Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with startup

3 guys, fresh out of college, looking for some financial advice on obtaining a developer for our startup

drkrdglo — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:25:54 -0800

Two college friends and myself are looking to put together a mobile application start-up. We have the business end of the startup covered, but we need to find a developer to help us out. We need some financial guidance on what to do and what not to do. Should we pay a freelance developer, or bring someone on board with us as a partner? My friends and I have finished college, have great full-time jobs, but we are still looking for something more. We share a passion for technology and innovation. In the current climate, mobile technology seems to be a huge growth area, and a huge area of opportunity for a new startup.

At the current time, we're looking at this startup as more of a serious project than anything. We're keeping our day jobs (in advertising and ecommerce) not only to continue being able to pay our student loans, but to continue learning how the industry works. Business wise -- we're set. Financially -- we can get by. We have a few thousand dollars to invest at the time being. We want to make sure we're making the right investment.

Our current dilemma is that we need a developer. We need to find out whether it's better to hire a freelance developer (which I've seen ads on Craigslist ranging from ~$60-$75/hr), or garner the interest of a fourth partner to join our team. Under the assumption of gaining a fourth partner, he/she would receive compensation, as the rest of us would --- after the applications are launched and sold.

Since this is more of a very serious project as opposed to a full blown business -- I would be more comfortable with a fourth partner, but hey, I could be totally off base about this whole thing.

In the end, we're doing this because 1) we love the industry/would love to be a part of a technological revolution 2) there's huge potential for future opportunities. In order to make our dreams a reality, we need to find a developer -- our missing link. Hopefully you guys have some insight how we can go about doing so in a financially responsible way.

(Side note: if there's a developer out there interested in this sort of endeavor -- send me a message!)

Website startups - big or small?

Holly — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 22:10:01 -0800

I have an idea for a language-learning website which would take some time to set up. But while I'm doing that, I have thought about setting up a part of the future website - say a blog - and running it independently, hopefully to build up some traffic for a while before incorporating it into the full launch later, when it comes. Which does weblore say is better - to wait until your full site is ready to go, or to start small, potentially building up interest, and then develop? Are there any links giving thoughts on these issues?

It costs WHAT?!?!

bitdamaged — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:04:19 -0800

Is there an easy way to estimate startup costs of a tech services company? So a few cohorts and I are looking to start a software development services company. While not necessarily a "startup" I believe our fixed and variable costs would be on par with a small tech startup minus a few differences particular to the organization.

It also seems that there must be a huge mass of people who have gone through putting together a spreadsheet with their startup cost estimates for a business plan or at least to prove themselves sane and I don't see the reason why I can't leverage their work (or something like it). I've found checklists with info and I think it would be fairly easy to put together what these line items are, I'm just trying to avoid some of the legwork of having to track down actual costs for everything.

What I'm looking for is some sort of pre-populated spreadsheet or calculator which would help jumpstart this process. Any ideas or pointers in the right direction?

What happens to nerds that strike it big early in their careers?

vizsla — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:53:15 -0800

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? Im not talking about the big shot entrepreneurs. I am talking about the typical developer who gets rich from options or from his share in the company. Anyone have any anecdotes, first hand experience or biographies? I've always wondered what happens to people after they don't have to work anymore.

Trying to brainstorm for a one-person business idea.

pinkbungalow — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:41:30 -0800

Help me think of a new business or career that can be started by one person with a small start-up budget? The more portable the better, and I hope to be able to support myself (not extravagently) with income from the business within 2 years. I have done this before starting a massage therapy business in FL that is now quite successful. I don't need to change the world, I just need something interesting and challenging to support myself until I retire in about 15-20 years. I am more of an idea and big-picture creative type than a detail or numbers person, but I am not averse to hard work. I do enjoy flexibility, travel, and living in a temperate climate. Start-up budget of $50k +/- Thank you!

How to get money to start a business?

frijole — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:14:31 -0800

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? Running the numbers, it looks like we'll be able to re-pay it well within the first year of operation, anywhere from 3-4 months (if everything goes perfectly right) to 8-10 months if it gets off to a rocky start. Chances are if it doesn't take off by then, it won't and we'll be hosed.

