Personal projects are not startups. I don't know where this falls in, but it bugs me when I see something where someone maybe spent a couple of weeks on it and call it a startup. Have you talked to investors? Have you quit your day job? Are you seeing startup like weekly growth?
A great many companies are "bootstrapped", which means the founders kick their own money in initially (or scrounge from friends and family). Many big companies, a recent example being GitHub, were started this way.
"Have you quit your day job?"
Many people wait until they see some traction before quitting. Doesn't make it any less of a startup. Consider it a consulting gig while launching the business (unless you don't consider it a startup if people consult on the side)
"Are you seeing startup like weekly growth?"
You are falling into this paradigm trap. Not all companies see hockey stick growth initially nor do they aim to. Most sustainable businesses I can think of started slow and gradually grew up. Nothing wrong with that.
According to "The World Defined by Btipling". Most of us haven't read that book and don't care.
Have you talked to investors?
Who cares? Maybe he's self-funding it. Having outside investors isn't an absolute requirement to be a startup.
Have you quit your day job?
Who cares? Maybe he's bootstrapping the startup in his spare time while still working a dayjob. Maybe not. What f%!#ng difference does it make?
Are you seeing startup like weekly growth?
There is no such thing as "startup like weekly growth". Not all startups are going to fit the exact same model in terms of revenue growth, user growth, or whatever other metric you care to pick. And as far as that goes, he may be pre-revenue altogether. But none of that changes whether or not his thing is a "startup".
If I may ask, why? I don't personally think this is going to be successful, what with Hipchat and Campfire in the same space (which are very very popular) and grove.io having a good name for it and competing directly against you.
Edit: I think you also misunderstand the value proposition for your customers: you mentioned above that you should buy because you get "a full VPS, maintained by me", which is very odd.
He could win if he proves to be better at marketing. Outside of the HN / SV Startup World "echo chamber" most people in most companies in most of America (much less the world) have never heard of Hipchat, Campfire, Grove, Convore, or this guy.
You could argue that he isn't competing against Hipchat, etc., but competing to convert current non-users of this kind of technology.
If they come out targeting other startups and technology companies, then I'd agree the odds are long. But come out targeting textiles manufacturers or transformer manufacturers, or shipping / trucking / railroad companies, or any of a bazillion other industries, and they may just have a shot at establishing a beach-head. Especially if they are willing to provide some vertical specific aspects to specifically appeal to customers in specific niches.
He could, but based on his value prop above, I think there is much to learn before that's going to be possible. I'm not saying he can't, of course, rather that its going to be an uphill struggle that he might not get if he built a different product.
Yes indeed. I have a FlowDock account and my company (https://circleci.com) integrates with you guys.
I'm curious though: how big are you guys? I only mentioned HipChat and Campfire as they appear to be pervasive, and while I've been hearing more and more people mention Flowdock, it doesn't seem like you're an 800 pound gorilla that he should be afraid to compete against (yet!).
