

Sign to throw in the towel? - MJ_IDEAS

I have been mulling over an idea for an app for the past few months. 
Obviously enough of an enthusiast to be an avid HN reader, but my eager attempt at learning to code turned to be a very, very humbling experience, fast.<p>My idea was to use augmented reality to virtually show DIY interior design and move around furnitures in your room.<p>I've been trying to network as much as possible and attend hackathons as sounding boards for my idea - is the idea even feasible? But the usual enthusiasm met in the beginning ends with lackluster non-commitals.<p>Low on cash, even lower on skills. Not much luck on elance, guru and sites of the like either. I've had responses by people who seem to be able to execute parts of the project but no one seems up to the challenge for the hard part.<p>Is me not being able to find a partner/team sign of bad idea? I've always been a biz dev/client relations person. If my team can build it, I know I can market it.<p>Your advice? Is this a telling sign to throw in the towel?
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bradhe
> My idea was to use augmented reality to virtually show DIY interior design
> and move around furnitures in your room.

It doesn't sounds like you understand the scale of the technical challenge
here. You're talking about developing a product based on a technology that is
in its infancy! Meeting the type of dev that can execute on this at a meetup
is going to be...dicy, at best.

Secondly, okay you have an idea. What else do you have? The only things you
mention here are your "idea" so...can only assume not much else.

Thirdly, and directly to your question: it doesn't sound like you have the
chops to execute on this idea, nor do you know enough about technology to
build a business in any capacity, frankly. Join another startup, learn more
about how software is built and how it works, then find something that you
_know_ is marketable. I mean, for Christ sake, this should not be hard for you
--it sounds as if you have basically 0 invested here...

Tangentially, this is one of those posts that makes me wonder: What is it with
non technologists that makes them want to do something in software? Why would
you want to work in a space that you don't understand or care enough to learn
to understand? These types of people view software as a means to an end, which
isn't inherently bad but seems to not fit in the patterns of success I have
seen in the software world.

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newobj
1) I think a lot of people have had this idea. It's kind of "obvious" IMHO.

2) There's a big technical challenge, but...

3) There's an even bigger content challenge. Where is this furniture content
going to come from? Are manufacturers going to create 3d models? How/why? This
is an industry that still seems to love to function using showroom catalogs.

4) What exactly is the business model?

If you think you could sell it if it was built, then just pretend it's built -
and why not try pitching it here? Not just describing the UX but describing
the end to end function of the business, content pipeline, sales cycle, and
how it's going to generate appreciable amounts of revenue.

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malux85
Dude, I have 7+ years as a highly technical mobile developer and experience
writing augmented reality apps that businesses are using in the app store. I
would place your idea in the 'very hard' box ... Picking this as your first
project to learn development is insane. Augmented reality is in its infancy
and what you're trying to implement is darn near impossible. Don't throw in
the towel altogether, but time for a different project? Yes.

~~~
relaunched
I've started building AR prototypes recently and would very much like to chat
with someone who's been at it for 7 years. If you'd be amenable to letting me
pick your brain, I'd very much appreciate it. My email is in my profile.

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listaware
Have you done anything else ? Any track record doing things ? Have you even
done an app ? If you are not really a developer perhaps you are missing the
fact that some of the technical bits may be tough to implement.

I would go for two options 1) Can you do something small on your own to test
the market, or test the technology 2) Jump in with another technical team's
start-up, and do their biz dev, and get your start that way. Maybe after idea
is done they may need a pivot idea.

If you are having trouble starting, and you don't have cash (esp. from
investors) then I'd personally drop it until I was in a position to either do
it myself or had a team.

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jyu
Good ideas may not necessarily be good ideas for you. It seems like you don't
really have the resources to execute on this idea properly. From your short
description, you come off as a random person with no interior design
experience, limited money, limited contacts. It's a tough spot.

If you're serious about continuing, then try building out the storyboard and
wireframes. Then you have a concept you can pitch and sell to clients. If it's
easy to get clients and purchase orders, then you know you have something. If
you can't, then the product / market fit needs some work.

FYI, there are a couple startups doing very similar things already.

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Chris_X
"If my team can build it, I know I can market it." Come up with something that
solves a problem and is easier to build. Then use your skills to market it
better than the competition. Many business tasks can be simplified with
nothing more than a simple database app.

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codegeek
"augmented reality to virtually show DIY interior design and move around
furnitures in your room"

A major pain point for me and i m sure many others. If you can build this, i
will pay.

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sharemywin
check out: <http://www.snapshopinc.com/solutions/>

