4 ms·

The reason I haven't made the leap is pretty simple: money and location. I currently work for a large corporation, making money, and slowly saving, but it's no

The reason I haven't made the leap is pretty simple: money and location. I currently work for a large corporation, making money, and slowly saving, but it's not very fast. I can't support myself for more than a few months before being forced to work again. So, if I want to do a startup, I need an angel investor to fund me. That brings me to the second problem, I'm tied down into middle america. I love the city I'm in, but it doesn't have the kind of abundance of cash that the coasts have. So, my plan moving forward is to contribute to open source and personal projects. I'll try to make a few bucks off them, but probably nothing serious. If I hit on an idea that I am really passionate about, I'll work on it more exclusively on the side or whatever day job I have, until it is able to provide decent income by itself. As far as your ideas question, I have no shortage of ideas, but I have a shortage of ideas that would be good businesses. They are either too small, too hard to monetize, or they are simply that I don't have the passion for them to take them far enough to make them viable.

tstegart 18y ago
Thats funny, I have lots of ideas that would make great businesses, and the passion to work on them, but I don't know any kick-ass web developers. You just don't meet them in my line of work.
- allenbrunson 18y ago
  it's almost a cliche around these parts, but still a useful metric: if you're going to do a startup, you need a steve jobs and a steve wozniak. you sound like a jobs, so you need a woz. as it happens, this very community is teeming with them. i am myself a woz, but not the type you're looking for. web-dev does not come naturally to me. i prefer writing programs the old-fashioned way.
  - tstegart 18y ago
    teeming you say? I just might put the word out.
- bapbap 18y ago
  Care to share?! I'd love just one good idea to sink my teeth into. I'm a web developer and I've ran small online businesses in the past but they were service businesses. I don't have any great ideas for a cool web app, even though I can build one. That's my reason at least.
  - tstegart 18y ago
    Most of them are simple in concept, but big in opportunity. For example, an iPhone review website. The opportunity there is huge. You have tons of people who need to get more/better info about apps before they buy than the app store currently offers. The business idea is very simple. Build a good review site, promote it, most likely rely on an advertising model. Based on how quickly the iPhone market is growing, I think the users are there to make it a profitable business. But it requires time an energy. On the one hand, a good website is essential, and easy of use and security (making sure reviews aren't skewed) is also very important. In fact, a strong web framework makes for less work in the future, so developer skills are critical. On the other hand, building a business, working with advertisers, long term strategy, promotion and customer service will also be important. Its too much work for one person, its just a lot of work in general. But I think it would be a great business. Don't even get me started on my iPhone app ideas...
    - bapbap 18y ago
      No! Please get started! I'd love some good ideas! I wish I had more.
      - nickfox 18y ago
        I don't want to sound to obvious but one of you guys is a woz looking for a jobs and the other is a jobs looking for a woz. Why don't you two get together and do something. For the one that isn't a coder, learn how to market your product online and become an expert at that. One coder, one marketer, one good idea. go for it.
        tstegart 18y ago
tstegart 18y ago
But isn't the core Web 2.0 mentality really that monetary costs have been drastically lowered and location doesn't matter? There are successful companies all over the world founded in spare time on barebones budgets. Middle America can't be that bad, can it?
- cschneid 18y ago
  You're right, the business costs are much cheaper than other business options. But of course, I still want to eat, and have a roof, and basically not suffer. That still costs money. I'm certainly not just sitting back and doing nothing, instead I'm searching for that idea that really grabs me, and will keep me going in my free time. The idea for a part time business needs to be more engaging and interesting than a full time idea (at least for me), because I've already spent most of my mental stamina grinding through a day job by the time I can get started on the personal idea. Either way, I have developed and launched http://www.irclogger.com http://www.irclogger.com in the last few weeks, just because I wanted this service and couldn't find it. (logging freenode's irc channels). But I have no plans to commercialize it, and wouldn't feel bad if it disappeared.
  - tstegart 18y ago
    You're right about everything costing money, and the guy who said he didn't have enough reserve money saved up is spot on. I got ideas, but even I can't just quit my job and go. Seriously, YC should open a dorm room, where they get 6% of anything worked on while they provide room and board. :) An entrepreneur hostel.
- deleted 18y ago
  [deleted]

tstegart 18y ago

Thats funny, I have lots of ideas that would make great businesses, and the passion to work on them, but I don't know any kick-ass web developers. You just don't meet them in my line of work.

allenbrunson 18y ago
it's almost a cliche around these parts, but still a useful metric: if you're going to do a startup, you need a steve jobs and a steve wozniak. you sound like a jobs, so you need a woz. as it happens, this very community is teeming with them. i am myself a woz, but not the type you're looking for. web-dev does not come naturally to me. i prefer writing programs the old-fashioned way.
- tstegart 18y ago
  teeming you say? I just might put the word out.
bapbap 18y ago
Care to share?! I'd love just one good idea to sink my teeth into. I'm a web developer and I've ran small online businesses in the past but they were service businesses. I don't have any great ideas for a cool web app, even though I can build one. That's my reason at least.
- tstegart 18y ago
  Most of them are simple in concept, but big in opportunity. For example, an iPhone review website. The opportunity there is huge. You have tons of people who need to get more/better info about apps before they buy than the app store currently offers. The business idea is very simple. Build a good review site, promote it, most likely rely on an advertising model. Based on how quickly the iPhone market is growing, I think the users are there to make it a profitable business. But it requires time an energy. On the one hand, a good website is essential, and easy of use and security (making sure reviews aren't skewed) is also very important. In fact, a strong web framework makes for less work in the future, so developer skills are critical. On the other hand, building a business, working with advertisers, long term strategy, promotion and customer service will also be important. Its too much work for one person, its just a lot of work in general. But I think it would be a great business. Don't even get me started on my iPhone app ideas...
  - bapbap 18y ago
    No! Please get started! I'd love some good ideas! I wish I had more.
    - nickfox 18y ago
      I don't want to sound to obvious but one of you guys is a woz looking for a jobs and the other is a jobs looking for a woz. Why don't you two get together and do something. For the one that isn't a coder, learn how to market your product online and become an expert at that. One coder, one marketer, one good idea. go for it.
      - tstegart 18y ago

tstegart 18y ago

But isn't the core Web 2.0 mentality really that monetary costs have been drastically lowered and location doesn't matter? There are successful companies all over the world founded in spare time on barebones budgets. Middle America can't be that bad, can it?

cschneid 18y ago
You're right, the business costs are much cheaper than other business options. But of course, I still want to eat, and have a roof, and basically not suffer. That still costs money. I'm certainly not just sitting back and doing nothing, instead I'm searching for that idea that really grabs me, and will keep me going in my free time. The idea for a part time business needs to be more engaging and interesting than a full time idea (at least for me), because I've already spent most of my mental stamina grinding through a day job by the time I can get started on the personal idea. Either way, I have developed and launched http://www.irclogger.com http://www.irclogger.com in the last few weeks, just because I wanted this service and couldn't find it. (logging freenode's irc channels). But I have no plans to commercialize it, and wouldn't feel bad if it disappeared.
- tstegart 18y ago
  You're right about everything costing money, and the guy who said he didn't have enough reserve money saved up is spot on. I got ideas, but even I can't just quit my job and go. Seriously, YC should open a dorm room, where they get 6% of anything worked on while they provide room and board. :) An entrepreneur hostel.
deleted 18y ago
[deleted]