What happens to rank-and-file tech guys after they strike it rich in a tech boom? Do they keep working? How do they spend their money? Do they waste their lives away? [more inside]
posted on May 14, 2008 - 15 answers

Help me think of a new business or career that can be started by one person with a small start-up budget? [more inside]
posted on May 7, 2008 - 14 answers

Some friends and I are looking at starting a business, and we need some up-front capital. About $100k. What's the best way to try and get this? [more inside]
posted on Apr 2, 2008 - 10 answers

StartupFilter: Payroll processing co or part-time bookkeeper for SF Bay Area co? [more inside]
posted on Mar 21, 2008 - 6 answers

Startupfilter: best on-line account for a small US business? [more inside]
posted on Mar 18, 2008 - 2 answers

Startupfilter: I'm a 2ndgen hire at a startup (non-computer) in Beijing, and I want promotionZ. HOW DO I GET THEM??? Because I was promised them. The "more inside" is long... [more inside]
posted on Mar 5, 2008 - 14 answers

A while ago, I started this open-source project called StupidFilter. Things are proceeding well, albeit a bit more slowly than my initial rather optimistic estimates. Recently, a local venture capital firm contacted me about the project and I've got a meeting with them on Friday. Now, I've got a business plan, and I think it's a pretty good one, but I'm not sure what they'll be expecting or looking for. Anyone have experience with getting a tech startup off the ground with VC funding? [more inside]
posted on Feb 16, 2008 - 14 answers

Is there a program out there that will turn on my computer for me? [more inside]
posted on Feb 8, 2008 - 9 answers

Which web development technology should I pursue for a commercial venture - php, python, perl or ruby? [more inside]
posted on Feb 6, 2008 - 18 answers

My computer- a Toshiba Satellite A65, running Windows XP SP2- will sometimes collapse on starting, displaying only a mottled white screen. The only way past it is to shut the machine off and restart (hoping it doesn't happen again). What component or process is failing?
posted on Jan 30, 2008 - 6 answers

In the evenings and weekends, I've been working on a web start-up company with a colleague. I think our idea is great and can make money and we're both pretty smart. I want to go full time. What is the best way to do this? [more inside]
posted on Jan 29, 2008 - 8 answers

What Percentage of Equity to expect from a Startup in Options? [more inside]
posted on Jan 16, 2008 - 3 answers

OS X-filter: I've been searching but having a hard time finding an answer anywhere. I have a command I put into the terminal each time I boot my Mac that disables some third party firewall I can't find to delete. I'd like a shell script that would launch and just execute the command each time I start up my computer. [more inside]
posted on Dec 13, 2007 - 8 answers

How do I spin this? And how much should I charge? [more inside]
posted on Dec 6, 2007 - 10 answers

Does anyone here have experience starting a small college or university? (more inside) [more inside]
posted on Dec 2, 2007 - 19 answers

How much money do I need to start my business? And am I foolish to think I will be able to do this?? [more inside]
posted on Nov 7, 2007 - 22 answers

Need help appraising the intellectual property values of acquaintances, if I do all the work bringing their ideas to market. [more inside]
posted on Oct 14, 2007 - 5 answers

I'm going to register my company as an LLC. My next question is where? Which US state is the best for this? [more inside]
posted on Oct 9, 2007 - 4 answers

How to divide up a company amongst 3 people when 2 people will be doing most of the work for the first 6-12 months. [more inside]
posted on Sep 27, 2007 - 10 answers

We’re seeking advice on startup and ongoing costs specific to an Internet venture. We would really appreciate any advice/guidance at all. [more inside]
posted on Sep 16, 2007 - 19 answers

I have an idea for a web project. It may have some commercial potential eventually but will basically be a night project for me and the other folks involved. Think of how MetaFilter got its start... hand-rolled / bootstrapped, whatever. My question is: how do you agree on who gets what share of any proceeds down the road? In particular, the design work will be heavy up front but tapering off after launch. Is it insulting to offer a designer a 5% share for a few days work? Does everyone brought in need to be made an equal partner? I'm sure the answer to that is no, but I'm not sure what the alternatives are. Paying people cash for work is not an option. There is no cash, and everyone involved is willing to invest some time and wait for results. The only thing is that some of us will be investing more time than others... so what to do?
posted on Sep 5, 2007 - 7 answers

I've have this idea for an open source web application project. Currently, there isn't much more than sketches, light research and ideas resulting from my own experiences of using similiar products. I would like to do something real out of this but the scope of the project is far too big for me alone. What should I do next? [more inside]
posted on Aug 5, 2007 - 16 answers

I started a voip company in California, with a friend which we will give up soon. Costs were: dedicated hosting, buying servers, telephony hardware, web hosting, headsets, and our own Internet / cell phone services. My question is, what can we deduct on our taxes, if anything? This seems like it should be a common situation. Oh, and we never registered as a corp or partnership.
posted on Jul 26, 2007 - 2 answers

I'm in the very early phases of putting together a special-interest web site, which will begin as a blog but could eventually add other features. For at least the first year or two, I expect to lose money on this. Eventually, I hope to cover my costs or maybe even make a small (very small) profit with advertising. What business, tax and technology considerations should I keep in mind as I get going? [more inside]
posted on Jul 23, 2007 - 1 answers

My business idea...brilliant, or a waste of time? Have you, or your business, ever needed a service like this? Has any company you worked for ever employed anybody to do this? [more inside]
posted on Jul 11, 2007 - 18 answers

