

Ask HN: I have $100k in cash. In what kind of startup should I invest it? - zeynalov

My problem is, I don't know what to do. I have some startup ideas but they are small ideas which I think they will not be a revolutionary startup. I would like to hear best advices to train my idea muscles of my brain to come up with some good ideas, or any new ideas from you.<p>Below I wrote down my skills and some info. But as you know, with this money I can hire any professional to do the work. To save money I'll use my skills, I'll do whatever I can.<p>My skills:<p>- Professional graphic &#38; web design, ui/ux design (7 years in industry)<p>- Professional illustrator (diploma from painting school)<p>- Professional SEO knowledge (4 years experience)<p>- HTML, CSS skills, basic PHP skills.<p>- Professional Oral surgeon ( 2 universities, 10 years of study, doing my MD now)<p>- Intermediate Marketing skills (read some books, reading daily blogs, magazines, implemented on a startup)<p>- Intermediate Entrepreneurship skills (read some books, reading daily blogs, magazines, implemented on a startup)<p>- Small startup experience. Still CEO.<p>- Professional Piano player (5 years of piano school)<p>- Live in Germany, but don't have EU citizenship. Have residency permission as a professional doctor. Citizen of Azerbaijan Republic.<p>- Married, no kids.<p>- I'm 25.
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mattacurtis
Whenever you get frustrated about a tool, a process, a company, a product, or
an interaction you have (basically anything that is not a personal
relationship), write it down.

Keep a list of these. Come back to them once a week and think about what you
would like to be different or how you would make your experience better. Cross
off any frustrations that you would not pay money to fix.

Refine this list by determining if:

a) Others (people) have similar frustrations to you

b) Others would pay money to fix or reduce their frustrations

That should get you started in the right direction.

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zeynalov
I have a Notebook and a Evernote notebook about this. I write down all my
ideas on these notebooks. My passion is so big about startups, that sometimes
I do this when I have a Patient. I stop the treatment and with the help of my
nurses I write the ideas on the list.

But the ideas are not revolutionary. It seems that everything is already done.
I know that always there is a unsolved problem but, I don't know if it's my
fault or it's normal, it's too hard to come up with a great idea nowadays.

~~~
takeaction
Yes, the idea is key but only a part of the whole picture.

Are you open to discussing an idea further?

~~~
zeynalov
yes of course

~~~
takeaction
You can reach me here: dave (at) focial (dot) com

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longlistener
You need to consider what you want out of that money -- if you really want a
fiscal return on your investment then you should stay away from startups. But
if you serious...

First you should probably not consider being a simple angel investor unless
you really know what you're doing. Unless you fully expect to lose all that
money, with little to show other than a business card. The experience of being
an angel investor will only really benefit you if you expect to have another
infusion of cash in 6 months that you can blow through.

A more prudent course is to find a partner who might have an idea and an
advisor who has been through the world of startups and stock before (they
could be the same person, but just make sure the partner is not taking you for
a ride). Then build it! Know that you can go for sometime without raising
money, paying your bills out of the savings. Odds are you will still lose your
money, but you will have learned a lot in the process -- including some
learning that will really help you to be an angel investor in the future.

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hkarthik
Wow 7 years of graphic design, 5 years of piano, and 10 years of study as an
oral surgeon and you're only 25!

Sounds like you should pick up some skills in Mobile Development and solve a
problem that you've encountered through out your extremely diverse life
experiences. I recommend mobile because the distribution mechanisms are
straight forward and more accessible.

Don't worry so much about whether some of these problems have already been
tackled by others, but think about how you could solve them better.

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Aloisius
Are you asking what startup to invest in or to start?

Startups are extremely high risk and the only way people make money investing
in them is to invest in _a lot_ of them. Given the amount of money you have,
investing in startups would essentially be gambling. If you had 25x that
amount, you could diversify enough to maybe see a positive return in 5 years,
but even then it would be a gamble especially if you don't have any experience
evaluating startups.

If you want to start a company, well that's different. I still wouldn't invest
more than say, a quarter of that, but at least you'll have enough money in the
bank that you don't have as much pressure on you.