Should we try to pitch to VC companies, and if so, how does one go about doing this? Should we just try and get a bank loan? Or an SBA loan?

Thanks in advance!

Payroll processor or part-time bookkeeper for startup? (US/SF)

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:13:11 -0800

StartupFilter: Payroll processing co or part-time bookkeeper for SF Bay Area co? My friend and I started a company. Until now, it's just been the two of us working for equity. We're about to hire our first full-time employee, and want to stay on the good side of the IRS and the labor department.

Should we: a) get a payroll company to handle payroll and tax compliance, and if so, which one?, b) hire a part-time bookkeeper to do this, and if so, is there a good one in the East Bay, c) man up and do this stuff ourselves in QuickBooks Pro, or d) just hire people as contractors to work on well-defined projects until we are larger?

Additional info: we have no income yet, no debt, and are a CA S-Corp. We're funding this out of our own pockets for now, and plan to do so for the next six months.

Both of us are smart enough to learn tax and labor law, but would prefer not to have to.

Best on-line account for a startup?

Anonymous — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:17:59 -0800

Startupfilter: best on-line account for a small US business? Looking for recommendations for an online bank for a small US (CA) corporation. Cutting to the chase, is the ING/Orange business account a good idea?

Background:

I recently started a small consultancy / software business (S-Corp incorporated in California). We're small and don't have much in the way of cash coming in or going out, we just need a place to put money when we invest it into the company or eventually receive funds from customers, and a place to take money from when we pay contractors (and eventually pay ourselves).

Key features I'm looking for:

- web accessible (duh). I want to do everything online.
- no annoying fees
- competency
- compatiblity with Quickbooks Pro

Tips from the hive mind appreciated, whether about ING/Orange or other web accessible small-business-friendly banks.

I've reviewed these previous AskMeFIs - looking for updated suggestions and web-only bank tips.

OFFICEMONKEY DESIRES HELP WITH PROMOTIONS THXZ

saysthis — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 07:02:42 -0800

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... Grammar mistakes are intentional.

Here's my situation: I, the stereotypical Non-Conformist freelance worker in a city full of people trying to get ahead by Any Means Necessary, was roped into a company by a friend of mine by very informal means. She is the manager of this new startup, a former consultant and freelancer like I was (and still am on weekends), and basically chased me down and told me that I MUST work for this company, because she needs (here come the caps again) Good People. And I was told, at the outset, that I'm one of the most promotable people in this company by the very person who manages promotions.

Now, normally I wouldn't do this AT ALL. I am vehemently anti- 9-5 and took pride in not being a part of office culture. I've never done it before, and was perfectly content not to. But, the truth is, my youthful idealism (I'm 24) isn't edible and doesn't convince other people to work with me, and over time it became pretty obvious that I'd need to do some time in an office and nail down all of what goes into being a 9-5 monkey (no disrespect intended) before people would respect me enough as a freelancer to give me money without questioning my capacity to understand what an office needs. When this opportunity came along, I figured it may as well be for a friend, who won't subject me to the usual manager/coworker/TPS-reports grind.

I've been in the office two weeks now, and I understand completely why I needed this. I need this experience, and I need it to be GOOD. This company is a visa agent for a specialized training program for a very specific skillset in demand both in England and vastly in need of reform in China. My job is to help with applications and train those who need to go for an interview how to interview. This company is very ethical, they won't EVER teach an applicant to lie or exaggerate, the owner is a man who isn't shy with bonuses and takes suggestions well, and they're as multicultural a team as you'll find anywhere, with staff that I can count from 8 countries (my bosses, in descending order, are Singaporean, American, and Chinese, with a primary secretary from the Philippines who makes more than I do), pay scales are equal, there's no exploiting the locals here, or aggrandizing the Anglosphere, or duping the furriners. They're small, roughly 15 people in-office, with a few in the field, and they're well-connected, and through those connections our client base has exploded 2000% in a year, I shit you not. That's why they hired me. I've found my coworkers knowledgeable and worth the time in the office, the work is satisfying and interesting and just crammed with resume fodder...basically it's ideal. The pay? Well, that's what I'm worried about.

