

Ask HN: I've got a full time job I love & extra cash, I want to invest. - wizard_2

I consulted for years, I tried a few psudo "startups" (mainly consulting as tech or management, sometimes for free or equity). I'm currently at my first "large" company in good position with lots of movement potential. I'm making money, I'm busy learning every day, and I'm quite happy.&#60;p&#62;I've always saved relentlessly but now I feel like I should do something with my money. I figure I have about $150 a week I can invest in a business. It's hardly enough for a large venture but its more then enough to fund a side project. Alternatively I can invest in funds, stocks, bonds, or whatever.&#60;p&#62;Honestly though my gut tells me to go for small ventures. How do I work on such a small scale?
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Charlie_B
I am working on starting my own bootstrapped business also, and am in a
similar position as yourself. Start by googling resources about how to
bootstrap a startup. $150/week is plenty, although you'll have to save for
some bigger purchases.

Firstly, you'll should plan on doing most/all the work yourself. This isn't
strictly required, but I find it to be the most fun part of the job. Save the
money for advertising, PR, link building, domain registration, company
formation, accountants, etc.

Alternately, you can select a product you you want to build, save for a few
months, and then just pay someone to do it for you. There was a good interview
on Mixergy about exactly this method, where a $2k investment turned into
$80k/month. <http://mixergy.com/free-apps-interview/> I wouldn't expect to
have the same kind of success, but it is something you could pursue.

If you are more interested in sitting back and investing in established
companies, a lot of people will try to sell you hot stocks or whatever. Don't
listen. In the long run (3-5 years) no one, save a very few people like Warren
Buffet, beat the market. Roll some percentage of your money into an S&P index,
and international index, and a bond index, then re-balance every year. The
closer to retirement you are, the more money should become cash or CD's. The
younger, typically the more in stock + international. It's boring, but it's
the surest way to have your portfolio grow.

Personally, I prefer the startup route (but I do plenty of investing as well).

Good luck!

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wizard_2
Thanks for your advice!

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volomike
Here are a few options:

\- specialized WordPress Plugin development and sales

\- making Android or iPhone apps

\- making HTML5 apps with a mobile phone framework, and which work on Android
and iPhone phones

On getting programmers, you'll want to keep trying, and putting comments out
in forums and anywhere you can. I advise you to find some programmer in or
near your timezone so that you don't end up playing the timezone game. And
you'll likely want to check in another hemisphere. For instance, if you're in
NYC, you could consider contacting some developer in Brazil.

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wizard_2
I am in NYC. I've never worked with any over seas developers though.

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lem72
I would start going to a lot of Barcamps and democamps and talking to
entrepreneurs and geeks and throw out that you are looking to microinvest.

Be excited to lose the money tho and chalk it up to schooling/learning.

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waru
kickstarter.com is full of people and projects that need many small
investments like that. You usually get lots of goodies from them in the
process, too. Good luck, and thanks for your generosity!

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wuster
some of this may conflict with employer/employee agreements at many of the
large companies - conflict of interest and such.

