How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good • Hacker News Board

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#51

Post by stretchwithme » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 1:01 AM UTC

foxylad wrote: post #48

How to be 90% sure your startup idea is good: ask a woman. I've had lots of "brilliant" ideas, and my wife pooh-poohed them all except one. Guess which one really took off? I think women are less likely to be impressed by the cool tech, and see the actual need (or lack of it!).

I guess this might be true if women were all the same.

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#52

Post by nazgulnarsil » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 1:12 AM UTC

stretchwithme wrote: post #51

foxylad wrote: post #48

How to be 90% sure your startup idea is good: ask a woman. I've had lots of "brilliant" ideas, and my wife pooh-poohed them all except one. Guess which one really took off? I think women are less likely to be impressed by the cool tech, and see the actual need (or lack of it!).

I guess this might be true if women were all the same.

they're not?! furiously rewrites plans

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#53

Post by mkramlich » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 1:33 AM UTC

Great idea. Simple and elegant. Which are also usually the hallmarks of a great idea. :)

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#54

Post by mkramlich » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 1:38 AM UTC

hammock wrote: post #42

(Warning: outsider perspective coming) Why do all of these startup ideas always have similar web layouts? It may be "cool" in YC-land but that's no way to stand out. The idea is intriguing though.

Actually I like this possible recent trend of uber-simplistic web UI designs. I'm a passionate believer that simple web designs are the best. They're the fastest and cheapest to create. They are the fastest to transmit over the intertubes and then to render. And they are the least burdensome on the enduser's eyes and brain. And they help focus on substance & functionality over flash/chrome/foshizzle/sparklies. Pretty is good. But doing something real, quickly, and then getting out of my way, is better.

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#55

Post by MrFlibble » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 5:05 AM UTC

sachinag wrote: post #37

acangiano wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Selling pickaxes, my friend.

I'd be astonished if any of us ever realized any significant revenue. Projects != startups

1. Startup

2. ????

3. Profit!

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#56

Post by j_baker » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 5:19 AM UTC

dkarl wrote: post #40

Want to be 100% sure your startup idea is good? Wait until somebody else succeeds with it.

Or wait until you've succeeded with it of course. I see your point and agree with it though. It's better just to dive in and see if it's successful than to try to make absolutely sure it's good and see someone else take off with it.

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#57

Post by j_baker » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 5:32 AM UTC

hammock wrote: post #42

(Warning: outsider perspective coming) Why do all of these startup ideas always have similar web layouts? It may be "cool" in YC-land but that's no way to stand out. The idea is intriguing though.

I think there's a simpler explanation: they just haven't had time to put something more attractive together. Once they get a bit bigger, they usually seem to grow progressively more fancy.

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#58

Post by phugoid » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 6:13 AM UTC

hammock wrote: post #42

(Warning: outsider perspective coming) Why do all of these startup ideas always have similar web layouts? It may be "cool" in YC-land but that's no way to stand out. The idea is intriguing though.

I posted something to that effect a while ago, and got some _very_ interesting responses. They opened my eyes to css grid frameworks and other goodies, that underpin much of the new minimalist designs.

http://apps.ycombinator.com/item?id=1604693

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#59

Post by cmontgomeryb » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 9:48 AM UTC

wesleyzhao wrote: post #8

Very funny idea (not sure if it is meant to be) but I do agree with nckpark in that getting 5 people to drop a couple bucks doesn't mean much for the quality of the idea. Especially when knowing that most people aren't successful entrepreneurs that know what will work, and even if they are, 5 people doesn't give you a majority. Also I feel a big thing VCs preach is being "contrarian" so having mass belief in an idea…

> Especially when knowing that most people aren't successful entrepreneurs that know what will work,

But surely that isn't the point? Most Amazon customers, most Walmart customers, most McDonalds customers aren't succesful entrepreneurs that know what will work - but they're the guys spending the money. Hopefully on something; (on something that they presumably want, or see some value in) that will make _you_ succesful.

Re: How to be 100% sure your startup idea is good

#60

Post by marcamillion » Wed, Feb 09, 2011, 11:30 AM UTC

Could this be a funding hack? It creates an economic incentive for the founder of the startup to give each of his friends $5 (say give 20 friends), to 'prove' that he has traction.

For $100, he can secure an angel/seed round of $100K.

Wouldn't be surprised if that is one of those unintended consequences that further inflates, what honestly looks like is becoming, the resurgence of a new bubble.

Good idea though, just wondering about the macro implications.