bye Camera launched on Product Hunt with a lofty goal: to be “the camera for the post-human era.” In practice, this means that every picture you take with Bye Bye Camera automatically removes any people from the photo.

Some initial reactions:

“This is a commentary of the human experience and the experience of humans in app form” - John

“So cool. Who needs humans in pictures anyways?” - Dave

And according to Bye Bye Camera Maker Damjanski, these comments are actually part of the product. In fact, he doesn’t consider Bye Bye Camera a product per se, but more of an “online performance.”

“The launching process for me is always part of the piece. You have an intent or an idea of what’s going to happen when you launch something, but ultimately people will use it in a totally different way” - Damjanski

Bye Bye Camera isn’t Damjanski’s first “online performance” — he’s launched a bunch of wacky, artistic experiments on Product Hunt.

There was MoMAR, an augmented reality “gallery” that allows users to virtually alter physical art. With MoMAR’s release, things got very meta and the PH community started to question the meaning of art itself.

“Great platform that makes you question the very core of what art is and how it exists within our society” - Clemens

There was also Humans Not Invited, a CAPTCHA that filters out humans (we’re sensing a theme 😉) and only lets programs pass. With this project, Damjanski said he was surprised that it turned into “a game” where people tried to hack their way past the CAPTCHA, and would comment on the post when they finally made it in.

When we asked Damjanski about where he gets his inspiration, he said it’s often a long, mindful process.

“It starts out with having read or seen something, and that inspires some thought. Sometimes it’ll take up to a year to do something. For Bye Bye Camera, we started talking about it last February and then this past February we decided to actually make it.”

More works from Damjanski on Product Hunt:

🤔 What am I pretending today? replaces Facebook’s ‘What’s on your mind?’

📸 No Shutter App only takes photos while the iPhone shutter is loading

🙌 Age-Gate With Attitude is a *different* age verification system

😋 Clemo is an SMS-based chat bot for restaurant recommendations

👀#FiveForAll is high five emojis for everyone

👶 Babyname is Tinder for baby names

For the full collection, go here.

It’s Christmas in July! ☀️🎅

Enter to win an iPhone XS, courtesy of our friends at Digg, Triphop, Finimize and more.

The winner will also get:

🔊 A new, second-generation AirPods
📺 A 64GB Apple TV

Note: Due to legal restrictions, this is only limited to U.S. folks. If it were up to us we'd be sending you all iPhones and kittens this year.

Happy Friday. That is all. 😻