6 ms·

HN post inspired me to quit my job and found my own startup

54 points by token6053 5y ago

chrismorgan 5y ago
From the home page, “see a sample review” links to an empty Google Drive folder.
- token6053 5y ago
  Hi there! I'm in the process of adding the final touches to the sample review. It should be there soon.
mr90210 5y ago
Congrats! Write as Well has the potential of becoming a platform with verified copywriters, should you decided to scale it.
- token6053 5y ago
  Thanks for your well wishes! Much appreciated.
yuuu 5y ago
I'm not going to hire a copywriter who confuses "kahunas" with "cojones."
- sokoloff 5y ago
  Maybe she felt she was lacking in wise advisors.
- scoot 5y ago
  Or who has missing punctuation, or poor formatting, or bad grammar, or incorrect use of idioms, or, or, or... Sure, "everyone's a critic" (and sorry to join the crowd), but if you're going to promote yourself as a professional copywriter you should at least have a grasp of the basics.
  - slg 5y ago
    Language changes based off usage. Her use of "begs the question" isn't it original meaning, but it is perfectly acceptable today. It is similar to how the dictionary definition of "literally" now includes it meaning "figuratively". Continuing to complain about these things after society has moved on just makes you sound like an old crank.
    - margalabargala 5y ago
      On the other hand, as evidenced by this thread, there exist a nonzero number of people who still care about the old "correct" choice of language. If the author is targeting people in this demographic specifically, they should know better than to provide easy ammunition for people to criticize the article. It might be fine in general writing, but if I'm a startup paying for an ostensibly well-written press release, I don't want to pay for something that spawns this exact discussion, rather than discussions about the content I want to communicate.
    - jfk13 5y ago
      Although I'm a language traditionalist at heart, this is a reasonable point. Nevertheless, the site does suffer from a number of unquestionable copy-editing errors, which do not inspire confidence in the product -- given that it is entirely focused on website copy.
  - scandox 5y ago
    In fairness her focus is much more on message and content than on correctness. I do agree that she would benefit from a copy editor but the main challenge a lot of business owners have is with what to say, rather than saying it with perfect grammar. So I imagine she may well be able to help people who struggle with that. Which in my experience is almost everyone in business.
    - tasogare 5y ago
      At $600+ the prestation it has to be perfect grammar wise, especially for a service focusing on text. I was also annoyed by the wrong use of kahuna and begs the question and I'm not even a native speaker of English.
- token6053 5y ago
  I'm glad you pointed that out! Where I'm from, we use "kahunas," not "cojones." But I'm glad to know that there's a regional difference. Also, I don't think you should trust a copywriter who uses either of those words in your copy (regardless of where they're from).
par 5y ago
Best of luck to you. I did this in Aug 2018. My app was already generating a few thousand a month (net revenue), and I still had an incredibly hard time. My biggest failure was 1) not finding a cofounder and 2) not targeting a big enough market.
- token6053 5y ago
  Thanks so much! I'll keep those in mind as I move forward. Did things ever pick up for you? Or did you move on to other projects?
  - par 5y ago
    I threw in the towel and am now back in corporate life.
jfk13 5y ago
Shouldn't this have been submitted as a [Show HN], given that it's basically someone promoting her own service?
- token6053 5y ago
  I double-checked for you. Ultimately I think I was right not to submit this to Show HN since it links to a blog post. According to the HN guidelines, it wouldn't meet the criteria for Show HN based on that fact. But I got a chance to refamiliarize myself with the guidelines so thanks for mentioning this!
bengale 5y ago
I’ve have a couple of really useful reviews from this guy: https://www.roastmylandingpage.com/ https://www.roastmylandingpage.com/
- token6053 5y ago
  Oh man, I'm glad you posted that site. Love his branding.
moritonal 5y ago
So, the startup is you offering your services as a contractor? That was the longest ad-read pretending to be a blog ever. Many times you used quotes without an author making attribution very difficult.
- metalliqaz 5y ago
  sounds like she knows the kind of words you have to use to get the attention of her target demographic (which is kinda her thing, apparently). same bunch that hangs around HN. stable companies and contractors are boring, even though they make the world go 'round. startups are interesting!
- token6053 5y ago
  But I got you to read it, didn't I? :) It's more like a product, less like hiring a contractor. The solution is the review, not me.
ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago
Good luck. I had a similar experience, except that it wasn't my choice. I was given no recourse, but to strike out on my own. Since I am fortunate enough to have the means (I believe that it used to be called "f**k you money," but I always thought that I was the one that got to to say "f**K you," not the potential employers), I was able to do it. In the aggregate, it has turned out better than I ever could have imagined.
- token6053 5y ago
  Hey, when life gives you lemons... Glad to hear that things worked out alright. I've never heard someone use "f*k you money" before. I'm definitely hanging on to that one.
_false 5y ago
Good job, I've noticed that copywriting is a major pita when designing a platform with no good solutions atm. Unfortunately, I don't see how your service solves it (please correct me if I don't understand it). After purchasing your service I'll get feedback on my existing copywriting and a copy for one of my sections (how big?). This doesn't solve my problem, because now I still need to write the copy for the rest of my site based on your feedback.
- token6053 5y ago
  I'm glad you mentioned that. Might be necessary for me to optimize this post. Basically, one of the huge problems I heard over the years was that founders wanted to write their own website copy. Or at least, their budgets necessitated that they did. However, once they did that, they weren't sure what was and wasn't working on their websites as far as copy goes. So they came to me for advice. I'd say about 75% of the people I talked to were in this bucket. The other 25% wanted to hire a copywriter to actually write it. For the majority of founders, that option was not only cost prohibitive but also required more work in their eyes than writing the actual copy. It sounds to me like what you're in that 25%. Would you agree with that assessment? In regards to the custom copy, it would depend on which sections of your website needed the most TLC. But as a ballpark, you're looking at half a page.
unclebucknasty 5y ago
This is flagged now--I assume because there's no "Show HN"? But, just wanted to add that if you read that blog post, it's extraordinarily good at relating to its audience and the problems they face. The problem statement is clear and concise. The example email excerpts are well chosen and highly relatable, giving the reader a chance to connect his/her own experience in an almost first-person voice. The itemized dead-end alternative paths are also relatable, and she does an excellent job of differentiating her offering from others the reader may have considered or with which the reader may have been disappointed. In all, it demonstrates considerable proficiency in precisely what she's offering: conversion. While the points about copyediting have some validity and some tightening could help solidify the offering, they are largely pedantic in the main. The only suggestion I would offer is that, this being a new product, it may be difficult to grasp exactly what you're getting and where it leaves you (i.e. how it's actionable). A before/after-style case study or example deliverable could go a long way there.
- token6053 5y ago
  Good point! I'm going to include a sample review so the deliverables will feel more tangible. And thanks for your assessment! It's certainly nice to hear that some things I aimed for landed.

