Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#31

Post by guynamedloren » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 3:42 AM UTC

unshift wrote: post #8

guynamedloren wrote: post #3

I know this is not the norm for projects here on Hacker News and I realize that it may be seen as rather exploitive, so here's a very very brief background and my thought process: - Idea was conceived around 2am this morning. Saw a few events on facebook picking up speed (hundreds of thousands of attendees) so decided to leverage that instant-market - Wasn't sure whether or not it would work, but I didn't have too mu…

i wouldn't call it exploitive, rather i would say it's very savvy. even if it's a one-time shot, it's real money and you're not doing anything shady to earn it. that's how people build wealth -- seizing opportunity. congrats on the success.

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad the Hacker News community is so understanding and supportive, even with silly little projects like this!

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#32

Post by DTrejo » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 3:46 AM UTC

guynamedloren wrote: post #4

zoowar wrote: post #2

When you earn enough to eat, let us know.

In 8 hours I earned enough to pay for 3 months rent. How's that?

You should write a book and call it

    4 Hour Work-Month

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#33

Post by gregpilling » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 3:52 AM UTC

guynamedloren wrote: post #27

endlessvoid94 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This IS awesome. Could you please provide details about the logistics behind the tshirts? Are you using Zazzle/CafePress? Do you have a contact in the industry that allowed you to very quickly start printing and shipping them? I think that's the part most hackers will be interested in. Congrats on your success!

No zazzle or cafepress. I'm building up orders for a bulk wholesale order of good quality screenprinted tees. Haven't started printing or shipping just yet, as is explained on the site. I don't have a "contact" per se, but I have dabbled in the indie t-shirt world quite a bit so I have printers that I've worked with and I've gotten packaging/shipping down to a science. I can ship shirts in really nice, secure packagi…

Have you looked at the $2.95 shirt guys? http://www.295guys.com/ I have talked to them at some trade shows and they have very aggressive pricing if you are in the 500 unit range.

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#34

Post by jcromartie » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 3:55 AM UTC

Snowpocalypse?

Did we already forget about the blizzard last year?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DCA_Blizzard_02_2010_9127....

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#35

Post by guynamedloren » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 4:00 AM UTC

gregpilling wrote: post #33

guynamedloren wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No zazzle or cafepress. I'm building up orders for a bulk wholesale order of good quality screenprinted tees. Haven't started printing or shipping just yet, as is explained on the site. I don't have a "contact" per se, but I have dabbled in the indie t-shirt world quite a bit so I have printers that I've worked with and I've gotten packaging/shipping down to a science. I can ship shirts in really nice, secure packagi…

Have you looked at the $2.95 shirt guys? http://www.295guys.com/ I have talked to them at some trade shows and they have very aggressive pricing if you are in the 500 unit range.

I have a printer in mind that I've worked with before, but ill definitely give those guys a look. Not in 500 range yet, but I think I just hit viral a few minute ago so it could be a possibility. Thanks for the tip.

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#36

Post by SkyMarshal » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 4:01 AM UTC

guynamedloren wrote: post #3

I know this is not the norm for projects here on Hacker News and I realize that it may be seen as rather exploitive, so here's a very very brief background and my thought process: - Idea was conceived around 2am this morning. Saw a few events on facebook picking up speed (hundreds of thousands of attendees) so decided to leverage that instant-market - Wasn't sure whether or not it would work, but I didn't have too mu…

Quick, write a book before Tim Ferris steals your idea:

The Four Hour Startup

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#37

Post by guynamedloren » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 4:03 AM UTC

madridorama wrote: post #26

endlessvoid94 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This IS awesome. Could you please provide details about the logistics behind the tshirts? Are you using Zazzle/CafePress? Do you have a contact in the industry that allowed you to very quickly start printing and shipping them? I think that's the part most hackers will be interested in. Congrats on your success!

agreed, I am curious about the logistics. I'd guess that he has a wholesale contact, but the margins after shipping would still be very small. assume $8 for a t-shirt, $5 average for shipping, leaves $3 profit per sale.

Margins are much higher than you'd expect. I've worked in the indie t-shirt game before and scrupulously figured out how to squeeze out ea much profit as possible while maintaining good quality. Profits are at least $7/shirt, will increase with decrease in unit cost from larger wholesale quantity.

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#38

Post by joelmichael » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 4:03 AM UTC

Nice work, your good site design is a big part of why it works. Maybe you can turn this into a brand that makes more ironic t-shirts about overblown current events?

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#39

Post by guynamedloren » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 4:05 AM UTC

Mz wrote: post #6

guynamedloren wrote: post #3

I know this is not the norm for projects here on Hacker News and I realize that it may be seen as rather exploitive, so here's a very very brief background and my thought process: - Idea was conceived around 2am this morning. Saw a few events on facebook picking up speed (hundreds of thousands of attendees) so decided to leverage that instant-market - Wasn't sure whether or not it would work, but I didn't have too mu…

How did you get your first order in 4min? I mean, how were you promoting it? I have decided I would like to leave my current job and town (as in "post haste" instead of "someday") and I need funds to do so. A quick influx of money would do wonders for moving that goal forward. Would love to learn anything you can share.

Right now I can tell you I didn't do much to market except designed a good product, a good presentation, and took advantage of the ridiculous amounts of traffic going through the Facebook events mentioned in OP. No magic or silver bullet here. Will go into more detail with a blog post soon. Madebyloren.com

Re: Show HN: My 4-hour project, already profitable

#40

Post by namityadav » Thu, Feb 03, 2011, 4:05 AM UTC

joelmichael wrote: post #38

Nice work, your good site design is a big part of why it works. Maybe you can turn this into a brand that makes more ironic t-shirts about overblown current events?

My first reaction to this comment was: Why would you want to have a business model that relies so much on overblown current events? And then I thought of all the news channels, and suddenly it doesn't sound like a bad model.