
Ask HN: Distributed consulting agency, advice? - bettabima
Hi, i start to create a platform where people can create their own team (inviting friends) for consulting project. My idea is create a web&#x2F;mobile place with a lot of &quot;teams&quot; skilled in their things and if someone want to do something can search a great team (created by trusted people, in my team i want the best developer that i know) for doing that thing.
I want to do this just because freelancer.com sucks and i want extra job for my free time to earn something more. Essentially is a team showcase and anybody can create your own &quot;consultant agency&quot; to work at home :)<p>do you think it makes sense?<p>Thanks guys
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brudgers
The challenges I see:

1\. Vetting. Who vouches for the quality of each team?

2\. Market making. Who insures that most teams find work and that most people
looking for a team find one?

These are typical of two sided market places and harder for a narrowly
targeted marketplace than for a broadly targeted one -- how different is a
consulting team marketplace from Ebay?

The existing sites have not died because they solved the two problems and the
ways in which they suck mostly reflect how they solved those problems, e.g.
low rates solves the market maker problem so long as some consultants will
work at those rates.

Good luck.

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bettabima
exactly! those are the main problems but what is in my mind is that this
platform will serve to all those who want something "small" and cheap.

If i'm bank i will go definitely to ask the greatest but if you are a small
business that does not want to spend too much should rely on small consulting
firms for which they would pay more than 4 friends in his freetime (or if they
can as full time job ) make this type of service.

A team of people who can work from home already take off their office costs :)

The quality of the team is at the discretion of the person who wants to rely
on them (if I buy a XXX software company who guarantees me quality?).

Many would like to create their own company but few do because we are too high
costs initials, here there are no costs, and if you're lucky someone entrusts
:)

I guess the review team on clients, portfolio of various projects etc .. Also
I imagine that if it spreads the same consulting firms iscrivino their team :)

It 'just a bad idea? :(

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brudgers
It's not a bad idea. It's a hard problem that hinges on several issues:

1\. Trust.

2\. Liquidity.

If the buyer and the seller both have to perform full due diligence before the
transaction, there is little advantage to using the platform except for buyers
and sellers who are already able and willing to perform due diligence.

If there is a low probability that a buyer will find what they are looking for
there is a low probability that they will use the platform. If there is a low
probability that buyers will use the platform, there is a low probability that
sellers will sell on it. For sellers, the time and effort that goes into
creating a presence is probably better spent on a platform more likely to
produce sales...such as an owned website.

To put it another way, the challenges for the project as _a business_ are not
technical. The challenges are overcoming the adverse economic incentives and
alternative approaches by the parties. The existing platforms that we have all
heard about have overcome those challenges and part of 'what sucks' about them
is due to what is required to overcome them.

~~~
bettabima
makes sense! But, this platform is "completely" free. Can be the website of
the team. I have a lot of people that asking on linkedin if i'm available for
doing something. I think that if this platform is free (maybe you can pay for
better placement of your "team" or for premium features) is amazing for all.

I mean, if a create a team with my 3 best developer and 1 designer can be an
amazing team!

~~~
brudgers
I am probably imagining something different from what you have in mind. An
implementation might be a good way to communicate your vision. An
implementation might also be a way to test your hypotheses about the utility
of the platform.

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sharemywin
I would like access to a sql like query interface( with an api) to a global
database of people with:

interests,

skills(with skill level and experience level), portfolio uploads,

links to websites(with links like worked on,designed, own etc.),

Geo location(general then shareable for specific details)

and a way to contact and types of opportunities they're open to.

on the flip side maybe a list of queries(skills they search for) associated
with someone.

~~~
bettabima
sorry but i don't understand your comment. its a advice or what you need?

~~~
sharemywin
my idea of the ideal product for a marketplace for skilled workers.

