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Ask HN: Sharing all my startup ideas

4 points by bdclimber14 16y ago

What do you think the best outlet/website to share startup ideas and projects is? I come up with some many ideas for startup companies that I would love to get feedback on. As Seth Godin says, your first idea will suck. You need to have it thrashed, criticized, etc. by others before it turns into something good. But my friends are tired of me spamming them with ideas, and I don't want to turn HN into "Sean's brain farts"

kingsidharth 16y ago
Instead of sharing all, just execute one. You will learn enough to judge them on your own and you will learn that ideas don't matter - execution does.
- bdclimber14 16y ago
  Completely agree, but I'm looking for an outlet to share my ideas that I won't execute on and a way to critique ideas. Partly for fun, shared knowledge, through exercises for why an idea may or may not take off... I actually am (and have been for 2 years) executing on one idea. And I'm learning a ton...
  - kingsidharth 16y ago
    Well that's the point - there is not much learning in critiquing ideas. Just assumptions and personal opinion. No one liked Google or Twitter as Ideas. But anyways, since you've been executing, the next question is - shipping. What have you shipped and how often do you ship something out there? Working on an idea forever in your own private corner is not a good learning either.
    - bdclimber14 16y ago
      Different perspective than I have, but you're right that Google/Twitter at face value aren't anything. Well I am good at shipping. OrangeSlyce.com is the manifestation of an idea I had 2 years ago (which has changed), and we pivot, on some level (may be very small) every 2 weeks.
      - kingsidharth 16y ago
        That's awesome then. IMO Discussing the problem you want to solve with your idea is more useful than discussing the idea itself. Btw, my startup Besperk ( http://besperk.com http://besperk.com ) is about discussing such things. Interesting I meet you.
  - swombat 16y ago
    If all you want to do is pitch ideas and get feedback on them, the best place I've found for that is startup-related meetups. In London, there's DrinkTank, HNLondon, and others. There's probably some free events where you live too.. if not, set one up!
    - bdclimber14 16y ago
      That's funny you said that... I actually did start a meetup in Phoenix, AZ called Young Entrepreneur Mixer. We get about 20 or so people come and share ideas and such.
whackedspinach 16y ago
I was thinking about this last night. We should start an HNideas site. Similar layout to HN, add in some areas for suggestions, maybe a button to try and form a team. It wouldn't be too hard. Maybe I'll do that tonight...
sandipagr 16y ago
I started working on a idea management web application this weekend actually. You can not only share ideas, get feedback (threaded comments with voting, HN style) but also signup potential customers. Probably will launch MVP this weekend. Would love to know what you would be looking for in such service. Email on my profile.
- bdclimber14 16y ago
  I REALLY think you're on to something with the sign up of potential customers. I know that every time I think about launching a new product, I do the same thing. Throw up a fake beta landing page for people to sign up. Run some Google/FB ads to draw in traffic. Based on the response, I can judge the quality of the idea, and get feedback from people. If this was automated for me, all I had to do was write the copy for the idea, I would be in love.
willheim 16y ago
I don't think first ideas suck. First executions may suck, but first ideas? Not neccesarily. I've had loads of great ideas over my lifetime that I never followed through on. Energy drinks and juicebars (me: 1994 now: everywhere), Hooters in Japan (me:2003 now: someone is doing it just now), the design of the "Chrysler 300C" (me: 1992 in art class, Chrysler: 2002ish). Proof that ideas are cheap and if you're thinking of it, someone else probably is, too. The real value is in execution and then only good execution.

4 points by bdclimber14 16y ago

kingsidharth 16y ago

Instead of sharing all, just execute one. You will learn enough to judge them on your own and you will learn that ideas don't matter - execution does.

bdclimber14 16y ago
Completely agree, but I'm looking for an outlet to share my ideas that I won't execute on and a way to critique ideas. Partly for fun, shared knowledge, through exercises for why an idea may or may not take off... I actually am (and have been for 2 years) executing on one idea. And I'm learning a ton...
- kingsidharth 16y ago
  Well that's the point - there is not much learning in critiquing ideas. Just assumptions and personal opinion. No one liked Google or Twitter as Ideas. But anyways, since you've been executing, the next question is - shipping. What have you shipped and how often do you ship something out there? Working on an idea forever in your own private corner is not a good learning either.
  - bdclimber14 16y ago
    Different perspective than I have, but you're right that Google/Twitter at face value aren't anything. Well I am good at shipping. OrangeSlyce.com is the manifestation of an idea I had 2 years ago (which has changed), and we pivot, on some level (may be very small) every 2 weeks.
    - kingsidharth 16y ago
      That's awesome then. IMO Discussing the problem you want to solve with your idea is more useful than discussing the idea itself. Btw, my startup Besperk ( http://besperk.com http://besperk.com ) is about discussing such things. Interesting I meet you.
- swombat 16y ago
  If all you want to do is pitch ideas and get feedback on them, the best place I've found for that is startup-related meetups. In London, there's DrinkTank, HNLondon, and others. There's probably some free events where you live too.. if not, set one up!
  - bdclimber14 16y ago
    That's funny you said that... I actually did start a meetup in Phoenix, AZ called Young Entrepreneur Mixer. We get about 20 or so people come and share ideas and such.

whackedspinach 16y ago

I was thinking about this last night. We should start an HNideas site. Similar layout to HN, add in some areas for suggestions, maybe a button to try and form a team. It wouldn't be too hard. Maybe I'll do that tonight...

sandipagr 16y ago

I started working on a idea management web application this weekend actually. You can not only share ideas, get feedback (threaded comments with voting, HN style) but also signup potential customers. Probably will launch MVP this weekend. Would love to know what you would be looking for in such service. Email on my profile.

bdclimber14 16y ago
I REALLY think you're on to something with the sign up of potential customers. I know that every time I think about launching a new product, I do the same thing. Throw up a fake beta landing page for people to sign up. Run some Google/FB ads to draw in traffic. Based on the response, I can judge the quality of the idea, and get feedback from people. If this was automated for me, all I had to do was write the copy for the idea, I would be in love.

willheim 16y ago

I don't think first ideas suck. First executions may suck, but first ideas? Not neccesarily. I've had loads of great ideas over my lifetime that I never followed through on. Energy drinks and juicebars (me: 1994 now: everywhere), Hooters in Japan (me:2003 now: someone is doing it just now), the design of the "Chrysler 300C" (me: 1992 in art class, Chrysler: 2002ish). Proof that ideas are cheap and if you're thinking of it, someone else probably is, too. The real value is in execution and then only good execution.