5 ms·

Ask YC: Someone builds your idea in return for equity. Good idea?

17 points by shabda 19y ago

sonink 19y ago
The only question to ask is :How experienced is the team in converting ideas to businesses ? ...and if not then it's like someone attempting to build a car factory without knowing what a gearbox is.
- cridal 19y ago
  Isn't it like a box with gear in it?
meredydd 19y ago
Aiee! How many times has this been submitted and voted up now? I count three, now: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381, http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381, http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176055 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176055 and This is getting silly. At least this particular submission linked to the actual website of the people doing it...
- breily 19y ago
  I had linked to the ReadWriteWeb summary because they seemed to have a better description of what the company did than the actual Prototype website.
- ericb 19y ago
  It would be nice if a moderator could combine these threads.
Harkins 19y ago
I would think that anyone smart enough to build a good prototype would have a drawer full of startup ideas.
- sanswork 19y ago
  So true. I have a book full of ideas that I keep. When I have free time I add them to an excel file, write a small vba script to randomize the list then pick the top one and work on it.
  - jamesbritt 19y ago
    I'm curious: how many have you completed? Do you find yourself re-ordering potential projects because one or another seems more promising or doable?
    - sanswork 19y ago
      To be honest I do. I also pick which ones to add based on how much free time I expect to have coming up and what I'm looking for and drop some off the list totally if after a few months I start to question it's feasibility. For example in a few months I am relocating to Australia where I will be traveling with my girlfriend for a year before picking a city to settle in for a while. With that in mind my current choices tend to settle around smaller "set and forget" sites that provide steady if small recurring incomes and things that look good on a consulting portfolio as I will probably take a few contracts as well during my travels and like to have current projects to show off.
    - Harkins 19y ago
      I've launched five of the ideas off my list in the last three years. http://NearbyGamers.com http://NearbyGamers.com is the only public success (though it's small and growing rather than big and robust). I've got one idea currently in development and am actively exploring the design and market for two others. I reorder the list probably every six months or so as markets change, I have new resources, and I finish things. With >30 ideas on the list I know I'll never get to them all.
  - falsestprophet 19y ago
    I think evaluating the economic potential of an idea against the effort it requires is a better plan. I have a text file with a long list of business ideas/plans. I have ordered them pragmatically. But, the good business ideas aren't quite as cool or interesting as the strange things I think up and hack together. So, I often do myself a great disservice by I getting excited about a new idea and start building it instead of picking one from the top of the list.
chaostheory 19y ago
This is more realistic in the long haul: http://hashrocket.com/ http://hashrocket.com/ "Your idea, implemented in 3 days. No joke." The last time I checked it cost 30k... ideas are cheap and even counting the really good ideas, a lot of people tend to have the same ones. If the idea submitters have nothing to contribute besides the idea, I feel that you're creating a self imposed 'tax' on yourselves. I guess it's useful to you guys if you think that you're not creative enough to come up with any good ideas on your own.
comatose_kid 19y ago
"Tech start-ups with an inadequate or none existing prototype, seriously diminishes the chance of being clearly understood and fully appreciated by a potential investor." Poor grammar and a lack of editing seriously diminishes the chance of being clearly understood and fully appreciated by a potential founder.
gsiener 19y ago
I'd be worried that their landing page is written in .NET
theentrepreneur 19y ago
I simply love the idea - can help a lot of people. Stop whining :-)
- Harkins 18y ago
  Hello, sock puppet.

17 points by shabda 19y ago

The only question to ask is :How experienced is the team in converting ideas to businesses ? ...and if not then it's like someone attempting to build a car factory without knowing what a gearbox is.

cridal 19y ago
Isn't it like a box with gear in it?

meredydd 19y ago

Aiee! How many times has this been submitted and voted up now? I count three, now: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381, http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176381, http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176055 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=176055 and This is getting silly. At least this particular submission linked to the actual website of the people doing it...

breily 19y ago
I had linked to the ReadWriteWeb summary because they seemed to have a better description of what the company did than the actual Prototype website.
ericb 19y ago
It would be nice if a moderator could combine these threads.

Harkins 19y ago

I would think that anyone smart enough to build a good prototype would have a drawer full of startup ideas.

sanswork 19y ago
So true. I have a book full of ideas that I keep. When I have free time I add them to an excel file, write a small vba script to randomize the list then pick the top one and work on it.
- jamesbritt 19y ago
  I'm curious: how many have you completed? Do you find yourself re-ordering potential projects because one or another seems more promising or doable?
  - sanswork 19y ago
    To be honest I do. I also pick which ones to add based on how much free time I expect to have coming up and what I'm looking for and drop some off the list totally if after a few months I start to question it's feasibility. For example in a few months I am relocating to Australia where I will be traveling with my girlfriend for a year before picking a city to settle in for a while. With that in mind my current choices tend to settle around smaller "set and forget" sites that provide steady if small recurring incomes and things that look good on a consulting portfolio as I will probably take a few contracts as well during my travels and like to have current projects to show off.
  - Harkins 19y ago
    I've launched five of the ideas off my list in the last three years. http://NearbyGamers.com http://NearbyGamers.com is the only public success (though it's small and growing rather than big and robust). I've got one idea currently in development and am actively exploring the design and market for two others. I reorder the list probably every six months or so as markets change, I have new resources, and I finish things. With >30 ideas on the list I know I'll never get to them all.
- falsestprophet 19y ago
  I think evaluating the economic potential of an idea against the effort it requires is a better plan. I have a text file with a long list of business ideas/plans. I have ordered them pragmatically. But, the good business ideas aren't quite as cool or interesting as the strange things I think up and hack together. So, I often do myself a great disservice by I getting excited about a new idea and start building it instead of picking one from the top of the list.

chaostheory 19y ago

This is more realistic in the long haul: http://hashrocket.com/ http://hashrocket.com/ "Your idea, implemented in 3 days. No joke." The last time I checked it cost 30k... ideas are cheap and even counting the really good ideas, a lot of people tend to have the same ones. If the idea submitters have nothing to contribute besides the idea, I feel that you're creating a self imposed 'tax' on yourselves. I guess it's useful to you guys if you think that you're not creative enough to come up with any good ideas on your own.

comatose_kid 19y ago

"Tech start-ups with an inadequate or none existing prototype, seriously diminishes the chance of being clearly understood and fully appreciated by a potential investor." Poor grammar and a lack of editing seriously diminishes the chance of being clearly understood and fully appreciated by a potential founder.

gsiener 19y ago

I'd be worried that their landing page is written in .NET

theentrepreneur 19y ago

I simply love the idea - can help a lot of people. Stop whining :-)

Harkins 18y ago
Hello, sock puppet.