

Ask HN: do you want to enter YC Winter 2010 as part of my team? - adrianwaj

I have been thinking about the music industry since 2000 when the RIAA mounted a massive legal challenge against Napster and was eventually significantly altered and sold off by Shawn Fanning.<p>In 2003 I came up with a website idea and built it using the Xoops CMS, which if it were further developed in a custom manner (and also funded) would've resembled the functionality of MySpace for linking fans with artists, and been more comprehensive.<p>Right now I am seeking two US-based co-founders who'd like to apply for YC funding 2010. I am now in Israel and plan on being the remote cofounder. First and foremost a technical lead is required.<p>Potential cofounders may be developers looking for a great project, or existing teams of two or more wanting to (with myself) continue working together in such a manner.<p>I do not feel overly compelled to enter YC, but feel it would be a great process to maximize the likelihood of real industry change and provide great relevant learning.<p>I am ready to fill out the entire YC application. What's missing are team mates.<p>My idea focuses on optimizing gig creation and I have experience in this field... I don't want to say too much. I have registered a couple of domains already.<p>http://ycombinator.com/ideas.html
(this business idea addresses 1. A cure for the disease of which the RIAA is a symptom.)
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frisco
You wouldn't come into the Valley for YC, and you're not technical? Why would
a good dev want to sign up for this?

Regardless of the I-need-a-technical-lead issue, I think it would be missing a
major point of YC to not colocate for the time it meets, given you're
accepted. Part of the push of YC is to get you to fully commit and take the
leap: you're either going for it or you're not. Startups are too close to
death at any given time for there to be an in-between.

~~~
adrianwaj
If we were accepted, then I could come into the valley. I could beforehand in
fact, but this would be risky cost-wise. Perhaps PG could interview on the
basis of "accepted if he comes"??? I am flexible.

I could also run a video entry...

I have a semi-techincal background, HTML, CSS, Javascript and a degree in
Information Systems. Coding large projects from scratch does not entice me: I
use mainly Open Source LAMP and tweak.

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nikz
I think you need to be particularly careful when approaching a technical
audience (like HN) for something like this.

I'm not saying that I feel this attitude in particular from you, but posts of
the "I'm the business guy, I need a tech guy" nature often come across as
condescending to me, as a technical reader. I think the implication is "anyone
can make the tech work", when in reality a technical cofounder probably feels
like they'll have _at least_ as much input into the startup as you.

Or this could just be a personal attitude I've adopted after too many
proposals of the "here's 1%, now go do all the work" nature ("I'm worth more
because I'm the business guy!")

:)

In any case, best of luck finding someone.

~~~
adrianwaj
Thank you. In the scenario I envisage, the technical lead becomes the CEO
assuming I do not travel to California.

I am looking for a high calibre team and feel that I and the idea warrants
one.

I am sacrificing my control and equity by recruiting on HN in this manner, and
I agree with you about the 'tech guy' often receiving the raw deal at times,
and have actually worked as that person numerous times -- the sub-ordinate in
3 non-VC backed startups already, including a ticketing startup.

I am more than happy to grant more equity to other cofounders than myself: it
would depend on how much input they want from me.

I have also been a drummer and know what it's like for musicians and managers
to organize gigs and tours.

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chrischen
No offense, but why do we need you?

~~~
adrianwaj
I can hire local developers but I am exploring the YC route first. Who needs
anyone??

~~~
chrischen
I think the particular thing about startup founders that is emphasized here
and by Paul Graham is that they have to be exceptional, or at least offer
something that most people don't have.

Anyone can hire developers and anyone can apply to YC. I'm not saying you have
no worth, but you haven't really given a good reason for anyone to join you
yet. If I personally know you, that might be a good reason, but I don't, and
the fact that you're calling out on HN means you're not looking for someone
you know.

So if you do have an urge to work on a startup, get someone you know or do it
yourself if you absolutely don't know anyone. Or at least tell people
specifically what you can do and make sure it's something that's not easy to
find everywhere.

I would love for a cool people to work with but we're talking about splitting
the company with a whole other person, and if you are not able to offer even a
fraction of the other founders' worth (because at this point technical
founders will be doing most of the work), then it's a hard sell.

Do you have a degree? Do you have a good idea? Are you objective? Anything to
show that you have value? Frankly if all you have is an idea that's not even
enough value for you to be a co-founder.

~~~
adrianwaj
I appreciate your response and interest. My original posting basically spells
out my position. There's plenty of work for me to do. If you're vaguely
interested then I can sell myself more to you either in public or private.

I am going to develop this project, I just want to maximize my chances of
success, rather than have someone come along and copy me down the track who's
in a more commercially viable position (like an incumbent, someone VC-backed,
or someone with deeper pockets).

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ErrantX
_I do not feel overly compelled to enter YC_

Then I suspect you have failed before you have even begun :) (pg does read the
site here btw).

Incidentally I suspect I can explain all the downvotes; your language is
something in the style of "corporate exec" (maximizing, optimizing, relevant
learning). The kind of people you will find here already have experience of
guys who talk like that (and often they are bad experiences for a developer).
Certainly if anyone pitched a project to me with that language I would reject
it - I know already it is never going to complete comfortably.

