Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#1

Post by herodoturtle » Sun, May 22, 2022, 7:30 PM UTC

If you’re the sole person in charge of codebase, hosting, support, etc. - what sort of measures do you have in place to support your users/customers in the event that your life is unexpectedly taken?

Apologies for the morbid question. I suspect this is a real concern that is shared by many solo founders.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#2

Post by PaulHoule » Sun, May 22, 2022, 7:32 PM UTC

There is always Apres Moi Le Deluge.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#3

Post by alvest » Sun, May 22, 2022, 8:01 PM UTC

Putting your code and documentation into a third party source code escrow is a common solution.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#4

Post by version_five » Sun, May 22, 2022, 8:03 PM UTC

I think it's often a poor focus for founders, until you have a real leadrship team in place and naturally have distributed responsibility. Companies dealing with startups are assuming some risks and should be aware of that. There are more highly probably events (going out of business for example) that your time is better spent mitigating. So my opinion is don't worry about it if you're a 1 person or small operation, just accept that there is a risk, and be honest with customers if it ever comes up.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#5

Post by Tretioh » Sun, May 22, 2022, 8:06 PM UTC

Why?

I don't think you would be in any relevant position at all to care about a startup which is run by you in case you die.

Your family can't run it, others can't just take it over and you are 6 feet under.

Get life insurance and stop worrying about this if you haven't brought the company far enough yet.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#6

Post by alvest » Sun, May 22, 2022, 8:06 PM UTC

You can work with a lawyer to put your business in a trust so that if something happens to you the trust and trustee take over operations.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#7

Post by marginalia_nu » Sun, May 22, 2022, 8:44 PM UTC

Tretioh wrote: post #5

Why? I don't think you would be in any relevant position at all to care about a startup which is run by you in case you die. Your family can't run it, others can't just take it over and you are 6 feet under. Get life insurance and stop worrying about this if you haven't brought the company far enough yet.

Once we are dead, our legacy is what is left of us. Since it all amounts to nothing, might as well try to make a dent in history. Maybe we'll be one of the ones people are still quoting two thousand years later without even realizing it ([... do]lorem ipsum dolor sit amet).

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#8

Post by iqkznnft » Sun, May 22, 2022, 8:55 PM UTC

Look before you cross.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#9

Post by iqkznnft » Sun, May 22, 2022, 8:56 PM UTC

alvest wrote: post #3

Putting your code and documentation into a third party source code escrow is a common solution.

Code is not a company.

Re: Ask HN: Solo founders, what’s your got-hit-by-a-bus strategy?

#10

Post by spacemanmatt » Sun, May 22, 2022, 9:02 PM UTC

I feel like this is something that solo founders don't address because continuity is a concept that attaches to shared assets. Once someone else cares enough to be involved the founder is no longer solo.