

Ask HN: Please take a survey to help my startup - cb33
http://ideall.net/

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vaksel

       How much would you be looking to borrow to launch your 
       business? >$50,000 $25,000-$50,000 <$10,000, $10,000-$25,000
    

the order is pretty wrong here...and you should either add "none" option or
rephrase the question to something like "How much would it cost you to launch
your business"

also:

    
    
       If you were to receive this loan, in how many years would you expect to pay it back? *1 Year 2 Years 3 Years <3 Years
    

it should be >3 years.

Its like noone even read this thing

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cb33
Changes made

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aditya
Taken but don't know what you mean by online investment platform... like
Etrade or like Kiva?

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cb33
Sort of like Kiva, but for small businesses and startups in the U.S.

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aditya
I see.

But if all you want is money, why not go to a bank and ask for a credit line?
The one charm and appeal of programs like YC is that it is 'smart' money:
advice, network, etc.

~~~
cb33
We can offer lower interest rates than banks and when you pay back that
interest, it's going to lenders who are just regular people. Ideall is not
just about getting you the money you need to get your idea off the ground, but
also gives your startup an online home when it comes to promoting your idea.

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pj
That survey is so biased. Where in the list of languages is Java, C#, VB, C or
C++, Pascal? Haskell? Django isn't even a language!

~~~
cb33
Changes made.

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hotpockets
Also Perl

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jlees
"Ideall Microfinance is a start-up aimed at making it simple for small
businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs to raise capital."

And yet we can't classify ourselves as an entrepreneur? I mean, I develop
software, but that's not how I primarily think of myself these days. I ticked
the 'Other' box out of confusion.

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cb33
We assume that you are already an entrepreneur (or at least a prospective
entrepreneur) if you're answering questions about borrowing money for your
startup.

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johns
Why are there default options selected for the radio boxes? This could taint
the results.

<3 years encapsulates the other results for that question as well.

~~~
cb33
Changes made

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quizbiz
I was interested in the website you used to create the form but I closed out
and don't want to falsify your data. Mind sharing the form generator?

~~~
cb33
Wufoo

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volida
i went on to fill the form and at the end I face this question: What features
would you want in an online investment platform?

you give me a blank textarea to fill in a survey? i wouldn't sit to fill in an
empty box and for what in return? instead you should at least give some
options to tick

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cb33
That textarea is not required. We are looking for rather subjective answers
there. Could not have made a list.

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dmix
Customers think in benefits not features.

Even though I develop apps I can't think of features off the top of my head
for a generic application category that I've never used before.

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cb33
Yes, but the question is meant to be open-ended. We've done the brainstorming
to come up with useful, beneficial features; Now we want to hear from our
potential userbase.

We believe features should benefit you, so your input only helps.

~~~
dmix
You should check out Steve Blank's talks on customer development.

In his latest talk at Stanford (<http://cli.gs/JUh0Ne>) a class member asked
whether or not they should do surveys to understand the market...he said no.
You should be testing whether or not your customer would buy your product
following your current spec/idea not just general features they'd like.

You seem to be looking for people to formulate the product itself without
clearly stating the core offering. That should be something you do inhouse
then go out and see whether or not the market agrees that your idea has any
ground to it - then reiterate.

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cb33
Personally, I don't agree with that. Why waste time developing features your
intended customerbase wouldn't find beneficial?

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dmix
Thats the point hes trying to make - you shouldn't wait until your product is
developed to test out the market. You should talk to customers as early as
possible. But you need a solid concept for a product to present to the
customer in order to get quality feedback.

At the stage your at, I would be testing whether or not the _problem_
exists... not what features they wanted on a product that has not yet been
formulated.

The one key question your missing is "Do you find it difficult to raise seed
capital for your startup?". That question deserves an open-ended textbox.

~~~
cb33
Fair enough. Good point.

