

Ask HN: When should you start a start-up? - bbastian

Perhaps this question is too general, but when should someone start a start-up? When you see a need? Or have a "million-dollar idea"? When you're young/old? Before/during/after college? When you're poor/rich? Etc.
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boonez123
Seriously, you should start your ideally after you've done market research and
determined that there is a definitive need for your service and/or product.

Too many start-ups don't do the research and totally just go straight to
development. Mine included. Ie. <http://www.plentyoftweeps.com>

In anycase another startup I had I waited 5 years, craigslist.org had been
operating that whole time and basically dominated in the markets where they
had that 5 year run time, so I had to squeek by and penetrate markets where
craigslist.org wasn't.

Anyway start ASAP with the market research. Ask people on buses, at
restaurants, in planes, family and friends if they would use your
service/product.

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aeden
If you see a need, then do it, but do it cheap so you can fail without causing
any long term damage to your finances. Most likely you'll fail (most companies
do after all) so doing it cheap and failing fast are both useful and
pragmatic. If you do manage to succeed then bravo. If you don't succeed but
you enjoyed it then do it again when you see the next need. Wash, rinse,
repeat. If you didn't enjoy it (or if you're looking to gain wisdom) then
change paths and go work with or for someone else for a while. Pay attention
to their successes and mistakes, be actively involved in their business, and
then start your own again.

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wkmanire
One bit of advice. Don't go into business with friends you can't live with
losing. Best advice. Don't go into business with friends. I created a business
with a bunch from friends from school and we did well. So well that we had
more customers than we could handle. End result: everyone quit but me. :( . If
I could do it over I would have waited until I had the cash to hire help and
quit my day job. I lost a lot of "good" friends over money and walked away
with a huge loss when I couldn't deliver by myself.

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skowmunk
I second what boonez123 and aeden said, that was indeed wise advise.

In addition, I would say, as soon as you see a need (but, validated through
market research, formal or informal) go after it. There are lots of
intelligent people thinking out there, who are as capable as seeing market
needs as you or me or the next person. The only thing that matters in these
days of open source and low cost startups is execution - who comes first to
the market with the better product.

A need that is not met can be a current $0 dollar idea but if developed well
can be a future million dollar idea. If you hit on a million dollar idea when
you are poor, thats how you would get rich!

Before/during/after college? - 'Now' would be best.

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sammcd
When you see a need that you feel like you can monetize, and also think you
have the time and/or love for the project to be able to launch it.

I feel like I've missed the target on the second one way more then the first.
One of my first projects launched well and had some good stable income (about
$1500/month). After that I decided to think big, and now I have a few projects
that are just too big for me to do in my spare time. I think some thought
should be put into how long it will take you to get to the minimal viable
product.

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maresca
You should start a start-up when your idea is so strong, that you are willing
to sacrifice it's monetization for it's success.

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gjenkin
pg wrote this essay some time ago: <http://www.paulgraham.com/start.html>

He discusses the elements you need to create a successful startup. To answer
your question of "when" to start a startup, it may be worth considering these
elements. When you have them (or 2 out of 3 of them since the third element is
to spend as little money as possible, and you can't really do that until
you're in it) it may be time.

Another relevant pg essay: <http://www.paulgraham.com/notnot.html>

Here he discusses some of the dimensions you include in your question (age,
wealth, in/out of college) and analyses their impact on one's decision to
start (or not start) a startup.

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nostrademons
When you see a need. The rest is just noise.

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ashitvora
When you feel, you want to work for yourself.