~~~
zeynalov
I want to start a startup. The thread is about how and in what kind of startup
shoul I invest that it would be smart investment. I would like to hear advices
like : dont start next groupon clone dailydeal startup, dont start next color
like social media, porn portal etc.

~~~
ra
It sounds like you're pretty new to this. Have you looked to see if there are
any local angel investor groups in your area?

Investing through a syndicate gives you an opportunity to invest your money in
a number of startups, and also to benefit from the additional scrutiny they
will provide when assessing potential investments.

Not to mention using tried and tested teem sheets, agreements etc.

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senoff
Could you tell me how you did 10 years of study for Oral Surgery and yet
you're 25 yo?

~~~
zeynalov
It's not full 10 years, I started when I was 17. By 2012 I am on my 10th year.
I was born in 22 july 1986. After few month I will be 26.

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connor
Honestly, it sounds like you really need to decide what you want- do you want
to launch an internet startup or do you want to continue as a professional
oral surgeon?

If you choose to take your money and launch your own general internet startup
(ie a "Dropbox"), I suggest you quit your MD tomorrow. Treating an start-up as
a side project (and a side skill) is a bad idea. After all, your competitors
are spending 100% of their time on their competing start-up.

That said, you do have domain expertise in oral surgery- try and leverage that
domain expertise. Use your unique blend of skills to your advantage.

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roschdal
> Professional Oral surgeon ( 2 universities, 10 years of study, doing my MD
> now)

Invest in a way to help people maintain their teeth better. Any improvement in
technology in this field would benefit a very large amount of people, and
reduce pain and discomfort for people. This is something people would be very
willing to pay for. Perhaps you can imagine some areas within dentistry where
you could improve things? If you have a good idea to improve people's oral
health, then I would be interested in investing the same amount as you in your
idea.

~~~
zeynalov
Of course there are plenty of problems in dentistry. But actually thousands of
scientists and oral health companies already work on it. Tech related startups
are most easiest way of making revolutionary things.

~~~
mailarchis
"Tech related startups are most easiest way of making revolutionary things." -
I would say Tech related start ups are easier to start, as in lower initial
capital investment maybe. However, I won't be too sure about easiest way to
make revolutionary things.

Pick a problem that would like/love to work on. Even if its the harder thing
to do.

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mikehuffman
If I understand you have $100k burning a hole in your pocket and you want to
use it to fund a start-up in some way. If you want a riskier way but more
input and ownership, you can post on angel list. You can post on HN for
potential start-ups that need funding. You can invest in many project on
kickstarter and spread the risk. Also, I personally have several niche start-
ups that could use funding and man-hours to move a little faster.

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Dnguyen
I have a couple of friends who are oral surgeons. There are many pain points
in the software and process they use. Being in the field, I'm sure you can
find some start up ideas to alleviate the pain? I'd suggest start with what
you know and your background. If you don't do a start up, at least you can
find companies that are in your industry to invest in. Remember, don't put all
your eggs in one basket!

~~~
zeynalov
Yes I found some ideas about dentistry and oral surgery but already said, they
are not revolutionary ideas. They can be small startups, but not next dropbox.

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dholowiski
If you don't have an idea or a burning desire to start something _right now_,
then you're probably just going to end up burning 100K really fast. Why not
just put it in a savings account, earn a bit of interest, and keep it handy
for when you come across that brilliant idea?

~~~
zeynalov
Life is too short to do what you say. I want just to start. I can't wait
anymore. I'm already 25. I'll die soon.

When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and you're
life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the
walls too much. Try to have a nice family, have fun, save a little money.

That's a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one
simple fact: Everything around you that you call life was made up by people
that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you
can build your own things that other people can use.

Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again.

TL;DR - <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvEiSa6_EPA>

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bartermill
The Bartermill.com looking for an investor. My email rmalenko gmail.com

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danso
I recommend reading Atul Gawande's books:

The Checklist Manifesto [http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-
Right/d...](http://www.amazon.com/Checklist-Manifesto-How-Things-
Right/dp/0312430000/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328814006&sr=1-1)

Better [http://www.amazon.com/Better-Surgeons-Performance-Atul-
Gawan...](http://www.amazon.com/Better-Surgeons-Performance-Atul-
Gawande/dp/0805082115)

He's a New Yorker writer and practicing surgeon. His books contain lots of
insight about ways that medicine could be vastly improved by innovation.
Unfortunately, few techies are doctors.