54 points by token6053 5y ago

chrismorgan 5y ago

From the home page, “see a sample review” links to an empty Google Drive folder.

token6053 5y ago
Hi there! I'm in the process of adding the final touches to the sample review. It should be there soon.

mr90210 5y ago

Congrats! Write as Well has the potential of becoming a platform with verified copywriters, should you decided to scale it.

token6053 5y ago
Thanks for your well wishes! Much appreciated.

yuuu 5y ago

I'm not going to hire a copywriter who confuses "kahunas" with "cojones."

sokoloff 5y ago
Maybe she felt she was lacking in wise advisors.
scoot 5y ago
Or who has missing punctuation, or poor formatting, or bad grammar, or incorrect use of idioms, or, or, or... Sure, "everyone's a critic" (and sorry to join the crowd), but if you're going to promote yourself as a professional copywriter you should at least have a grasp of the basics.
- slg 5y ago
  Language changes based off usage. Her use of "begs the question" isn't it original meaning, but it is perfectly acceptable today. It is similar to how the dictionary definition of "literally" now includes it meaning "figuratively". Continuing to complain about these things after society has moved on just makes you sound like an old crank.
  - margalabargala 5y ago
    On the other hand, as evidenced by this thread, there exist a nonzero number of people who still care about the old "correct" choice of language. If the author is targeting people in this demographic specifically, they should know better than to provide easy ammunition for people to criticize the article. It might be fine in general writing, but if I'm a startup paying for an ostensibly well-written press release, I don't want to pay for something that spawns this exact discussion, rather than discussions about the content I want to communicate.
  - jfk13 5y ago
    Although I'm a language traditionalist at heart, this is a reasonable point. Nevertheless, the site does suffer from a number of unquestionable copy-editing errors, which do not inspire confidence in the product -- given that it is entirely focused on website copy.
- scandox 5y ago
  In fairness her focus is much more on message and content than on correctness. I do agree that she would benefit from a copy editor but the main challenge a lot of business owners have is with what to say, rather than saying it with perfect grammar. So I imagine she may well be able to help people who struggle with that. Which in my experience is almost everyone in business.
  - tasogare 5y ago
    At $600+ the prestation it has to be perfect grammar wise, especially for a service focusing on text. I was also annoyed by the wrong use of kahuna and begs the question and I'm not even a native speaker of English.
token6053 5y ago
I'm glad you pointed that out! Where I'm from, we use "kahunas," not "cojones." But I'm glad to know that there's a regional difference. Also, I don't think you should trust a copywriter who uses either of those words in your copy (regardless of where they're from).