Currently I make about twice what qualifies as standard 9-5 fare for Beijing (for what I do), and as expat wages go, it's on the low end. I could be making twice this by staying freelance (well, in a good month). And I don't need the money. I don't pay rent, I own, I have a decent car (in Beijing that's status symbol #1), and I don't have any dependents, but I do have a girlfriend I'm devoted to, who is in the process of starting her own company, which basically secures me for a visa if I need it. Now, the owner of the company is Singaporean, and because he pays twice the normal office wage, he expects a Singaporean work ethic. The thing about this company is, most of the employees are imports from either foreign countries who are glad for the China experience or imports from outside of Beijing who are glad for the wage differential. I'm competing, and working, mostly with economic migrants. He DOES promote. More hires will be coming soon, I expect. And what he expects is devotion, utter, total devotion. Which I can give, but which I don't know how long or how hard I'll have to give. I'm okay with it, but I need some pointers before I dive in.

The clincher in all this is, I signed on not just because of the promotions promised and the requisite benefits (which, really, do outstrip anything I could make as a freelance translator in Beijing in the next few years), but because I want to learn how to run and grow a company. It's a small office, and the various departments have privately expressed interest in my experience. I'm the only non-Chinese on-staff who speaks, reads, and writes Mandarin, and I do have substantial teaching and marketing experience, which are the two departments I don't work in.

And (if you're not annoyed by the tone and claims already) I can tell you, coming from the freelance world, I've rubbed some people the wrong way. I got a call from that friend, 2nd in charge at the company, telling me she was getting some bad feedback about me, most of it having to do with me being a little too carefree with my words and behavior, none with the quality of my work, which I was praised by coworkers for. I think I was a bit too boisterous my first day, but I've reined that in and not sensed any bad karma from my coworkers since. But...who knows.

What I need, simply, is advice. If I'm to accomplish what I set out to do in this company, which is learn by practice how to grow and market a startup, I need some mental guidelines to go by. If you were me, what would you do? If you've had this kind of experience, how did you finagle your way into the upper echelons while making sure everything you did was for the good of all? I don't want to step on anyone's toes, and I don't want to piss anyone off. I just want to prove that I'm worth the responsibilities (and promotionZ) I was told I'd be right for. I've just completed my first major independent contribution to the team according to the standards set by the department I'm working for (though by my own standards with a little weekend overtime I could double what I've done), and crunch time for that 2000% expansion is coming...next week. What if I put in that overtime? Would that offend the rest of the team or would it help my case with the boss (which inevitably will go through the boss of our team)? I'm confused, and if you've got some advice for a situation like this, I could definitely use it. And just general advice for a company like this. I'm more than a n00b, I'm a freelancer, and I need help!

I've got a meeting with venture capital people on Friday, help!

signalnine — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:37:15 -0800

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? Like I say, I've think I've got the business model down, and I'd rather not discuss those details at this juncture, as this has been a pretty high-profile project so far. Basically, what I'm looking for is general advice, relevant anecdotes and the like. I'm a young, fairly talented technologist with good business sense, but I've never dealt with investment capital before and I feel like I'm getting a little out of my depth here. Thanks in advance!

Is there a program out there that will turn on my computer for me?

jModug — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:50:15 -0800

Is there a program out there that will turn on my computer for me? My computer is running Windows XP SP2 and is a Pentium IV Dell. Anyway, this computer is located at a remote location, and needs to be on most of the time so I can access it. The problem is that if the power goes out (which it does about once a month) I need it to start up again within 24 hours. It's a fairly old computer, and there is a setting in the bios to start the computer at a certain time, but it doesn't work.

Any ideas?

