

Rules for Bootstrapped Web App Startups  - lessallan
http://b.lesseverything.com/2009/7/7/10-rules-for-bootstrapped-web-app-startups

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krav
1st rule: You do not talk about bootstrapping.

2nd rule: You DO NOT talk about bootstrapping.

3rd rule: If someone mentions real-time or social networking, it's over.

4th rule: Only two founders to a startup

5th rule: One startup at a time

6th rule: No suits, no MBAs

7th rule: Startups will go on as long as they have to

8th rule: If this is your first time at a startup, you HAVE to bootstrap.

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derefr
That last point (8) sounds worthy of a decent debate. Any posts on the
subject?

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robryan
10 rules everyone who cares has heard before,

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alexk
... and if not, you'd better read the expanded version:

<http://paulgraham.com/articles.html>

:)

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justin_vanw
11: If you want to be taken seriously, don't make obvious spelling errors.

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tdavis
It is astonishing how few people I take seriously anymore, precisely because
of this. Most blog posts I read now seem to have a blatant typo in the first
paragraph, if not first sentence. It's profoundly irritating. If I can read my
drafts 50 times before publishing them, couldn't others be buggered to read
them _once_?

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raffi
_aherm_ consider referring these folks to Uncle Raffi's spelling, style,
grammar, and misused word detection for bloggers--
<http://www.afterthedeadline.com> I'm here to help!

~~~
DTrejo
I use this all the time for my writing. (Raffi's product)

<http://www.polishmywriting.com/>

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edw519
These "rules" are a little too shallow to be very useful.

"Build something people need and love. People will talk about it."

People can only talk about it if they know about it. How will they know?

"Release, release and release. Release it before you think it's ready, you're
wrong, you don't need that feature."

This would be better said as, "If you're not quite sure, don't be afraid to
release. Blindly releasing for the sake of releasing is risky and stupid."

"Your app will probably fail, most of them do."

What is this doing on this list? Worst advice _ever_. Better would be, "Your
app can succeed."

"Build something you want to use. Continue to use it, feel the user's pain."

This can easily be the opposite of #1, "Build something people need and love."
You're unnecessarily restricting yourself to the relatively tiny population of
things that interest you.

"Be Ballsy, don't follow the herd, make a courageous moves."

Such as...

"Build something you want to use. Continue to use it, feel the user's pain."

Bad advice. Better to ask the user about their own pain. Developers are
notorious for having blind spots about their own apps.

"Google Adwords isn't a revenue model."

Not according to Markus Frind, founder of plentyoffish.com.

"Find the cheapest, fastest way to 500 paid users. People will pay for your
app, if it's good."

Such as...

"Design is an iterative process, not just development. And you won't get it
right the first time, so don't sweat so much."

Sweat a little. Release shit too soon and shoot yourself in the foot.
Development must be done with design in mind.

"Don't scale until you actually need to. (The front page of Digg does not
count as need.)"

But develop with scaling in mind. (Will you really have enough time to
completely redesign your data base schema after 1000 users?)

"Don't spend any money."

What if spending money is more time/cost effective? (Paying someone to do
something that would have taken me 5 days to do.)

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marcofloriano
"Rules" are not a "How to build the next Google For Dummies".

"People can only talk about it if they know about it. How will they know?"

Using it. Start with your friends, and if they like it, they will talk about
it to their friends. There´s a lot of ways to make the user "talk". It´s not
asking him like a favor, but, basically, regarding him. It´s better if to need
your app, he MUST invite new users. It creates a powerful chain of humans.

This would be better said as, "If you're not quite sure, don't be afraid to
release. Blindly releasing for the sake of releasing is risky and stupid."

Nope. I think it´s about really release as fast as possible, as long as your
app can do the "mainly" think. It´s not even an beta, it´s a alpha, but if it
works, it´s must be released.

What is this doing on this list? Worst advice ever. Better would be, "Your app
can succeed."

Because newbies business men think that they will be successful by the end of
the year. Don´t dream, stay focused and prepare to lose, a lot. It´s not a
game where the victories depends of you and your guts, but rather luck and a
lot of uncontrolled factors. The best advise ? Good luck !

This can easily be the opposite of #1, "Build something people need and love."
You're unnecessarily restricting yourself to the relatively tiny population of
things that interest you.

Nah ... there´s a trick part here. If you make something that you can REALLY
use, so it´s will be MUCH, but really MUCH more easy to sell to others. If you
any time tried to sell something, you should know that.

Such as...

Hum ... anything your mom ever have heard (even if it exists) could help. The
point is to start something new, and then look for YOUR USERS needs ... not
having the brilliant idea. Dont stick with examples and ideas, go for the
reality and try to create anything your user need.

Not according to Markus Frind, founder of plentyoffish.com.

Maybe ... but if you are have something that don´t trows a lot of shit on the
screen of the user, and even so that have money, your product is really for
the win. Dont be afraid, if your app really help somebody, they will be happy
to pay for it.

Such as...

Get one, listen to him, release, get ten, listen to them, release, get 100,
listen to them, release, get 1000, listen to them, release ... remember, "we
are not on the software business, we are on the SHOWBUSINESS". And, of course,
believe on your work.

Sweat a little. Release shit too soon and shoot yourself in the foot.
Development must be done with design in mind.

I agree.

But develop with scaling in mind. (Will you really have enough time to
completely redesign your data base schema after 1000 users?)

Agree again with you here.

What if spending money is more time/cost effective? (Paying someone to do
something that would have taken me 5 days to do.)

It works only if in this five days you can make more money then you have payed
for. Therefore you are not spending, but earning.

Sorry by my poor english.

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lowdown
I've been stuck at number two for MONTHS. Analysis paralysis.

~~~
imp
Then release today!

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lowdown
I've actually signed up my first beta customer, which will be a big step
towards an actual product. We use the product for our business, but n+1 is
challenging. I'm doing it though. I want those 500 customers and the freedom
to work on my own IP.

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christofd
1st rule: create a software app of high enough quality, that CS college grads
from good departments will not vomit, when they see your source code

2nd rule: don't run out of money; get a part-time job; mow your neighbors
lawns etc.

3rd rule: build something that companies, or any mid-sized and funded
organization will actually use; you're insane to think you will actually
succeed in the consumer market

my two cents. good luck.

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sunjammers
This is great advice that can be applied to more than web apps too!

