Touchgrass, non-addictive social network, Fediverse and bsky-compatible

Hacker News

Hi guys I'm trying to build a very opinionated social network interface, on top of the existing Fediverse and ATProto protocols, meaning people who are already on Mastodon, Bluesky, Pixelfed, etc. can just link their accounts; but the interface is fully based on non-addictive patterns. It started because I was way too addicted to social media myself and found myself scrolling Reels for hours on end. So I had to delete Facebook and Instagram. But I do want to be able to follow the life of the people that are important to me. I researched "the perfect product" for me and found two avenues: the protocols and the niche networks. The protocols (ActivityPub/Fediverse & ATProto/Atmosphere) are very useful because they break silo's, but the interfaces currently built on them are not what I was looking for. They mimic Twitter and Instagram, while I was more interested in a true friend-focused, less content-focused interface. More classic Facebook, basically. Some niche apps were good too, but they just have too limited a user base, and I'll never be able to convince everyone to join one of those. I also have no clue where their development will go in the future. In the end, I did like early Facebook and Instagram. It's just the enshittified versions that I despise. so I was really looking at this in a way that if I get tired of the platform itself, I (and all users) can move, without having to lose my contacts and content again. So that's why I'm trying to build something where you can follow already existing Mastodon, Pixelfed, Bluesky, etc. accounts and see their content directly in your feed; without having to be too concerned about protocols and servers as a user, as this is clearly a blocking point for many people. So therefor: https://touchgrass.network If people want to try and join and give real user feedback, that would be extremely helpful. I feel like I'm too deep into it to really look at it with fresh eyes. Even if it's just the onboarding process. Any advice and feedback would be great.

Visit product View on Hacker NewsJul 30, 2026

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2points

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Indie HackersFits the IH revenue-focused audience · Strong signals: started, compatible · Missing: supports, reddit linkedin, podcasting

85%85% predicted probability of success on Indie Hackers, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

best fitHighest predicted score across all platforms for this description.

Product HuntOn track for Day 1 leaderboard · Strong signals: apps, user, activity · Missing: mac, agents, macos

83%83% predicted probability of success on Product Hunt, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

TrustMRRLess likely to generate early MRR · Strong signals: apps, users, way · Missing: mobile apps, ios, personal

49%49% predicted probability of success on TrustMRR, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

Hacker NewsMay not resonate with HN audience · Strong signals: exist, existing, io · Missing: https docs, excited, just released

43%43% predicted probability of success on Hacker News, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

nativeThis product was originally launched on this platform.

AppSumoMay struggle as an AppSumo deal · Strong signals: platform, interface, users · Missing: plus, intuitive, reviews

38%38% predicted probability of success on AppSumo, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

Acquire.comPre-revenue stage for this audience · Missing: arr, mrr, revenue

15%15% predicted probability of success on Acquire.com, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

BetaListMay not resonate with beta-testers · Missing: web3, chat, crypto

0%0% predicted probability of success on BetaList, based on ML models trained on real launch data.

Correct prediction on native model

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