I realize it's a bit audacious to post what is essentially a 'job listing' on HN, but my partner and I really think we have a great opportunity to offer. (Right, right… doesn't everyone?)
//About us:
We're two guys creating a rich internet application to streamline online collaboration. The need for this product is something we both recognized independently, while working in two completely dissimilar industries. We did our research, identified several shortcomings prevalent in existing products, and developed a unique application to address these issues. I come from a background in web development and graphic design, so I'm handling the UX/UI. My partner started and expanded multiple social initiatives as a teenager and currently works in finance; he's handling the business end.
We've made great progress, but we're clearly missing 1/3 of the team without our technical co-founder. We want to get this person on board immediately so they can help shape the product from the beginning. Equity will be split evenly between the 3 of us, assuming we all get along during a short trial period and decide to work together permanently.
//Our progress:
We've taken care of all the major up-front research; competitive analysis, market research, tentative financial projections, and so on. Thanks to my partner, we've already been speaking regularly with several potential investors, including one who is the Managing General Partner of a $150+ million early stage venture capital firm.
On the technical front, we've done a fair amount of research on different RIA frameworks/toolkits. We're not sold on any particular one, but would instead like our technical co-founder to take the lead and make the final decision. So this person will have direct influence on the product right out of the gate.
//We have:
1) A comprehensive business plan. It's been strengthened with feedback from several entrepreneur friends. A couple of investors are looking it over now.
2) Detailed mockups. We've shown them to several groups of people and iterated based on feedback.
3) Detailed notes on app functionality/flow. We're also working on a more formal functional spec doc, but want our tech co-founder to help with that.
//What our tech co-founder should have:
1) Genuine interest in online collaboration
2) Ambition; the desire to work on an original idea that isn't just a copycat product with a minor twist
3) Adaptability and an open mind
4) The ability to articulate technical concepts and lead/instruct others
5) Desire to actively contribute to a project, not just write code
If this piques your interest, we'd love to chat. We're based in NYC, so we can do coffee if you're in the area, or Skype/phone if you're not. We're open to having someone work remotely, but we're more than happy to assist in relocation to NYC if that interests you.
//Tl;dr:
We're two guys who work really well together and bring complimentary skills to the table. We have a unique product idea, connections to investors, and we're looking for a talented tech co-founder eager to work on an innovative product.
Please feel free to express interest here or send an email to hi@kalude.com.
If you email, we would appreciate the inclusion of links to previous work (or your GitHub account, or something…) so we have a frame of reference when getting back to you. We have no idea what kind of response to expect from this, if any, but we'll do our best to get back to everyone.
//A little more about us:
I'm a project manager at a digital marketing agency. It's a very small group, so I've had plenty of experience getting my hands dirty in various areas. I've tinkered with open source content management systems, done a little bit of database work, created countless wireframes and workflow mockups, and so on. Additionally, I've been developing websites since age 12, so I have about 15 years of front end coding experience. I possess enough technical knowledge to hold my own in a conversation about technical minutiae, so if we need to have real a discussion about latency issues due to scaling, I won't just stare and ask if we should 'get more bandwidths'. My responsibilities include:
1) The UX and UI (in our product, these are atypically major components)
2) Project management
3) Marketing
4) Front-end coding (when I can be of use)
My partner is handling the business side. He has a history of starting and expanding global social initiatives, including a program sponsored by the UN, Reuters, Sony, and the IUCN. He currently works for the corporate strategy group of a major financial institution and has great connections through his university's alumni network. My partner's responsibilities include:
1) The legal, business, and sales stuff
2) Securing funds
3) Bringing in-depth knowledge of the enterprise market and the online collaboration needs of bigger businesses
4) Handling the day-to-day business operations (once we really get going)
My partner and I work well together and this is a project we both care a lot about. We're looking for someone who is equally passionate and able to handle a serious debate about some random product feature-- then crack a joke and get along just fine afterward. We also like to goof around and tend to be pretty sarcastic, so someone with a similar temperament would be great (though it's not required).
