Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 110 posts

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#71

Post by nostrademons »

wuliwong wrote: post #59

Thanks for asking this, I've wondered the same thing. I actually just launched http://www.SoSoSwift.com 5 days ago. It certainly isn't a company yet but I hope it might grow into one. If not SoSoSwift, I will certainly keep building startups on my nights and weekends. I work for a big tech company. I know we have one of those crazy agreements about them owning everything I make. But, like I've read I don't believe th…

The real risk with IP agreements isn't that you'll get sued, it's that acquirers and investors usually won't touch you unless you can prove you cleanly own all IP.

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#72

Post by reledi »

pud wrote: post #4

I started my first company while employed as a project manager at a web design shop. I started a (smaller) web design shop. While employed, I spent some evenings and weekends trying to find clients. I quit my job when I got my first paying client. The company I started isn't around anymore -- but here I am 18 years later still happily self-employed and doing well. So I'd say it was a success. Edit: Last month I gave…

I'm not sure if your reason for quitting—waking up whenever you wanted—was in jest or not, but it sure resonates with me. It's the little things like that, having a bit of extra freedom, that make a big difference. If you have any employees, I hope they get the same benefits. Thanks for sharing!

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#73

Post by dctoedt »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #64
dctoedt wrote: post #35

Re the employer's possible ownership of the employee's idea: A few years ao I posted an annotated flow chart explaining how (U.S.) law works in this regard -- see http://www.oncontracts.com/docs/Who-owns-an-employee-inventi...

What is employers time if you're on salary?

> What is employers time if you're on salary?

If someone is on salary, "employer's time" is likely to be treated as a shorthand expression; the real issue is whether the employee was acting "within the scope of employment," which takes into account a variety of different factors. See http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ09.pdf (scroll down to "Agency Law") for a general discussion.

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#74

Post by tehwebguy »

iambateman wrote: post #46
toddynho wrote: post #21

I started BuySellAds ( http://buysellads.com ) while employed full-time at HubSpot ( http://hubspot.com ). A few years after leaving, my company ended up on the Inc 500 ( http://www.inc.com/profile/buysellads ) and we're still doing quite well. - I had the project specifically spelled out in my employment agreement with them since I had already been working on it for a while. I started working for them because I genu…

Oddly enough, in 2011 I was employed by BeaconAds, which licensed BuySellAds' technology, while I built a student news aggregator startup (I know, I know). It didn't pan out very well.

You gave it a shot and probably learned some things, don't feel too bad!

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#75

Post by bbody »

alanbyrne wrote: post #3
paraschopra wrote: post #2

Yes, I started http://visualwebsiteoptimizer.com/ when I was employed as R&D engineer. I told them way before and the business interests wasn't competing. The company is doing quite well. My advice would be to say upfront and declare what you're doing, and if possible get in writing that this is something you'll own (and not them).

I agree with paraschopra. Many places I have worked have included a clause in the employment contract that says something along the lines of "Anything you create whilst working for us, including in your own time, will become property of our company"

I have signed contracts like this to but normally they are explicit to that industry, which I think is kind of fair.

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#76

Post by epynonymous »

i started https://getsdone.io this is not a company per se, it's a web application, worked mostly during late nights and some weekends, though having a wife and kid meant my weekends weren't really that available for stints of coding.

there's no traction for the site as i haven't really had time to make the myriad fixes/features, but i am stopping most of the web development after getting feedback from various users that a mobile app would be ideal, mobile first, sort of.

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#77

Post by vyrotek »

Here's a thread I started the day I quit my job to go full-time on my startup. It's fun to look back at what I wrote. I was so excited and terrified at the time. I shared some of my feelings and those of coworkers here.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1347464

We've pivoted a bit and grown over the years. Our company IActionable is a "gamification/engagement" platform. We focus on corporate/enterprise solutions that allow employees and managers to track company specific goals, achievements, performance, sales, etc. - http://IActionable.com

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#78

Post by mqsiuser »

I wrote and contributed important code in an area (Computer Systems Integration) after seeing it lacking for years (https://github.com/mqsiuser/Generic-ESQL-Utilities). I just saw that I could do it and I figured out how and thought intensly about everything (putting in a lot of effort) and... how to benefit from it. Now the software business is not so easy: The right thing: Open Source (Almost) Everything. The problem: How to create income.

Next http://www.use-the-tree.com

Same problem. It isn't easy to monetize in IT. There are paved ways though and I'll certainly be back on a freelance consulting project soon :)

I lost my last one because I was too occupied by my side project (nevermind, the project wasn't really worth it)

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#79

Post by lee »

swombat wrote: post #41

I started my first company while employed as a Consultant at Accenture/UBS. I did not tell anyone at work that I was doing so, nor did I work on the business while at the office. Vocalix was a tech startup, aiming to "put voice on the web". I'll spare you the details, but I worked on it from 4am to 7am every day, mostly thanks to the wond'rous benefits of Modafinil, after which I would take a one hour nap and then go…

Just curious, did you take Modafinil continuously for 9 months straight as well?

Re: Ask HN: Did you start a company whilst employed?

#80

Post by fleitz »

pokstad wrote: post #68
USNetizen wrote: post #54

As it appears to be the case with most people here, I did the same thing - started while still employed. I started a cloud and security solutions company that mostly targets the government market, but also commercial to a degree. My employer was supportive. The government market is a little different, though, so if you work for a large company they sometimes see you as an opportunity to work on contracts that are tar…

That sounds like a huge conflict of interest. At my company we have to sign a COI form to promise we don't engage in such behavior.

Similarly every company makes you sign non-poaching agreements, and then asks you to poach your former colleagues.
Post reply on HN