Which Web Tech?

mooders — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:48:45 -0800

Which web development technology should I pursue for a commercial venture - php, python, perl or ruby? I am an ex-programmer with around 8 years of development experience in ASP, VB, .Net, Java, T-SQL, HTML, CSS, Javascript and XML. At my peak, I was considered to be a talented programmer. I moved away from development about 5 years ago and have coded probably less than a dozen lines since then.

I now find myself boot-strapping a web-based commercial venture and think I could code the back-end (using the MVC pattern) given a solid grounding in the right language. I am keen to use one of php, python, perl or ruby as these seem to be the de facto standards for this type of work.

So given the above, which one should I spend a month or so getting to grips with? Or is there something else at which I need/ought to be looking?

White screen on startup

Kronos_to_Earth — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 19:20:06 -0800

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?

How do I go full time on my start-up?

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 20:30:42 -0800

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? My day job pays well and I quite enjoy it, but it's stressful and sometimes involves long hours. This means that I'm working myself really hard both during the day and in the evenings.

Other data: I have a good degree from a good University and about five years' worth of job experience. The only outlay for the start-up would be hosting costs. I live in a capital city in the first world. I could quit my job and live for about three months on money I've saved up. I think if the start-up failed I would have pretty good job prospects afterwards. (Am I wrong on this one?)

What Percentage of Equity for Soft. Eng. at a fresh startup?

morallybass — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:23:51 -0800

What Percentage of Equity to expect from a Startup in Options? For a Senior Software Engineer position within a very early (6-10 employees) startup. How many stock options, as a percentage of the total equity should you expect?

How do I execute this command at start up in OS X?

mattoly — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 14:31:21 -0800

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. I've made a script.sh file and put it in the "start up items", but it just launches my text editor. heh.

So what's the best way to execute something like:

sudo ipfw add 0 deny udp from any to any 4550

when I start up, friends?

How do I spin this? And how much should I charge?

juliewhite — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:16:59 -0800

How do I spin this? And how much should I charge? Posting for a friend:

So how do I spin this?

Small company – a startup, only seven people, only two years in to it, apparently “well funded” and “just about to take off” – posts an ad for a scientist. I am their dream candidate.

I work for a huge company, and solve an analogue of their problem two or three times a year. I could do this in my sleep. Don’t get me wrong: what they want done is not easy, but I am a rock star. I am in a lab full of rock stars, and I still stand out.

I really have no interest in working for the startup – been there, done that; plus I love my cushy, high paying industry job. But, I would love to consult for them! I am sure I can solve their problem in my spare time, show them how I solved it, and teach them how to solve similar problems in the future. And, hopefully, be hired to solve different problems.

So, the tricky bit, part 1: How do I convince them that they want 1/20th of my time, rather than 135% of it? My thinking is to say something along the lines of “That’s a very interesting problem you have, but it is only one problem, the same, forever. I can solve it for you in two months and then I will be bored out of my skull. You don’t need me full time – just book my services. Moreover, you won’t get just me – I will draw on my colleagues in my lab, and my contacts in industry and academia, who I will hire as necessary to help me out. I can even write articles that show up in peer reviewed journals, giving you a shiny veneer of science to market. ”

The tricky bit, part 2: How do I value my work? What I am looking to value is not so much my time as my intellectual property. Solving their problem is worth a ridiculous amount to the company, and they are already short on time in solving it. Meanwhile, I am expert in the field, and am sure I can knock the ball out of the park. They offer “competitive salary”, “incentive compensation”, and “equity”. Realistically, it will probably take me about 80 hours to solve it, so if I charged say $300/hr, that would only be $24K, which strikes me as kind of low; plus, I may want to pick up some special services from some of my contacts, which won’t be free. Does anyone have any thoughts on how to convince these guys to pay me a lump sum for the solution, and any idea how I might value the solution?

Starting a College or University

PHINC — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 12:50:28 -0800

Does anyone here have experience starting a small college or university? (more inside) I live in Roanoke, Virginia and have been thinking lately about how it could use a left-leaning college or university downtown. There's lots of empty space downtown and a fair amount of cheap housing.

