Ask HN: Would you be interested in this service?

#1

Post by dooshydoo » Fri, Feb 12, 2010, 4:21 AM UTC

We are in the incubation stage of a business built to meaningfully connect potential startup co-founders.

The pitch is this: Finding the right individual to create a startup with is incredibly important, and should not be left to chance or a class roster. And those who haphazardly jump into business with friends or well-funded acquaintances, risk losing not only money and opportunity, but time as well.

Our hope is to create less of a traditional social network, and more of site with creative barriers to entry, i.e., closer to a dating site that doesn't suck than to LinkedIn.

Ambivalence or Indifference?

Re: Ask HN: Would you be interested in this service?

#2

Post by rewind » Fri, Feb 12, 2010, 4:45 AM UTC

I'm curious about your business model. By explaining that, you'd also be giving a better idea of how you expect potential customers to use your service, which would give us more information with which to form an opinion. Would you be able to elaborate on that a bit?

Re: Ask HN: Would you be interested in this service?

#3

Post by dooshydoo » Fri, Feb 12, 2010, 5:29 AM UTC

rewind wrote: post #2

I'm curious about your business model. By explaining that, you'd also be giving a better idea of how you expect potential customers to use your service, which would give us more information with which to form an opinion. Would you be able to elaborate on that a bit?

Sure. After much debate, we agreed on a subscription-based model over a Freemium one. Due to the potential for fraud, a free version would be unrealistic and inviting spam. To be blunt, this way, everyone has skin in the game from the get go.

I also think it’s better for everyone involved if the structure is there to create a long-term relationship with the people we’re bringing together. The longer we can offer supplemental resources in the early throes of the startup the better, which lends itself to a membership model.

The obvious challenge will be in creating price tiers that are easiest for our members to accept. Having said that, we intend to price ourselves to attract only those who are truly prepared for the leap.