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Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

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Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#131

Post by swat535 »

paultopia wrote: post #122
ryandrake wrote: post #7

Tread carefully. If you’re going to do this, read your current employment agreement carefully especially the parts about Intellectual Property. Every medium-to-large company I have worked at has asserted ownership of everything I build, at work or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time—it doesn't matter. If your employer can imagne a conflict of interest (for example could what you are working on pote…

There's a ton of shitty legal advice in this subthread (NOT this first comment, which at the core "read your agreement" is pretty good advice). Ignore the people downthread who are making specific assertions about what is and isn't enforceable in what state. Rather, follow the advice that sensible people always give in this situation: !!!!! If there is serious money at stake, or a reasonable prospect of serious money…

Fully agree with this, as I pointed out down the thread.

It would be foolish to think you can run a business without legal protection.

That shouldn't prevent one from chasing their dreams though. I think OP's message paint a darker than necessary paint regarding this.

(Source Currently doing this with a lawyer as a cofounder)

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#132

Post by mcjiggerlog »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #99
mcjiggerlog wrote: post #66

I built Artpip ( https://artpip.com ) whilst working fulltime. Spent the odd weeknight and some weekends developing it over the course of a few months, then the same again when I added the pro mode once I realised it could actually make me some money. Not sure you could classify it as a startup, but it makes me a few hundred dollars per month. I'd actually love to grow it more but I'm not sure what the best direction…

That's cool! Where do your source your images from?

All from Wikipedia/Wikidata. Now they're served from my own database.

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#133

Post by zeptomu »

mcjiggerlog wrote: post #66

I built Artpip ( https://artpip.com ) whilst working fulltime. Spent the odd weeknight and some weekends developing it over the course of a few months, then the same again when I added the pro mode once I realised it could actually make me some money. Not sure you could classify it as a startup, but it makes me a few hundred dollars per month. I'd actually love to grow it more but I'm not sure what the best direction…

Nice!

How is the legal situation with these paintings? They are from well known artists (van Gogh, Monet, ...) - is it now possible to sell them because the artists are dead for a long time - I thought that maybe some descendants hold the (exclusive) right to sell them, but I may be wrong ...

Good luck with your endeavor.

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#134

Post by beardface »

Whether or not it will be profitable is yet to be seen, but I am in the process of doing this.

As has already been mentioned, make sure the IP is in your name. My employment contract is one of those generic 'everything you think is ours' kind of affairs. I don't know if it would hold up in court but wanted at least some security. I'm in the UK, so this may not be appropriate to where you are.

After I proved the idea will work but before I started building the product for real, I went to a solicitor (lawyer) and explained my situation. They draw up a Deed of Understanding and Assignment. This is a document that gives scope to the work and states that my employer has no claim to any work inside that scope. My employer (eventually) signed it, as did I, and a witness. It wasn't free, but I feel safer having it.

Even if you're building a product that won't compete with your day job work, do all you can to make sure your employer can't claim it. If you do start making profit and your employer isn't (or is just greedy), it's not outside the realm of possibility that they could find out and claim all rights to it. I also don't see why this couldn't happen after you've left your job, if you built the product while employed.

If you think it's going to go somewhere, speak to a lawyer as soon as you can.

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#135

Post by mcjiggerlog »

zeptomu wrote: post #133
mcjiggerlog wrote: post #66

I built Artpip ( https://artpip.com ) whilst working fulltime. Spent the odd weeknight and some weekends developing it over the course of a few months, then the same again when I added the pro mode once I realised it could actually make me some money. Not sure you could classify it as a startup, but it makes me a few hundred dollars per month. I'd actually love to grow it more but I'm not sure what the best direction…

Nice! How is the legal situation with these paintings? They are from well known artists (van Gogh, Monet, ...) - is it now possible to sell them because the artists are dead for a long time - I thought that maybe some descendants hold the (exclusive) right to sell them, but I may be wrong ... Good luck with your endeavor.

They're all in the public domain due to age since the death of the creator. You can do whatever you like with works in the public domain (yay!).

See the section at the bottom of https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Van_Gogh_-_Starry_... for an example.

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#136

Post by thewizardofaus »

polote wrote: post #128
quickthrower2 wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does you diet suffer? Exercise? Do you get to shower? Sleep much?

I used to exercise every day, now only 3 times a week but sports is more often a good way to gain more energy. I sleep a lot, average 8h30 per day, I really need to sleep a lot

Sleep is good for the soul and mind! I don't know how people can go for extended times without sleep and still be productive...

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#137

Post by swingline-747 »

paultopia wrote: post #122
ryandrake wrote: post #7

Tread carefully. If you’re going to do this, read your current employment agreement carefully especially the parts about Intellectual Property. Every medium-to-large company I have worked at has asserted ownership of everything I build, at work or away from work, using my own equipment, on my own time—it doesn't matter. If your employer can imagne a conflict of interest (for example could what you are working on pote…

There's a ton of shitty legal advice in this subthread (NOT this first comment, which at the core "read your agreement" is pretty good advice). Ignore the people downthread who are making specific assertions about what is and isn't enforceable in what state. Rather, follow the advice that sensible people always give in this situation: !!!!! If there is serious money at stake, or a reasonable prospect of serious money…

IANAL but I would ping WSGR, F&W, Orrick... and be sure first that they're not representing your current employer.

Definitely build things on your own equipment, using different technologies, on your own time and nowhere near said company.

In California, noncompetes are rarely enforceable... but again IANAL and do you own homework.

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#138

Post by ryandrake »

swat535 wrote: post #131
paultopia wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a ton of shitty legal advice in this subthread (NOT this first comment, which at the core "read your agreement" is pretty good advice). Ignore the people downthread who are making specific assertions about what is and isn't enforceable in what state. Rather, follow the advice that sensible people always give in this situation: !!!!! If there is serious money at stake, or a reasonable prospect of serious money…

Fully agree with this, as I pointed out down the thread. It would be foolish to think you can run a business without legal protection. That shouldn't prevent one from chasing their dreams though. I think OP's message paint a darker than necessary paint regarding this. (Source Currently doing this with a lawyer as a cofounder)

Yea I feel bad that ”tread carefully and read your legal agreement” turned out to be so controversial that it derailed an otherwise interesting Ask HN :(

Re: Ask HN: Who here has built a profitable startup while keeping their day job?

#139

Post by mv4 »

_vuqm wrote: post #49

Might not be your typical answer, but I launched an ecommerce store that’s been profitable since the first month. At first I targeted solo devs without much digital design skills, but it turns out that blank sketchpads are very useful to designers and design agencies as well. It’s done well enough where I continue to run out of each batch of inventory and it’s turned a small profit as I continue to order large and la…

Brilliant. Best of luck to you.
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