There's a Roanoke College in Salem, the town next door. And Hollins College down the road, but nothing downtown Roanoke.

Do I look for grants? Write rich people who may be interested?
Are you maybe familiar with a book written by someone who has done this?

How much money do I need to save for my new business to take off without a hitch?

bacall423 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 09:14:43 -0800

How much money do I need to start my business? And am I foolish to think I will be able to do this?? I'm planning to start a private investigating business in early-mid 2008. Before it happens, my partner and I will move from San Francisco to Eugene, OR (she's hopefully going to be attending grad school at UO). Our cost of living will decrease substantially, but she will most likely have a limited income, so I am fully expecting money to be tight for a little while.

My question is this: How much money do I need to save up in order to focus all my efforts on my new business once we're in Eugene?

The business will be low-cost to start-up - I've estimated about $3,000 will go into licensing fees, a new computer, etc. Moving fees have been estimated at about $1,200.

(I should mention here that my business will be a sole proprietorship, I will be working from home, and most of my work will be done online. I'm not the field investigating type of P.I., I'm the public records research P.I. with a librarian background. The main focus of my work will be background investigations and skip tracing.)

So, besides the estimated $4,200 needed to move and start my business, how much do you think would be necessary to have saved up before jumping into this head first? I'm not sure how much rent will be in Eugene, but I'm guessing maybe $800 a month for a 2 bedroom?

Should I look into small business loans, state funded grants, etc., or is that not a good idea?

Also, does anyone have any idea how much E&O insurance for this type of business might cost me?

Help me appraise the intellectual property values of acquaintances, if I do all the work bringing their ideas to market.

Redruin — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 12:34:21 -0800

Need help appraising the intellectual property values of acquaintances, if I do all the work bringing their ideas to market. I seem to have interested a number of people/friends in entrepreneurial endeavors. People whose ideas I think have good value and high potential, but people who are utterly clueless about how to turn it into money, and who are completely unmotivated to make things happen. In other words, their ideas will stagnate, and eventually be exploited by someone else if not for my effort and time investment.

Since I find inherent value in their ideas, I am considering lending myself to a few of their projects; but if I decide to "partner" with them I will be doing nearly all the work, using my own ingenuity and creativity to turn the ideas into products, marketing them, etc.

In cases like these, where the final product would consist mostly of MY intellectual property and effort, which is however, completely built around the initial kernel of THEIR intellectual property, how should I determine the profit split?

It seems that people's opinions of what they deserve for their ideas varies, but most expect a high percentage of the profits, with minimal involvement, (one facet of The American Dream). I would like to be able to present clear guidelines that would explain to them what is fair.

Where should I register my company?

mateuslee — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:57:08 -0800

I'm going to register my company as an LLC. My next question is where? Which US state is the best for this?
I posted a Q here a few weeks ago, and you guys really helped me out (thanks!)

http://ask.metafilter.com/70013/A-new-business

I'm now curious about where you think I will be taxed the least and deal with minimal hassles. I heard good things about WY, NV, and AL - but a google search reveals only adverts and little data.

I think I can register in any state I choose to and the process of becoming an LLC seems like something I can do myself just via a state's website. If you have any experience with this, please share it. I'm really a newbie. Bonus points if you can indicate a trustworthy accountant in the state who can file taxes for the company once formed and do any legwork that I can't do myself. Cronyism/nepotism ok.

Thanks a lot!

I know we need income distribution rules in writing. What does the writing say?

andifsohow — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 17:32:25 -0800

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. A small consulting firm, built from scratch. We've had almost no expenses thus far and are about to land our first client. Everyone is fine with 1/3 ownership and we all want all 3 on board, but partner C will be able to do considerably less work over the next year or so due to a full-time gig he's committed to during that time.

I know we solve part of this by how we distribute income - i.e., we track hours put into project and pay out accordingly. Problem is, we also want to invest as much into the company as possible, because expenses are on the near horizon. So if we land a 10,000 project and the work is divided 45-45-10 amongst A, B, & C, but A & B want to invest 2000 of their respective 4500 into the company, how are the 1/3 splits best maintained? Is it customary for C to match that contribution out of pocket, for example, or do we need to break it down to represent contributions more accurately?