par 5y ago

Best of luck to you. I did this in Aug 2018. My app was already generating a few thousand a month (net revenue), and I still had an incredibly hard time. My biggest failure was 1) not finding a cofounder and 2) not targeting a big enough market.

token6053 5y ago
Thanks so much! I'll keep those in mind as I move forward. Did things ever pick up for you? Or did you move on to other projects?
- par 5y ago
  I threw in the towel and am now back in corporate life.

jfk13 5y ago

Shouldn't this have been submitted as a [Show HN], given that it's basically someone promoting her own service?

token6053 5y ago
I double-checked for you. Ultimately I think I was right not to submit this to Show HN since it links to a blog post. According to the HN guidelines, it wouldn't meet the criteria for Show HN based on that fact. But I got a chance to refamiliarize myself with the guidelines so thanks for mentioning this!

bengale 5y ago

I’ve have a couple of really useful reviews from this guy: https://www.roastmylandingpage.com/ https://www.roastmylandingpage.com/

token6053 5y ago
Oh man, I'm glad you posted that site. Love his branding.

moritonal 5y ago

So, the startup is you offering your services as a contractor? That was the longest ad-read pretending to be a blog ever. Many times you used quotes without an author making attribution very difficult.

metalliqaz 5y ago
sounds like she knows the kind of words you have to use to get the attention of her target demographic (which is kinda her thing, apparently). same bunch that hangs around HN. stable companies and contractors are boring, even though they make the world go 'round. startups are interesting!
token6053 5y ago
But I got you to read it, didn't I? :) It's more like a product, less like hiring a contractor. The solution is the review, not me.

ChrisMarshallNY 5y ago

Good luck. I had a similar experience, except that it wasn't my choice. I was given no recourse, but to strike out on my own. Since I am fortunate enough to have the means (I believe that it used to be called "f**k you money," but I always thought that I was the one that got to to say "f**K you," not the potential employers), I was able to do it. In the aggregate, it has turned out better than I ever could have imagined.

token6053 5y ago
Hey, when life gives you lemons... Glad to hear that things worked out alright. I've never heard someone use "f*k you money" before. I'm definitely hanging on to that one.

_false 5y ago

Good job, I've noticed that copywriting is a major pita when designing a platform with no good solutions atm. Unfortunately, I don't see how your service solves it (please correct me if I don't understand it). After purchasing your service I'll get feedback on my existing copywriting and a copy for one of my sections (how big?). This doesn't solve my problem, because now I still need to write the copy for the rest of my site based on your feedback.

token6053 5y ago
I'm glad you mentioned that. Might be necessary for me to optimize this post. Basically, one of the huge problems I heard over the years was that founders wanted to write their own website copy. Or at least, their budgets necessitated that they did. However, once they did that, they weren't sure what was and wasn't working on their websites as far as copy goes. So they came to me for advice. I'd say about 75% of the people I talked to were in this bucket. The other 25% wanted to hire a copywriter to actually write it. For the majority of founders, that option was not only cost prohibitive but also required more work in their eyes than writing the actual copy. It sounds to me like what you're in that 25%. Would you agree with that assessment? In regards to the custom copy, it would depend on which sections of your website needed the most TLC. But as a ballpark, you're looking at half a page.

unclebucknasty 5y ago

This is flagged now--I assume because there's no "Show HN"? But, just wanted to add that if you read that blog post, it's extraordinarily good at relating to its audience and the problems they face. The problem statement is clear and concise. The example email excerpts are well chosen and highly relatable, giving the reader a chance to connect his/her own experience in an almost first-person voice. The itemized dead-end alternative paths are also relatable, and she does an excellent job of differentiating her offering from others the reader may have considered or with which the reader may have been disappointed. In all, it demonstrates considerable proficiency in precisely what she's offering: conversion. While the points about copyediting have some validity and some tightening could help solidify the offering, they are largely pedantic in the main. The only suggestion I would offer is that, this being a new product, it may be difficult to grasp exactly what you're getting and where it leaves you (i.e. how it's actionable). A before/after-style case study or example deliverable could go a long way there.

token6053 5y ago
Good point! I'm going to include a sample review so the deliverables will feel more tangible. And thanks for your assessment! It's certainly nice to hear that some things I aimed for landed.