4 ms·

Interview with 19-year old founder of Indinero (Mint for business) [audio]

25 points by jayro 17y ago

xal 17y ago
Uhhh. this is the first time i see anything about Indinero but it looks like they lifted our web design almost verbatim: check out the original: http://www.shopify.com/tour/ http://www.shopify.com/tour/ and theirs: https://indinero.com/tour https://indinero.com/tour . All other pages are similar in the same way. Flattering for sure but come on.
- tsally 17y ago
  Shameful. The cofounder has spoken at TED to boot. You'd think that type of person would know better.
  - deleted 17y ago
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  - jlm382 17y ago
    Yep, we made a mistake. And we acknowledge it.
    - fan 17y ago
      How could this have come about? Was it that you guys didn't do the design at all and someone else lifted it in your name? Or did you guys go ahead and think "we'll wait till we're called out, and in all likelihood we'd be famous enough then to afford a replacement"?
      - vaksel 17y ago
        you know how it is, you start coding, with a photoshop template up, then by mistake you hit alt tab and go to another site, and you are so busy that you don't notice that you started copying another design. that's what all nighters get you
    - deleted 17y ago
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    - oldgregg 17y ago
      Did you really make a mistake? This is really not that big of a deal. The graphics are original, the CSS is original, the copy... it's not even in the same industry. Yeah the general feel is similar but who cares. Besides, the Shopify website doesn't have an exactly stunningly original design. I could accuse Shopify of ripping off Envato's old website (http://www.myinkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/envato.png http://www.myinkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/envato.p...) but that would just be pointless. Most of us will jack a copy of Hannah Montana's latest album without a second thought then get our panties in a wad when someone vaguely emulates a design.
      - deleted 17y ago
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    - snprbob86 17y ago
      EDIT: never mind, missed your other comment below.
- colbyolson 17y ago
  Homepage too; http://shopify.com/ http://indinero.com/
  - sirrocco 17y ago
    I don't condone copying either but - in all honesty if you search the web I'm pretty sure you'll find at least 10 sites with similar layout. The design on shopify is not exactly ground braking.
- atishm 17y ago
  Their messaging is very close to Mint.com as well: https://indinero.com/tour/secure https://indinero.com/tour/secure http://www.mint.com/features/security/ http://www.mint.com/features/security/ http://www.mint.com/features/ http://www.mint.com/features/ https://indinero.com/tour/setup https://indinero.com/tour/setup Perhaps this is another mistake
  - codexon 17y ago
    Not that I condone copying, but if you can't beat them, then join them (unless they have a copyright or patent).
- PStamatiou 17y ago
  Unrelated but thanks for Delayed::Job, much appreciated. -fellows rails dev
  - lunaru 17y ago
    While we're on that subject though, thanks for Liquid and ActiveMerchant. You guys have no idea how awesome you are. (Okay maybe you do) - another fellow rails dev.
    - xal 17y ago
      wow, thank you so much guys.
      - vinhboy 17y ago
        no, thank you!
jlm382 17y ago
Tobi, That's a mistake on our part, and we're going to fix it. On another note - the techZING guys were some of the funnest I've spoken to. :) Between working on startup and preparing for finals, things have been pretty stressful over here.
- rms 17y ago
  I wouldn't let the negative comments here get to you; in threads like these people have a tendency to seize on one negative thing while ignoring everything else. Site looks good btw, I think you are onto something. See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=989120 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=989120 : do as I say, not as I do, etc.
deleted 17y ago
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evandavid 17y ago
Hmm. This looks a lot like Xero.com, only less mature. Also the top google result for "indinero" is a secure (https) page, which results in Google warning me that this site "might not be what I was looking for". I'm not sure if it is Google or the Chrome browser generating the warning, but either way it's probably not good to be on that list.
- Spikefu 17y ago
  I would have to respectfully disagree, having just signed up for both, the critical difference for me is that indinero.com immediately provides support for bank account integration and invoicing without requiring me to commit all of my company details. The reason this matters to me is that I do my business banking with a small credit union that isn't supported by many online systems. The fact that I can find out whether or not the bank is supported before committing all my company details to the system is a big positive for me. FWIW, my bank isn't supported by indinero.com and even after filling in the IRS style form on xero.com I get the impression that I have to jump in with both feet before I find out whether it is supported or not. As far as I can tell, it doesn't actually integrate with your online account at all, you have to manually update or upload statements which may or may not be in a supported format. Meh! way too much trouble for something that appears to be just an online equivalent of QuickBooks. I've already got through the productivity pain barrier with that program once, I don't want to have to learn a new set of arcane UI and workflow rules for an online equivalent.
- lunaru 17y ago
  There are a lot of similar players in the field: http://pulseapp.com/ http://pulseapp.com/ and http://outright.com/ http://outright.com/ as well. At the end of the day, they can all claim to be mint for small businesses, but the winner will be one that actually captures that particular magic that mint had.
deleted 17y ago
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ericclemmons 17y ago
This marketplace seems to be highly competitive. I have to admit, out of those available, I went with Outright.com simply because it tells me (accurately, too!) what my quarterly taxes are. Tracking finances is one thing. Making a startup easier to run is something else entirely :) The moment Mint.com begins doing something similar, these guys may be in trouble. It's difficult to have a business revolve around a huge competitor's single missing feature.

