4 ms·

This is a big part of the reason I'm doing a startup. I worked for a company pre-IPO (back on the good 'ol days) and saw very little actual cash. I'm paying fo

by bestes 17y ago

This is a big part of the reason I'm doing a startup. I worked for a company pre-IPO (back on the good 'ol days) and saw very little actual cash. I'm paying for the sins of others now: I have heard nothing but snickers or outright laughter when I offer equity. Net-net: single founder, no chance of getting any real talent on board (I'm way past the college buddy thing), all taxes and fees, like incorporation, due up front, my wife is about to divorce me because of the stress. But, I would still rather do the startup than anything else. At least I have a chance to make some big money, whereas that chance is near zero at a job.

techiferous 17y ago
Equity is a weird thing. From the eyes of a businessperson trying to attract a developer, equity is very valuable. You don't want to give too much away and you want to vest it properly. From the eyes of a developer, equity is not very valuable. Equity is a chance at money in the future, not money today. Vested equity then feels more like a chance at a chance of earning money in the future. And most startups don't ever make money. If you're a developer worth his/her salt, you can make really good cash right now at a typical job or working as a consultant. One thing I've learned is that I'd rather be a developer than a businessperson. I realize that I have the opportunity to run a single founder, bootstrapped startup if I wanted. If I were a businessperson, I wouldn't have this option. If I had a product idea I would have to attract a developer and/or investment money first. As a developer, if I have a product idea I can just launch it and see what the market does and worry about investment, attracting another partner, etc. later.
- 100k 17y ago
  Business people are also too often convinced of the genius of their own ideas, when in reality ideas are practically worthless.
marshallp 17y ago
Dude, you've got to get a reality check, you're not going to get really rich from developing a product for developers - it's certainly not worth divorcing for. Developers are cheap and used to free stuff. Focus on business saas like 37signals and you'll be on the right track.
- bestes 17y ago
  I am doing a SAAS and not for developers. I'm not sure how it came across that way?

by bestes 17y ago

techiferous 17y ago

Equity is a weird thing. From the eyes of a businessperson trying to attract a developer, equity is very valuable. You don't want to give too much away and you want to vest it properly. From the eyes of a developer, equity is not very valuable. Equity is a chance at money in the future, not money today. Vested equity then feels more like a chance at a chance of earning money in the future. And most startups don't ever make money. If you're a developer worth his/her salt, you can make really good cash right now at a typical job or working as a consultant. One thing I've learned is that I'd rather be a developer than a businessperson. I realize that I have the opportunity to run a single founder, bootstrapped startup if I wanted. If I were a businessperson, I wouldn't have this option. If I had a product idea I would have to attract a developer and/or investment money first. As a developer, if I have a product idea I can just launch it and see what the market does and worry about investment, attracting another partner, etc. later.

100k 17y ago
Business people are also too often convinced of the genius of their own ideas, when in reality ideas are practically worthless.

marshallp 17y ago

Dude, you've got to get a reality check, you're not going to get really rich from developing a product for developers - it's certainly not worth divorcing for. Developers are cheap and used to free stuff. Focus on business saas like 37signals and you'll be on the right track.

bestes 17y ago
I am doing a SAAS and not for developers. I'm not sure how it came across that way?