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Startup Playbook

playbook.samaltman.com

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101–110 of 243 posts

Re: Startup Playbook

#101

Post by tptacek »

billmalarky wrote: post #99

"We once tried an experiment where we funded a bunch of promising founding teams with no ideas in the hopes they would land on a promising idea after we funded them. All of them failed." I was under the impression Reddit fell within this category. I recall a PG quote that went something like "we [Y combinator] hate your idea, but we like you [Alexis and Steve]" in reference to reddit's initial YC funding. I know Redd…

He's referring to a YC batch in which founders were specifically offered the option of applying with no idea (that's not what Reddit's founders did).

Re: Startup Playbook

#102

Post by 6stringmerc »

ThomPete wrote: post #70
6stringmerc wrote: post #66

Okay, I've been researching and reaching out to various entities for, well, going on a couple years now regarding my "start-up" concept of a company that creates some inventions, brings to market, and licenses technology as another revenue stream. Yes, it's not a software-oriented business, but it's a viable entity with multiple prospects. Thus, the following line doesn't really ring true to me: > One important count…

I think the point is that if the problem is interesting you can get people onboard helping you as ex. tech founders. But if your problem is trivial (build a en ecommerce website) then they want you to pay them hard cash. I agree though that some problems might be hard to articulate and so you end up with having a problem getting people to believe in your project. I personally was trying to convince developers to join…

Thanks for your response and reasoning as to the circumstance, I follow what you're pointing out. Your last line, about getting started, is the reality I've decided to deal with - enough with dreaming of getting a jump start from anybody else. A co-worker of mine obtained a device patent and has been very encouraging that I pursue the same route - if the idea is to be as successful as intuition and market review indicate, then might as well reap all the rewards first and foremost.

I guess I'm just rather frustrated at the "start up culture" of claiming to invest in new things, in risk-to-reward principles, while in practice it's a lot more akin to the RIAA big-label approach of "we'll give you money only because we know you'll make us more money in this proven areana of pop/country/rap/etc" in a lot of respects.

Re: Startup Playbook

#103

Post by m_fayer »

aarondf wrote: post #80
m_fayer wrote: post #36

I wish there was a similar level and quality of resources for what I think are called lifestyle businesses. By that, I mean product-based businesses with at most a few million in revenue, a 5ish person team, a solid sustainable market position, and no desire to revolutionize any unicorns. I know a lot of people attempting this and they mostly seem to be flying under the radar, or at least have nowhere near the cachet…

You might check out Starting and Sustaining: http://startingandsustaining.com/

This looks great, thanks for the tip!

Re: Startup Playbook

#104

Post by ThomPete »

6stringmerc wrote: post #102
ThomPete wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the point is that if the problem is interesting you can get people onboard helping you as ex. tech founders. But if your problem is trivial (build a en ecommerce website) then they want you to pay them hard cash. I agree though that some problems might be hard to articulate and so you end up with having a problem getting people to believe in your project. I personally was trying to convince developers to join…

Thanks for your response and reasoning as to the circumstance, I follow what you're pointing out. Your last line, about getting started, is the reality I've decided to deal with - enough with dreaming of getting a jump start from anybody else. A co-worker of mine obtained a device patent and has been very encouraging that I pursue the same route - if the idea is to be as successful as intuition and market review indi…

You are welcome.

I have written a little about it here https://medium.com/black-n-white/the-problem-with-problems-4...

Perhaps that can provide you with a perspective to think about it.

Re: Startup Playbook

#105

Post by michaelbuckbee »

shocks wrote: post #85
m_fayer wrote: post #36

I wish there was a similar level and quality of resources for what I think are called lifestyle businesses. By that, I mean product-based businesses with at most a few million in revenue, a 5ish person team, a solid sustainable market position, and no desire to revolutionize any unicorns. I know a lot of people attempting this and they mostly seem to be flying under the radar, or at least have nowhere near the cachet…

> lifestyle businesses I really hate this term. It makes it seem like anything that's not a high growth unicorn startup is somehow a failure. It's like a way to give it a label and somehow look down on it. (don't mean to aim this at you - just a general remark)

I generally use the term "Bootstrapped" as a shorthand for product/SAAS business started with limited capital and focusing on growth through their own operating profits.

Re: Startup Playbook

#107

Post by soneca »

m_fayer wrote: post #36

I wish there was a similar level and quality of resources for what I think are called lifestyle businesses. By that, I mean product-based businesses with at most a few million in revenue, a 5ish person team, a solid sustainable market position, and no desire to revolutionize any unicorns. I know a lot of people attempting this and they mostly seem to be flying under the radar, or at least have nowhere near the cachet…

This is your place I guess: http://www.microconf.com/

I never went to one, I just follow patio11 tweetstorms whenever he is on it and it is full of gems (the tweets, I can only imagine the conference itself).

They have lots of videos on the website, but a "playbook" format would by an awesome resource!

BTW, I work at "trying-to-be-big-with-outside-investment" startup applying to YC, but I see A LOT of value on the advice of these people when I'm daily executing stuff and not daydreaming how to big a "YC startup"

Re: Startup Playbook

#108

Post by m_fayer »

aeden wrote: post #93
TranquilMarmot wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How can I find jobs for small software business like that (especially in Seattle!)? I want to work in a smaller environment that's not necessarily trying to be a "unicorn", but those seem to be the only jobs posted here on HN for "Who's hiring?". On other job boards, I mostly just see larger corporations hiring worker drones. I just want to write good software that solves interesting problems and make enough money to…

It's really up to you to go out and find them. I suggest looking for local meetups and talking to engineers who are working in those small businesses. Get to know the people in your community running these small businesses. Most of our hires were introduced through people I know. In a small business this is often the only logical way to hire because you already have some level of trust with the referrer and thus they…

I'll second this, it really is a "scene." When hiring or looking for contract work, people reach out to their network first and it almost always produces someone. Reaching out to the open market is seen as a last resort and rarely happens.

Also, chatting with random people at coworking spaces could be fruitful.

Re: Startup Playbook

#109

Post by fiatjaf »

m_fayer wrote: post #36

I wish there was a similar level and quality of resources for what I think are called lifestyle businesses. By that, I mean product-based businesses with at most a few million in revenue, a 5ish person team, a solid sustainable market position, and no desire to revolutionize any unicorns. I know a lot of people attempting this and they mostly seem to be flying under the radar, or at least have nowhere near the cachet…

http://www.microconf.com/past-videos/

Re: Startup Playbook

#110

Post by seiji »

revorad wrote: post #33
sama wrote: post #4

(This got published a little early because it got indexed. I'm still going through and fixing some typos and will maybe add a few other things.)

Can you please get the designer of this playbook and ycombinator.com to redesign HN too?

It's pretty, but it also warms up my laptop with 20% CPU usage. Everything is tradeoffs.
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