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Ask HN: I have $100k in cash. In what kind of startup should I invest it?

• mattacurtis 15y ago
  Whenever you get frustrated about a tool, a process, a company, a product, or an interaction you have (basically anything that is not a personal relationship), write it down. Keep a list of these. Come back to them once a week and think about what you would like to be different or how you would make your experience better. Cross off any frustrations that you would not pay money to fix. Refine this list by determining if: a) Others (people) have similar frustrations to you b) Others would pay money to fix or reduce their frustrations That should get you started in the right direction.
  • zeynalov 15y ago
    I have a Notebook and a Evernote notebook about this. I write down all my ideas on these notebooks. My passion is so big about startups, that sometimes I do this when I have a Patient. I stop the treatment and with the help of my nurses I write the ideas on the list. But the ideas are not revolutionary. It seems that everything is already done. I know that always there is a unsolved problem but, I don't know if it's my fault or it's normal, it's too hard to come up with a great idea nowadays.
    • takeaction 15y ago
      Yes, the idea is key but only a part of the whole picture. Are you open to discussing an idea further?
      • zeynalov 15y ago
        yes of course
        • takeaction 15y ago
          You can reach me here: dave (at) focial (dot) com
  • inkaudio 15y ago
    Very good advice, but I'll also recommend you educate yourself further. Take 90k and save it, it is easy to burn money on a business. - read: http://www.paulgraham.com/selfindulgence.html http://www.paulgraham.com/selfindulgence.html Also read following: Read Getting Real ( http://gettingreal.37signals.com http://gettingreal.37signals.com ) - By 37signals Rework ( http://37signals.com/rework/ http://37signals.com/rework/ ) 37signals blog seris - bootstrapped, profitable & proud ( http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2937-every-bootstrapped-profitable-proud-in-one-place http://37signals.com/svn/posts/2937-every-bootstrapped-profi... ) Read Start Small, Stay Small ( http://www.startupbook.net http://www.startupbook.net ) by Rob Walling http://www.softwarebyrob.com/ http://www.softwarebyrob.com/ - He also has a great blog Read http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2012/01/the-10-keys-to-selling-anything/ http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2012/01/the-10-keys-to-selling-... http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/04/the-100-rules-for-being-an-entrepreneur/ http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/04/the-100-rules-for-being... Read The Lean Startup by Eric Ries http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/ http://www.startuplessonslearned.com/ - Eric Ries blog Read How to win at the sport of Business by Mark Cuban his blog : http://blogmaverick.com/ http://blogmaverick.com/ Also keep in mind, most great products / services are not revolutionary but evolutionary. Google, Facebook both improved on existing ideas, Apple's ipod was not an original Apple idea/tech either : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1053152/Apple-admit-Briton-DID-invent-iPod-hes-getting-money.html http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1053152/Apple-admit-...
• hkarthik 15y ago
  Wow 7 years of graphic design, 5 years of piano, and 10 years of study as an oral surgeon and you're only 25! Sounds like you should pick up some skills in Mobile Development and solve a problem that you've encountered through out your extremely diverse life experiences. I recommend mobile because the distribution mechanisms are straight forward and more accessible. Don't worry so much about whether some of these problems have already been tackled by others, but think about how you could solve them better.
  • kenrik 15y ago
    The numbers don't make a lot of sense, however I'll take him at face value. My advice would be to step back and look at it objectively, Why do I want to do this? If it's just to satisfy some checklist oh achievements I think there are better (and safer) paths. If it's because you have a passion for something that you want built, well that's something completely different. If your ready to put it all on the line "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" then I think you need to do some self reflection. I don't think you can take someone else's idea try to implement and expect good results you need to be committed to what you're working on to a level that most people can't even imagine. Layman's terms: You're the one who needs to answer your own question.
• roschdal 15y ago
  > Professional Oral surgeon ( 2 universities, 10 years of study, doing my MD now) Invest in a way to help people maintain their teeth better. Any improvement in technology in this field would benefit a very large amount of people, and reduce pain and discomfort for people. This is something people would be very willing to pay for. Perhaps you can imagine some areas within dentistry where you could improve things? If you have a good idea to improve people's oral health, then I would be interested in investing the same amount as you in your idea.
  • zeynalov 15y ago
    Of course there are plenty of problems in dentistry. But actually thousands of scientists and oral health companies already work on it. Tech related startups are most easiest way of making revolutionary things.
    • mailarchis 15y ago
      "Tech related startups are most easiest way of making revolutionary things." - I would say Tech related start ups are easier to start, as in lower initial capital investment maybe. However, I won't be too sure about easiest way to make revolutionary things. Pick a problem that would like/love to work on. Even if its the harder thing to do.
