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

Validating your ideas on strangers (2017)

jeremyaboyd.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

11–20 of 39 posts

Re: Validating your ideas on strangers (2017)

#11

Post by bluGill »

pavel_lishin wrote: post #8
jll29 wrote: post #6

You might want to limit this to geek-frequented bars in Silicon Valley only, as it is using strangers for your own financial benefits without reimbursing them for their feedback. Also consider that disclosing your work in public means subsequent attempts to patent anything are toast (unless each stranger signs you an NDA first).

> Also consider that disclosing your work in public means subsequent attempts to patent anything are toast (unless each stranger signs you an NDA first). Are you suggesting that people trying to have a drink are going to rush out and patent something based on what some asshole was trying to drunkenly describe to them?

propably not but you never know.

Re: Validating your ideas on strangers (2017)

#14

Post by Lerc »

This is like sending an unsolicited email to someone who might want to buy your product.

A single instance is not a bad thing, but once it becomes a repeated occuance it is terrible.

With this particular case, the threshold is likely to be in expectation. If you approach people and any of them are aware of this concept in advance, they might feel used. If they know what you are going to do before you start talking then the entire atmosphere has already been polluted.

It might be easier to think of it in ecological terms. Sustainability and limiting harms mark the core of what should govern human endeavours. If the bar was considered an ecological environment, the harm would be in negatively impacting the enjoyment of customers. A single query from a stranger might do no harm. It might even enrich their evening experience. Done unsustainably however, results in a progressive reduction in the quality of experience across the ecosystem.

Re: Validating your ideas on strangers (2017)

#15

Post by Swizec »

whycombinetor wrote: post #4

I'm sure the patrons at dive bars love businesspeople walking up and asking you to listen to their startup idea or review their designs for a corporate rebranding.

> patrons at dive bars love businesspeople walking up and asking you to listen to their startup idea

Honestly why 10 years ago in SF I stopped telling people I’m a software engineer when we chat at a bar. It was relentless.

Re: Validating your ideas on strangers (2017)

#16

Post by saulpw »

Lerc wrote: post #14

This is like sending an unsolicited email to someone who might want to buy your product. A single instance is not a bad thing, but once it becomes a repeated occuance it is terrible. With this particular case, the threshold is likely to be in expectation. If you approach people and any of them are aware of this concept in advance, they might feel used. If they know what you are going to do before you start talking th…

Yeah, notice that the "inspiration" for this tactic was a designer who interrupted their loud conversation. He read the room and realized these guys were spitballing business ideas and took advantage of their drunken egos to get some Man On The Street opinions. That all seems fine. The problem comes when you start doing it to people who aren't talking loudly about their own stupid business ideas.

Re: Validating your ideas on strangers (2017)

#18

Post by lazyasciiart »

politelemon wrote: post #5

> private, albeit very loud, conversation Please don't do what this post says. As someone at a bar I would appreciate you leaving me alone without me having to assert my right to a private conversation.

Weeeeell, as someone else at a bar, I wouldn’t mind some negative pressure on the private but very loud conversation style.

Re: Validating your ideas on strangers (2017)

#19

Post by bloodyplonker22 »

One guy at our company once had this brilliant idea as well. Go to a bar and validate the idea with strangers. After all, our business idea was related to sports and they would surely be interested. I thought this was a great idea. All three of us agreed it was. Later that night, in high spirits, we went to the bar to execute our plan. We sat at the bar for two hours and talked to a grand total of zero people because we were all afraid to approach anyone and bother him or her about our frivolous, idiotic idea.
Post reply on HN