~~~
adrianwaj
If I felt "overly compelled" I'd be in the valley now looking for people to
work with on a business or tourist visa staying in cheap accom until I could
move forward. The downside is too high and my best alternative to any
negotiated agreement at that point would be zilch so my leverage would be low
in negotiating any agreement. I don't lack confidence but have to manage risk,
or in layman's terms, I don't want to overly put my balls on the line unless I
absolutely must.

Sorry about being a corporate exec in those terms, it's sometimes a decent
shortcut, some execs know what they are talking about- maybe not so many
consultants. I am definitely no corporate exec, and never worked in a large
company.

Are you specifically interested? I am happy to complete the application and
then discuss it with people who might be or are seriously interested.

I have developed a trust in my own judgments and ideas over the years seeing
many come to fruition by other people. Unfortunately, I haven't been in the
position to so far execute and capitalize myself.

edit: all I'm basically requiring is the benefit of the doubt (and I will have
to check my idea isn't then ripped off.) Ideas do have value, it's not all
execution - if they did not, why are there patents (incl business process
patents) or business secrets.

~~~
ErrantX
* I am definitely no corporate exec, and never worked in a large company.*

But you sound like one; you dont have to work at a corporation to have that
approach.

There is nothing wrong with talking and acting like that - the only thing is
you probably wont find anyone here willing to work like that :)

pg has an excellent essay called _Hackers & Painters_ which explains,
basically, why you don't want the hackers you'll find here. We dont implement
ideas :)

Ultimately:

 _I don't want to overly put my balls on the line unless I absolutely must._

That is probably the main reason you wont find anyone here to help you out.
And is definitely the reason YC would almost certainly turn you down. We put
our balls on the line with ease - because that's how you make good software :D

------
ashishk
Hmm. It's two weeks before the application deadline. Do you really think an ad
hoc team, assembled just weeks before the application deadline, will stand a
chance?

~~~
adrianwaj
Yes, why not?

I will interview of course and check experience.

~~~
dwynings
"I have a great idea for a startup, but I'm not technical. Will you still fund
me? Can you help me find programmers to implement my idea?

...

It's much better if you find one yourself through friends of friends than if
we introduce you to someone. Teams thrown together for the purpose of starting
a startup usually fall apart under stress. You need some kind of personal
connection."

<http://ycombinator.com/faq.html>

~~~
adrianwaj
I am technical, just not technical Enough, I can also hire but YC is
preferred.

------
adrianwaj
\-- I just have to say, many of my comments are getting downmodded, I am
answering legitimate concerns to a legitimate posting. If someone has a deeper
problem of more than just "I don't think this will work and I don't agree with
what you're doing" kindly let me know.

~~~
urlwolf
Sorry to say, but after reading this thread, my gut feeling is 'run away as
fast as possible'. I think others are trying to communicate the same more
politely.

One important thing that you are missing: you would not want to startup with
someone you don't know from before, and have complete, blind trust in. And you
cannot 'hire' a cofounder. You hire workers, but a cofounder doesn't work for
you, by definition.

~~~
zackattack
I have a deeper problem with it. You are bringing NOTHING to the table. I said
it: NOTHING. And you are trying to EXPLOIT an engineer, someone who has
developed ACTUAL SKILLS through YEARS OF HARD WORK, STRESS, AND FRUSTRATION.
These skills have GLOBAL SOCIAL VALUE. That means that people are willing to
PAY ENGINEERS MONEY on the market in order to build things. You claim you are
bringing an IDEA, but truly, ideas are WORTHLESS: NOBODY will pay you money
for them. On the other hand, if you have something PATENTABLE, that's a
different story.

If you had been around the site a while, you would have observed these things
for yourself. Oh wait - checking out your profile, you have been around for
over a year. In my opinion, your complete lack of social/political savvy will
lead to your complete failure as a businessman.

~~~
adrianwaj
"Hero on the quest for truth" ay? thought you'd be more skeptical than
cynical.

I'll bring my money to the table if all else fails, that has currency, and
it's something that many software developers are solely only interested in:
they'll bleed you dry, I've seen it for myself. You think I'm trying to
exploit people? Wrong. A sense of ownership and shared success is what I
though approaching this community could garner for my idea, if there were any
takers.

You can take a horse to the water but you can't make it drink.

Over and out.

