
Ask HN: How to go about starting an ambitious software startup? - aerovistae
I have an idea for a service which I find rather compelling and am very confident in, centered around multi-platform app family (Spotify-style.)<p>I&#x27;m a developer, but my experience and skillset would not be sufficient for me to begin laying down the architectural foundation for a project this ambitious on my own, nor do I have any software-talented friends who would be able to do so as co-founders.<p>I would like to apply to Y-Com this winter, but I&#x27;m not sure how to proceed. How do you get investors with no product and no customers? You can&#x27;t customers without a product and you can&#x27;t get a product without the people with the skills to build it, who you can&#x27;t hire without money. I&#x27;m uncertain where the entrance to this vicious circle is!
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shawnreilly
The entrance to the vicious circle is the product. If you are interested in
talking with investors you will need to produce a successful product. This
implies two things; you've successfully built the product, and you've
successfully gained traction. There are some great products/businesses out
there that were started and/or built by a solo founder. But the majority of
them were started by teams of people. So if you are in a situation where you
feel you don't have the skill-set to execute, then you either need to increase
your skill-set (wear multiple hats), or build a team of co-founders.
Regardless of how you go about it, one fact remains; you must build! My advice
would be to start building the product now (to whatever capacity possible).
Not only will you learn more about the product as you build it, you'll have
something to present if you decide to find co-founders. Another reason to
build as soon as possible; Often times you'll find that what you've envisioned
as the product will change over time as you learn from your customer. The
sooner you start that learning process, the better. Good luck!

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benologist
You're a developer but you can't even _attempt_ anything without VC? Sorry but
the answer's either get a job doing something else, or some self-esteem and
cracking open your IDE and starting.

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staunch
Don't let the internet fool you. There is no one that's going to help you.
Unless you already know how to get help (for example: you have friends in high
places) just throw that idea out entirely. YC accepts only 3% of applicants,
somewhat arbitrarily. Don't bank on that.

The good new is you don't need help. You're a programmer. So start by creating
something that people find valuable. Even a few people, as long as they really
love it. There's no excuse for not being able to do this. You could do it in
10 hours a week. If you don't know how to do this then you have to learn by
trying. Money hurts as much as helps here. You really need to be able to make
things without outside help.

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dhagz
Learn what you need to lay down an architectural foundation. Hell, before
that, start doing what you can. Break your idea down into the smallest
essential parts, and figure out what you can make with your current knowledge.
Make those things, THEN learn how to make the things you can't.

Maybe realize applying to YC this winter is a slightly unrealistic goal and
set a realistic one, like next winter. Or don't worry about any sort of VC
until you have something to show them. Seriously. They NEED to see a product,
and they need to see that it can make an impact. If you approached them this
winter with just an idea, your pitch would be instantly forgotten. Ideas are a
dime a dozen, products are worth so much more.

~~~
ModernMech
> They NEED to see a product, and they need to see that it can make an impact.
> If you approached them this winter with just an idea, your pitch would be
> instantly forgotten. Ideas are a dime a dozen, products are worth so much
> more.

By "they" do you mean YC? By my understanding, YC really gives emphasis to
investing in the founders, not the idea, and they fully embrace the fact that
the idea will evolve and may be completely different by the end of the
program. For instance, Codecademy only came up with their idea a few weeks
before Demo Day.

With that in mind, there's no reason _not_ to apply to YC this winter. Best
case, he gets in. Worst case, he doesn't and he learned more about his startup
by really thinking about the application questions.

~~~
aerovistae
Yes, these are excellent points. They emphasize very strongly that they will
even accept teams with _no_ idea, so I believe ModernMech is very much in the
right on this one. But I understand the original point as well.

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glenda
I think you should worry about the product, then the customers before you even
consider investors. With that attitude it seems more like you're trying to
make some easy money on your idea rather than just building it and seeing what
happens.

Try building it, maybe it will be easier than you think?

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mqsiuser
Having a (great) idea is nothing unique.

A lot of people have (a lot of) (great) ideas.

Putting them into practice requires some things, which you seem to heavily
lack (as you describe).

The entrance is a lot of hard work (you don't seem to be a guy for that)

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andrewchambers
If you can't build it, then you can't build it. I don't think you can expect
people smarter than you to do the work for you and still let you take all the
benefits.

(unless you can pay a decent wage of course)

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htapiardz
Just remember, "Make something people want."

