3 ms·

so stealth mode until you have a product? or don't stealthmode at all, just come out and say "we're building THIS, get ready for the storm" ? heh, i'm just afr

by ram1024 18y ago

so stealth mode until you have a product? or don't stealthmode at all, just come out and say "we're building THIS, get ready for the storm" ? heh, i'm just afraid of saying we're going to build something, then having to say "woops, we changed our minds, building this other thing makes more sense to us, sorry about that thing before..."

wheels 18y ago
You'll do that anyway, over and over. Especially if this is your first startup. In my experience (definitely including myself) most first time founders couldn't recognize a market if it hit them over the head in the early phase. The process of pitching your idea helps target what you're doing. This doesn't change just because you've launched and everyone who's seen a little of the startup world knows to expect this.
- nostrademons 18y ago
  Something I've noticed: I'm pretty good at telling other people where their product sucks, how they've completely missed the point, and how to do their job better. And yet I haven't yet been able to parlay that into a kickass product of my own. If I reverse that finding and assume that I'm not particularly smart or special (usually a pretty good assumption), it follows that other people can do a pretty good job telling you where you're screwing up, how you've completely missed the point, and how you ought to do your job. And you're actually in a position to do something about it. And it's unlikely that they're in a position to do something about it. Hell, if they have more ego than self-interest (as most people do), you might even get this advice for free.
  - wheels 18y ago
    Definitely. It's painful thinking back on the first times I was pitching our stuff and how irrelevant the stuff I was saying was. Even now, 9 months in I struggle to make myself focus. Constantly pitching and having people rip what I'm saying apart is the only reason I'm not completely retarded about it.
babul 18y ago
I have exactly the same thoughts but also think stealth-mode is bullshit. Having just started on my first tech startup about a month ago, I am trying to go for the "be open and honest about everything" meets "release early, release often" approach on the basis that if the idea is crap, I would rather hear about it earlier and fail quickly (so I can change direction or reset and move on with the next idea). I am also going with a hardware-based product and am still building the site (what you will see was put together yesterday afternoon as a quick draft as we work through the "presenting the idea" stage of things and refine and streamline the concept), which is very likely to change over the next month which is also a reason I haven't done a "Ask HN: Is my startup crap?" post. "we're building this http://www.httbox.com http://www.httbox.com, get ready for the storm^" ^hopefully.
- markessien 18y ago
  You know, you are entering a market with your box that is very crowded with similar products. My thesis document is something, that if combined with your product, would change your product from something nice to something that will blow minds. Intruiged? Watch my twitter account and wait for when I post the pictures (it's hardware).
  - babul 18y ago
    Yes, but building it with "be your own customer and everything" in mind, and have yet to see a single device that can recieve and record multi HD streams inc Sky (which in the UK can only be received with thier Sky box, and does not allow recording of programs) etc. etc. all integrated together. There are many other features not mentioned on the site (yet), the most interesting being the accelerometer remote control for more natural control (akin to Nintendo Wii control). Plus this box is very quiet (no fans, passively cooled via heatpipe to the side fins). Anyway, your website is down, twitter account rarely updated, so if you are doing something interesting, feel free to email me :-)
    - markessien 18y ago
      Oh, what I'm doing is something you're not even thinking of ;) I don't want to describe the project till I have a prototype up, but when I do, I'll make a youtube video. All I'll do is drop hints about how explosive this will be :)

by ram1024 18y ago

wheels 18y ago

You'll do that anyway, over and over. Especially if this is your first startup. In my experience (definitely including myself) most first time founders couldn't recognize a market if it hit them over the head in the early phase. The process of pitching your idea helps target what you're doing. This doesn't change just because you've launched and everyone who's seen a little of the startup world knows to expect this.

nostrademons 18y ago
Something I've noticed: I'm pretty good at telling other people where their product sucks, how they've completely missed the point, and how to do their job better. And yet I haven't yet been able to parlay that into a kickass product of my own. If I reverse that finding and assume that I'm not particularly smart or special (usually a pretty good assumption), it follows that other people can do a pretty good job telling you where you're screwing up, how you've completely missed the point, and how you ought to do your job. And you're actually in a position to do something about it. And it's unlikely that they're in a position to do something about it. Hell, if they have more ego than self-interest (as most people do), you might even get this advice for free.
- wheels 18y ago
  Definitely. It's painful thinking back on the first times I was pitching our stuff and how irrelevant the stuff I was saying was. Even now, 9 months in I struggle to make myself focus. Constantly pitching and having people rip what I'm saying apart is the only reason I'm not completely retarded about it.

babul 18y ago

I have exactly the same thoughts but also think stealth-mode is bullshit. Having just started on my first tech startup about a month ago, I am trying to go for the "be open and honest about everything" meets "release early, release often" approach on the basis that if the idea is crap, I would rather hear about it earlier and fail quickly (so I can change direction or reset and move on with the next idea). I am also going with a hardware-based product and am still building the site (what you will see was put together yesterday afternoon as a quick draft as we work through the "presenting the idea" stage of things and refine and streamline the concept), which is very likely to change over the next month which is also a reason I haven't done a "Ask HN: Is my startup crap?" post. "we're building this http://www.httbox.com http://www.httbox.com, get ready for the storm^" ^hopefully.

markessien 18y ago
You know, you are entering a market with your box that is very crowded with similar products. My thesis document is something, that if combined with your product, would change your product from something nice to something that will blow minds. Intruiged? Watch my twitter account and wait for when I post the pictures (it's hardware).
- babul 18y ago
  Yes, but building it with "be your own customer and everything" in mind, and have yet to see a single device that can recieve and record multi HD streams inc Sky (which in the UK can only be received with thier Sky box, and does not allow recording of programs) etc. etc. all integrated together. There are many other features not mentioned on the site (yet), the most interesting being the accelerometer remote control for more natural control (akin to Nintendo Wii control). Plus this box is very quiet (no fans, passively cooled via heatpipe to the side fins). Anyway, your website is down, twitter account rarely updated, so if you are doing something interesting, feel free to email me :-)
  - markessien 18y ago
    Oh, what I'm doing is something you're not even thinking of ;) I don't want to describe the project till I have a prototype up, but when I do, I'll make a youtube video. All I'll do is drop hints about how explosive this will be :)