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Ask HN: What is the first thing you do before starting a new project?

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Re: Ask HN: What is the first thing you do before starting a new project?

#32

Post by ecaron »

Find if it is already been done. If you find it - contact the developer and figure out how you can help. If you don't find it, keep looking and start asking if other people have heard of it. If you still don't find it, take a couple days off and then start looking again.

Only after you've searched 3 times and couldn't find it - start your new project.

The internet would be a better place if people were 50% as excited to contribute to an existing project as they are starting a new one.

Re: Ask HN: What is the first thing you do before starting a new project?

#33

Post by jmah »

auxbuss wrote: post #13
yuvadam wrote: post #6

mkdir new_project && cd new_project git init .

Add the project to gitolite.conf git remote add origin git@FQDN.com:new_project.git git push origin master git config branch.master.remote origin git config branch.master.merge refs/heads/master

Without need for the configs:

  git push -u origin master

Re: Ask HN: What is the first thing you do before starting a new project?

#34

Post by AlexBlom »

vishaldpatel wrote: post #21
AlexBlom wrote: post #16

Speaking as somebody who generally plays a lead BD role vs. programming (but I'm assuming this question is a level higher than programming, with project being a startup). 1) Ask why people would use it (problem) 2) Figure out who would buy it (exact names, contacts) 3) Rough Wireframes, 5 slide pitch deck 4) That's all I need to meet with customers and get orders. I won't move forward until orders are secured and sig…

Are you saying that you won't move forward with any development - not even a prototype - until you have paying customers? And what does it mean to have a "secured and signed" order? Does it mean that they're about to cut you a first check as an advance on purchasing / subscribing to the product? Have you always practiced this, or did it take some realization? Thanks, - V

The furthest I will generally go is black and white mockups in Balsamiq. If the backend is a little more complex, we may begin planning schemas and algorithms, but rarely much further than this.

By secured and signed, I do mean a signed order for a license, to be delivered at a future date, generally with a discount or longer term to compensate for my clients risk. The delivery date, scope, seats, license term and cheque cutting dates are always pre-defined. Quite often, I'll extend a discount for a downpayment so that the company has some instant cashflow.

I didn't practice this in my first startup, but have since. It's not easy, but always worthwhile in the end, and helps accelerate through that awkward early growth stage, and means while development is going on, I can pitch us with a legitimate client backing.

To clarify: I am almost exclusively in B2B software.

Re: Ask HN: What is the first thing you do before starting a new project?

#40

Post by winsbe01 »

ecaron wrote: post #32

Find if it is already been done. If you find it - contact the developer and figure out how you can help. If you don't find it, keep looking and start asking if other people have heard of it. If you still don't find it, take a couple days off and then start looking again. Only after you've searched 3 times and couldn't find it - start your new project. The internet would be a better place if people were 50% as excited…

I do this too, although I've never reached out to the developer to help because it usually is already a company. But it's a good idea, I will reach out in the future. Thanks!
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