Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

What's the holdup on your startup?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

21–30 of 35 posts

Re: What's the holdup on your startup?

#21

Post by mrevelle »

sabat wrote: post #20
mrevelle wrote: post #13

Identifying a good idea is my limiting factor. I have the ability (practical and theoretical) to create all sorts of software, but no idea feels solid enough to base my future on. For most of the ideas, the market is too small or saturated. I wonder if I'm thinking too small.

ME TOO. Amen, brother. I have vague ideas and have the feeling I might be onto something but concrete ideas elude me. :-( :-(

Found a summary of a book on "lateral marketing" from a previous "Ask YC" thread that's helpful, though obvious.

It's nice to have the vocabulary, and associated granularity, for idea-forming.

http://www.squeezedbooks.com/book/show/5/lateral-marketing-n...

Re: What's the holdup on your startup?

#22

Post by chrisconley »

mrevelle wrote: post #13

Identifying a good idea is my limiting factor. I have the ability (practical and theoretical) to create all sorts of software, but no idea feels solid enough to base my future on. For most of the ideas, the market is too small or saturated. I wonder if I'm thinking too small.

I'm the opposite; too many ideas coming and going all the time and not enough time to do anything with

though, maybe that's for the better as I would end up pursuing a lot of things that had little or no substance

Re: What's the holdup on your startup?

#23

Post by nkohari »

mrevelle wrote: post #13

Identifying a good idea is my limiting factor. I have the ability (practical and theoretical) to create all sorts of software, but no idea feels solid enough to base my future on. For most of the ideas, the market is too small or saturated. I wonder if I'm thinking too small.

You're probably thinking too big. I have that problem often. Sometimes, the best ideas are the simplest ones.

Re: What's the holdup on your startup?

#24

Post by gscott »

I was able to solve one of my holdups using news.yc. I needed a fair amount of money to buy new servers, get really good co-location service, pay for incorporating, and cover some other expenses. By posting to news.yc my need and what I thought I could do (will do) I was able to find someone to buy-in a 5% stake of what I am doing. The news.yc forum is a powerful medium. In all I found a partner willing to to give me $20,000 (its in my bank now) so I could make things happen. 5% may seem like a lot but I figure I still own 95% and have no need to go out and look for more money.

Re: What's the holdup on your startup?

#25

Post by bootload »

BitGeek wrote: post #9

Non-startup related chores that really can't be put off. That and a thorny technical problem that would be solvable if I could get a few days to focus on it, if I didn't have these non-startup chores.

"... Non-startup related chores ..."

Same here to some extent. There are certain tasks ("fatigues") that I have to do at set times during the day. The only suggestions I have is to focus on small bits at a time and chip away. Another thing is to use exercise as thinking time. Think on very specific problems. Write your solutions as you get them. Then work on them.

Another suggestion might be to adopt the Joshua Schacter (Schacter worked while building delicious) model of "being lazy". You can read/listen more about his techniques here. [0], [1]

[0] http://notelab.infogami.com/startupschool2006

[1] http://wiki.ycombinator.com/presentations/apr06/Joshua_Schac...

ps; Oops I downvoted by mistake while trying to upvote, so I re-adjusted via prior comments.

Re: What's the holdup on your startup?

#26

Post by ALee »

Money and advisors (oh, if only YC would just accept us). We can bootstrap all we want and keep on tapping into our bank accounts, but we need to generate money somehow. The first product hasn't reached the powerful userbase it needs to generate the high CPMs or the deep sponsors. The second product is launched with a paying media partner, but that sucks because they get some of the branding, which decreases our branding.

Re: What's the holdup on your startup?

#30

Post by mikesabat »

mrevelle wrote: post #13

Identifying a good idea is my limiting factor. I have the ability (practical and theoretical) to create all sorts of software, but no idea feels solid enough to base my future on. For most of the ideas, the market is too small or saturated. I wonder if I'm thinking too small.

@ Mrevelle. Just start to build something and pitch it to people (your would be market). The idea will always change and the feedback will always help.

Every bit of progress you make increases your future success whether it is with this venture or another. I meet 3 people a week that need programers or technical co-founders. If you're in NYC, email me, I can put you in touch with people that have good ideas.

Post reply on HN