Best of luck to you with your startup! Here are some good articles about negotiation: http://www.negotiatormagazine.com/subject_index.shtml
Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
21–30 of 50 posts
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#22Congrats.
Why are you looking for books on negotiation? I don't have any other than the ones mentioned, but the first rule of negotiation is to pretend like you don't give a shit about the favorable outcome, then proceed from that premise and everything will be fine.
This is jacquesm's must read on consulting: http://jacquesmattheij.com/be-consultant
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#23Fisher and Ury's "Getting to Yes" is the most authoritative text on negotiation and very accessible.
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#24Getting to Yes is a pretty classic negotiation book:
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Yes-Negotiating-Agreement-With...
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#25If you actually want to make your startup work, avoid freelancing. It's way too easy to get sucked into spending all of your time consulting, and it's pretty difficult to be fully mentally engaged in multiple projects. Also, the hardest part of freelancing is when you're just starting out. If you don't already have clients or a reputation, you'll spend all of your time trying to find clients and bidding on projects.…
I second this, pick up work when you absolutely have to and no more. I usually tell everyone I'm always open to contract work but then set my hourly high enough that it creates a nice filter.
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#26I started doing that when I ran out of all my previous savings. If you are confident that you can always make money, wait and give all the time to your startup before it runs out.
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#27Highly recommended, and no one has mentioned yet:
Getting To Yes http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_to_YES
And anything by Cialdini: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cialdini
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#28"... Who can recommend good books/articles on negotiation? ..."
Negotiation is as much about non-verbal as it is verbal. So what's a good way to learn negotiation aside from watching "Lie to me" ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie_to_Me or "Hustle" ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hustle_(TV_series) ? What about playing and learning poker?
In any sort of negotiation it helps if you can understand a) where the person you are negotiating with is coming from and b) what they are really thinking.This is where playing poker can help. To win you sometimes have to bluff (or lie) about your hand. People who are superior at understand and reading what others are thinking can use this to their advantage so try some books on psychology. A good start is understanding "cognitive bias" (how individual psychology can influence individual decisions) ~ http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Cognitive_bias
Another good reference ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ekman
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#29If you actually want to make your startup work, avoid freelancing. It's way too easy to get sucked into spending all of your time consulting, and it's pretty difficult to be fully mentally engaged in multiple projects. Also, the hardest part of freelancing is when you're just starting out. If you don't already have clients or a reputation, you'll spend all of your time trying to find clients and bidding on projects.…
And if you do have to freelance, make a portfolio online with samples of your work. If you don't have any good samples, make them up for dummy companies. Print business cards that have your contact info and what you do written in plain English. Don't spend money on advertising (especially if you don't have any to start with), rather send messages to everyone you know notifying them of your new offerings and pass out business cards at every opportunity. Use Facebook, Twitter and other social networks to your advantage in spreading the word about what you offer.
I've also heard offering commissions for referrals works but I have yet to get any leads like that (maybe it's just my friends?).
Re: Ask HN: So I quit my job to focus on my startup...
#30why are you jumping right into negotiation skills? do you have a product yet? has someone approached you and said "we want to buy your company!"?
i know zackattack's comment got downvoted pretty badly, maybe because he was a bit too facetious in how he phrased it. but you do have some money saved up to last at least a few months, don't you?
edit: i'm not trying to be negative, i am very much for quitting to do your start up. but trying to learn how to negotiate seems like a bad sign. if anything, you should be focused on building something people want right now.