Seeking info/guidance on Internet startup costs

boone — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 12:56:36 -0800

We’re seeking advice on startup and ongoing costs specific to an Internet venture. We would really appreciate any advice/guidance at all. Here is some background info…My wife and I have MBAs (marketing and finance, respectively) and have worked successfully for several years in our respective professions. We also have our own seed capital of $200-$300k for our Internet venture. Neither of us, however, have a technology background. (We do though have in mind an MBA acquaintance that is in the high tech sector that we would approach if this idea turns out to have any legs.) At the outset, we will work from our home and my wife will be working on it full-time while I will be working on it part-time. Ok, our Internet venture idea amounts to a… Yelp-like user-generated directory and social networking platform….surprise!! Please keep reading though… Speaking in general terms, our site will service an overlooked target market and start off by just focusing in our relatively small city (roughly 1 MM population) for now as we work out the kinks. Our city has a particular target market for our Internet site of 50,000-100,000 people and at least 500-1,000 small businesses (or representative of up to $200 MM in sales). Revenues will be derived, by and large, from general advertising and sponsorships and we’ll likely use Google AdSense initially but then possibly move on to direct relationships with advertisers. If we were to scale the system for nationwide penetration….then the target market could be at least 8 –15 million individuals and close to 1 million relevant small businesses (or representative of at least $150 billion in sales). Now, while we’re aware of some of the basic startup costs involved (e.g., computer/printer/fax, incorporation fees, trademark registration; logo design), we’re particularly interested in learning more about large technology-specific costs associated with starting an Internet venture these days… such as the Web design/buildout cost at the startup phase and then dedicated Web hosting costs (and buy/rent servers at some point?) on an ongoing operating basis. Those really appear to be the largest tech-specific costs. Moreover, for security, control and regular meeting reasons, our preference is to use a local Web design shop (we’re not at a major metropolitan city and so costs shouldn’t be that inflated)…rather than outsourcing the creation of our site to a freelance designer here or abroad. (For the creation of a simple Yelp-like system…would there really be that much of a cost differential between a local design shop versus online outsourcing?) We’ll, of course, seek to ultimately get quotes for the build-out/creation of this system from several local Web design shops…but it would be great to get some initial sense on these cost levels. If folks could possibly help us then in identifying and quantifying Internet-specific startup/ongoing costs (i.e., educated/seasoned guesses on the range of dollar costs or unit metrics or “rule of thumbs” involved)…then that would be extremely helpful for us. For example, with Web design/buildout, it be useful to hear what the possible various sub-cost components are to such a buildout of a Yelp-like systems; and it would be equally informative to get a sense of how much Web hosting will cost us (directly or via the local Web design shop?) if we make certain assumptions on how many people start visiting the site. If there is also any other advice for this startup process (e.g., what questions to ask the design shop; how best to draft a schematic/layout; what more I need to present to the Web design shop; etc.)…we would very much welcome it. FYI, our +50 page business plan is nearly complete, we have a domain name and we’re now trying to finish a draft of the site design details/layout/schematics. Thanks in advance for any help.

how to divide ownership shares in a side-project startup?

scarabic — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:38:01 -0800

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?

How should I continue with my open source web app idea?

Foci for Analysis — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:42:54 -0800

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? I've been thinking about involving more people just to get things started. But how do I find passionate coders, designers, security nerds, tech writers, testers, etc? Are there any special sites you would recommend? I don't want to find people who can implement an idea I have, rather, I want to gather a bunch of talented people who togeher figure out the scope and goal of the project and do something fun and useful. I have this vision of eventually turning the project into a startup so that the people involved can get paid (atleast the core team) for their work, but that's far into the future.

My background is in cs/it, so I've a good understanding of software/web development. I'm, however, not really a developer but more of an /interaction design/usability type of person who's curious about most aspects of software development.