• senoff 15y ago
  Could you tell me how you did 10 years of study for Oral Surgery and yet you're 25 yo?
  • zeynalov 15y ago
    It's not full 10 years, I started when I was 17. By 2012 I am on my 10th year. I was born in 22 july 1986. After few month I will be 26.
• Aloisius 15y ago
  Are you asking what startup to invest in or to start? Startups are extremely high risk and the only way people make money investing in them is to invest in a lot of them. Given the amount of money you have, investing in startups would essentially be gambling. If you had 25x that amount, you could diversify enough to maybe see a positive return in 5 years, but even then it would be a gamble especially if you don't have any experience evaluating startups. If you want to start a company, well that's different. I still wouldn't invest more than say, a quarter of that, but at least you'll have enough money in the bank that you don't have as much pressure on you.
  • zeynalov 15y ago
    I want to start a startup. The thread is about how and in what kind of startup shoul I invest that it would be smart investment. I would like to hear advices like : dont start next groupon clone dailydeal startup, dont start next color like social media, porn portal etc.
    • ra 15y ago
      It sounds like you're pretty new to this. Have you looked to see if there are any local angel investor groups in your area? Investing through a syndicate gives you an opportunity to invest your money in a number of startups, and also to benefit from the additional scrutiny they will provide when assessing potential investments. Not to mention using tried and tested teem sheets, agreements etc.
• Dnguyen 15y ago
  I have a couple of friends who are oral surgeons. There are many pain points in the software and process they use. Being in the field, I'm sure you can find some start up ideas to alleviate the pain? I'd suggest start with what you know and your background. If you don't do a start up, at least you can find companies that are in your industry to invest in. Remember, don't put all your eggs in one basket!
  • zeynalov 15y ago
    Yes I found some ideas about dentistry and oral surgery but already said, they are not revolutionary ideas. They can be small startups, but not next dropbox.
• mikehuffman 15y ago
  If I understand you have $100k burning a hole in your pocket and you want to use it to fund a start-up in some way. If you want a riskier way but more input and ownership, you can post on angel list. You can post on HN for potential start-ups that need funding. You can invest in many project on kickstarter and spread the risk. Also, I personally have several niche start-ups that could use funding and man-hours to move a little faster.
• danso 15y ago
  I recommend reading Atul Gawande's books: The Checklist Manifesto http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/dp/0312430000/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328814006&sr=1-1 http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-Right/d... Better http://www.amazon.com/Better-Surgeons-Performance-Atul-Gawande/dp/0805082115 http://www.amazon.com/Better-Surgeons-Performance-Atul-Gawan... He's a New Yorker writer and practicing surgeon. His books contain lots of insight about ways that medicine could be vastly improved by innovation. Unfortunately, few techies are doctors.
• dholowiski 15y ago
  If you don't have an idea or a burning desire to start something _right now_, then you're probably just going to end up burning 100K really fast. Why not just put it in a savings account, earn a bit of interest, and keep it handy for when you come across that brilliant idea?
  • zeynalov 15y ago
    Life is too short to do what you say. I want just to start. I can't wait anymore. I'm already 25. I'll die soon. When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and you're life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money. That's a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again. TL;DR - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEiSa6_EPA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEiSa6_EPA
• longlistener 15y ago
  You need to consider what you want out of that money -- if you really want a fiscal return on your investment then you should stay away from startups. But if you serious... First you should probably not consider being a simple angel investor unless you really know what you're doing. Unless you fully expect to lose all that money, with little to show other than a business card. The experience of being an angel investor will only really benefit you if you expect to have another infusion of cash in 6 months that you can blow through. A more prudent course is to find a partner who might have an idea and an advisor who has been through the world of startups and stock before (they could be the same person, but just make sure the partner is not taking you for a ride). Then build it! Know that you can go for sometime without raising money, paying your bills out of the savings. Odds are you will still lose your money, but you will have learned a lot in the process -- including some learning that will really help you to be an angel investor in the future.
• bartermill 15y ago
  The Bartermill.com looking for an investor. My email rmalenko gmail.com
• connor 15y ago
  Honestly, it sounds like you really need to decide what you want- do you want to launch an internet startup or do you want to continue as a professional oral surgeon? If you choose to take your money and launch your own general internet startup (ie a "Dropbox"), I suggest you quit your MD tomorrow. Treating an start-up as a side project (and a side skill) is a bad idea. After all, your competitors are spending 100% of their time on their competing start-up. That said, you do have domain expertise in oral surgery- try and leverage that domain expertise. Use your unique blend of skills to your advantage.
• deleted 15y ago
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