25 points by jayro 17y ago

xal 17y ago

Uhhh. this is the first time i see anything about Indinero but it looks like they lifted our web design almost verbatim: check out the original: http://www.shopify.com/tour/ http://www.shopify.com/tour/ and theirs: https://indinero.com/tour https://indinero.com/tour . All other pages are similar in the same way. Flattering for sure but come on.

tsally 17y ago
Shameful. The cofounder has spoken at TED to boot. You'd think that type of person would know better.
- deleted 17y ago
  [deleted]
- jlm382 17y ago
  Yep, we made a mistake. And we acknowledge it.
  - fan 17y ago
    How could this have come about? Was it that you guys didn't do the design at all and someone else lifted it in your name? Or did you guys go ahead and think "we'll wait till we're called out, and in all likelihood we'd be famous enough then to afford a replacement"?
    - vaksel 17y ago
      you know how it is, you start coding, with a photoshop template up, then by mistake you hit alt tab and go to another site, and you are so busy that you don't notice that you started copying another design. that's what all nighters get you
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
  - oldgregg 17y ago
    Did you really make a mistake? This is really not that big of a deal. The graphics are original, the CSS is original, the copy... it's not even in the same industry. Yeah the general feel is similar but who cares. Besides, the Shopify website doesn't have an exactly stunningly original design. I could accuse Shopify of ripping off Envato's old website (http://www.myinkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/envato.png http://www.myinkblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/envato.p...) but that would just be pointless. Most of us will jack a copy of Hannah Montana's latest album without a second thought then get our panties in a wad when someone vaguely emulates a design.
    - deleted 17y ago
      [deleted]
  - snprbob86 17y ago
    EDIT: never mind, missed your other comment below.
colbyolson 17y ago
Homepage too; http://shopify.com/ http://indinero.com/
- sirrocco 17y ago
  I don't condone copying either but - in all honesty if you search the web I'm pretty sure you'll find at least 10 sites with similar layout. The design on shopify is not exactly ground braking.
atishm 17y ago
Their messaging is very close to Mint.com as well: https://indinero.com/tour/secure https://indinero.com/tour/secure http://www.mint.com/features/security/ http://www.mint.com/features/security/ http://www.mint.com/features/ http://www.mint.com/features/ https://indinero.com/tour/setup https://indinero.com/tour/setup Perhaps this is another mistake
- codexon 17y ago
  Not that I condone copying, but if you can't beat them, then join them (unless they have a copyright or patent).
PStamatiou 17y ago
Unrelated but thanks for Delayed::Job, much appreciated. -fellows rails dev
- lunaru 17y ago
  While we're on that subject though, thanks for Liquid and ActiveMerchant. You guys have no idea how awesome you are. (Okay maybe you do) - another fellow rails dev.
  - xal 17y ago
    wow, thank you so much guys.
    - vinhboy 17y ago
      no, thank you!

jlm382 17y ago

Tobi, That's a mistake on our part, and we're going to fix it. On another note - the techZING guys were some of the funnest I've spoken to. :) Between working on startup and preparing for finals, things have been pretty stressful over here.

rms 17y ago
I wouldn't let the negative comments here get to you; in threads like these people have a tendency to seize on one negative thing while ignoring everything else. Site looks good btw, I think you are onto something. See http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=989120 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=989120 : do as I say, not as I do, etc.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

evandavid 17y ago

Hmm. This looks a lot like Xero.com, only less mature. Also the top google result for "indinero" is a secure (https) page, which results in Google warning me that this site "might not be what I was looking for". I'm not sure if it is Google or the Chrome browser generating the warning, but either way it's probably not good to be on that list.

Spikefu 17y ago
I would have to respectfully disagree, having just signed up for both, the critical difference for me is that indinero.com immediately provides support for bank account integration and invoicing without requiring me to commit all of my company details. The reason this matters to me is that I do my business banking with a small credit union that isn't supported by many online systems. The fact that I can find out whether or not the bank is supported before committing all my company details to the system is a big positive for me. FWIW, my bank isn't supported by indinero.com and even after filling in the IRS style form on xero.com I get the impression that I have to jump in with both feet before I find out whether it is supported or not. As far as I can tell, it doesn't actually integrate with your online account at all, you have to manually update or upload statements which may or may not be in a supported format. Meh! way too much trouble for something that appears to be just an online equivalent of QuickBooks. I've already got through the productivity pain barrier with that program once, I don't want to have to learn a new set of arcane UI and workflow rules for an online equivalent.
lunaru 17y ago
There are a lot of similar players in the field: http://pulseapp.com/ http://pulseapp.com/ and http://outright.com/ http://outright.com/ as well. At the end of the day, they can all claim to be mint for small businesses, but the winner will be one that actually captures that particular magic that mint had.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

ericclemmons 17y ago

This marketplace seems to be highly competitive. I have to admit, out of those available, I went with Outright.com simply because it tells me (accurately, too!) what my quarterly taxes are. Tracking finances is one thing. Making a startup easier to run is something else entirely :) The moment Mint.com begins doing something similar, these guys may be in trouble. It's difficult to have a business revolve around a huge competitor's single missing feature.