About a year ago I agreed (verbally) to do some programming work for a startup in exchange for a small amount of equity. In the meantime I've lost faith that this equity will be worth anything. Can I decline to do this work, or have I made a binding verbal contract that I must now fulfill? [more inside]
posted on Jun 25, 2007 - 15 answers

Why is a hard drive preventing my computer from turning on? [more inside]
posted on Jun 11, 2007 - 4 answers

My iMac only displays a blank white screen when I turn it on. What should I do? [more inside]
posted on May 30, 2007 - 8 answers

i would like to develop services that receive and send sms (text messages). how can i get started, playing around with my ideas? [more inside]
posted on May 15, 2007 - 5 answers

How do I name a new company? [more inside]
posted on Apr 18, 2007 - 20 answers

My wife and I are about to launch a new web startup. This is her second successful venture and I am moving from agency creative to join her. Throughout the process, there are many opportunities to reinvent the wheel and I would love to connect with other people that are putting their nest eggs on the line and taking the web 2.0 leap. I am looking for a "founders forum" for entrepreneurs. Does anyone know of a forum or community that is centered around the trials and tribulations of serious startups?
posted on Apr 12, 2007 - 11 answers

I think my town could support a microbrewery. Where do I start? What are some considerations? [more inside]
posted on Mar 14, 2007 - 13 answers

my friends and i have an idea for an awesome website - the next youtube or myspace. we know what we want it to look like, how we want it to work, the features we want it to have. but (and this is a big but) none of us have the skills to actually make it - or even know if it's possible with current technologies. is the idea worth anything without the technology or code that would bring the idea to fruition? how do we take our ideas to the next level? how to we protect our idea while trying to do this? hoping you can help a few english majors with a dream make it with an internet startup...thanks!
posted on Mar 11, 2007 - 29 answers

Free or cheap human resources consulting for a start up in Ontario, Canada? [more inside]
posted on Feb 13, 2007 - 1 answers

What is the name of this movie about a video-streaming startup? [more inside]
posted on Feb 10, 2007 - 13 answers

In my 8 remaining months before I start at Stanford, I'd like to find a job at a small (1-10 people) tech startup in the Bay Area, preferably Web-related. I have previous experience at this type of company as a Web developer, and I have useful skills. The problem: I don't have a network of people to help me find such a job, and these positions seem to be given to friends-of-friends(-of-friends) of the current employees. [more inside]
posted on Jan 5, 2007 - 11 answers

SmallBusiness Filter: I need help with how my business partners and I get paid. [more inside]
posted on Dec 20, 2006 - 3 answers

How can I stop an automatic adobe download? Every time I boot up my computer I get a prompt to download Adobe version 7.0. I already have it on my machine and I use windows XP. I’ve tried to initiate the download, to get rid of the prompt, and I get a message that you already have this version on your machine and the download stops. I’ve tried to uninstall version 7.0 and reinstall it and that doesn’t work either. Does anyone have a suggestion? Thanks in advance for your help.
posted on Dec 2, 2006 - 8 answers

Where can I find office space by the hour in NYC? [more inside]
posted on Nov 30, 2006 - 6 answers

I'm checking over the health of a friend's Dell laptop. In System Information -> Software Environment -> Startup Programs, she has thousands of entries, consisting of all the files in the system32 folder. These entries are duplicated under the user names .DEFAULT and NTAUTHORITY\SYSTEM, and are in location "Startup". Is this a problem, why are the entries there, should I delete them, and how?
posted on Nov 12, 2006 - 15 answers

How much should I expect out of partners from a startup, in regards to time and commitment? I am the type who will spend every waking hour researching, working, making contacts, etc. I do not believe my partners are making the same time commitment. Any advice, books or resources on dealing with interpersonal relationships when a startup is in the early phases? [more inside]
posted on Nov 11, 2006 - 16 answers

What should I be asking and looking for while meeting with potential corporate lawyers and tax people? What should I expect from them during these meetings? [more inside]
posted on Nov 6, 2006 - 2 answers

My '96 Civic is making a peculiar noise when I start it up in the morning. [more inside]
posted on Nov 2, 2006 - 14 answers

I read this article a few years ago about a Silicon Valley programmer who committed suicide after getting rich off a startup. I can't remember the name of the programmer but I do remember some of the details. Does anyone know this story? [more inside]
posted on Oct 27, 2006 - 9 answers

After only a week or so of job search, I've been offered a software development position at a little startup that does almost exactly what I want to do. Seriously, I cannot imagine a more ideal group to work for. I'm supposed to contact them next week to discuss terms and salary. However, during the interview, some of the statements seemed to imply that they didn't have the budget to satisfy my requested salary. I really want to work for these folks, but don't want to sell myself short. Can you think of creative suggestions I might make during negotiations to make up the difference? [more inside]
posted on Oct 27, 2006 - 19 answers

I'm thinking of starting a small business - should I do it? [more inside]
posted on Oct 26, 2006 - 23 answers

What is an Advisory Board and what does it do? [more inside]
posted on Oct 19, 2006 - 1 answers

When to bring a business development person into a startup? [more inside]
posted on Oct 10, 2006 - 6 answers

StartupFilter: A two-person software startup wants to bring on two developers, what can we offer them? [more inside]
posted on Oct 4, 2006 - 7 answers

Where do I find lists of Ukranian and Israeli Web developers with own Web services/products? [more inside]
posted on Oct 3, 2006 - 4 answers