Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#1

Post by dherault » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 1:12 PM UTC

Hi, I'm the creator of serverless-offline (https://github.com/dherault/serverless-offline), a NPM package for local serveless development on AWS.

I'm building a cool product and intend to launch Q1 2023. To gain traction from my target customers, I plan to place a discrete ad at the launch of every serverless-offline instance.

Does it seem like an ok move to you? Or is it something that repels you?

Best,

Re: Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#2

Post by Torwald » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 1:22 PM UTC

Well, I wouldn't mind to see that ad, if it's done tastefully. It's just, I would also think that you are not capable to run a real ad campaign, which in turn would make me loose trust in your business. If you can't run ads, what else is running wrong in your shop? Thus then never consider your product at all, ever.

Even this question should be done anonymously, IMHO, now you just publicly announced that you don't know what you are doing in terms of PR and marketing for your cool product.

Re: Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#3

Post by bediger4000 » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 1:40 PM UTC

I would advise against it. Advertising has known bad effects, and practitioners end up getting lured to the dark side over time.

Re: Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#4

Post by dherault » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 1:41 PM UTC

Torwald wrote: post #2

Well, I wouldn't mind to see that ad, if it's done tastefully. It's just, I would also think that you are not capable to run a real ad campaign, which in turn would make me loose trust in your business. If you can't run ads, what else is running wrong in your shop? Thus then never consider your product at all, ever. Even this question should be done anonymously, IMHO, now you just publicly announced that you don't kn…

Actually I have a solid plan. I just wondered if including my OSS project in it was a good move. Thanks for the answer.

Re: Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#5

Post by Flankk » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 2:08 PM UTC

I would move the project to be under the company instead of your personal account. Place links back to the company on the package website. Link back to your company in the terminal output. I wouldn't go beyond that.

Re: Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#6

Post by groffee » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 2:15 PM UTC

Torwald wrote: post #2

Well, I wouldn't mind to see that ad, if it's done tastefully. It's just, I would also think that you are not capable to run a real ad campaign, which in turn would make me loose trust in your business. If you can't run ads, what else is running wrong in your shop? Thus then never consider your product at all, ever. Even this question should be done anonymously, IMHO, now you just publicly announced that you don't kn…

> I would also think that you are not capable to run a real ad campaign

That seems like a hell of a leap. There's nothing wrong with bringing attention to your other projects, especially at zero cost.

Re: Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#7

Post by Torwald » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 2:29 PM UTC

groffee wrote: post #6

Torwald wrote: post #2

Well, I wouldn't mind to see that ad, if it's done tastefully. It's just, I would also think that you are not capable to run a real ad campaign, which in turn would make me loose trust in your business. If you can't run ads, what else is running wrong in your shop? Thus then never consider your product at all, ever. Even this question should be done anonymously, IMHO, now you just publicly announced that you don't kn…

> I would also think that you are not capable to run a real ad campaign That seems like a hell of a leap. There's nothing wrong with bringing attention to your other projects, especially at zero cost.

It's not a leap at all. If you are knowledgeable in advertising you wouldn't spend the time for such erratic behaviour, for various reasons. For instance, you can't see the overlap of people who work on the OSS code and those making the buying decisions for the commercial product.

BTW, it doesn't come "at zero cost" as you say. You are skewing a very important data point in advertising, the first touch point in the customer journey.

Re: Ask HN: Is it ok to place an ad for my startup in my OSS?

#8

Post by searchableguy » Mon, Aug 08, 2022, 2:32 PM UTC

I think it is fine if it is unintrusive and properly labeled.

If you are launching a paid serverless SAAS service and it is useful to the audience who are using your project, then you can put at the top otherwise I would go for bottom.