ciordia9

Devshop (http://devshop.com) is helping us keep our project on task and understand where our distractions are coming from. If someone wants to unfreeze requirements they know it's their fault we're not going to meet the schedule.

Basecamp is basic. 37s develops simple apps for a mass market of simple needs. If you exceed the need for simple you have to find something else. Since your here you're probably not that simple. ;-)

Yea having to rebrand everything and go to court because you didn't file for a company, service marks, or protect your identity during the early stage is much more fun.

Yea lawyers cost, but it's better than a best buy warranty. Pay now, pay much more later.

Not enough axes to make such a decision. What was your break even number, what was your monetization strategy, what was not working with your marketing strategy, what things did you implement around mid-year that didn't work...

Death of a startup is due to cumulative losses, not one factor. If you'd like to build a better scenario I'll throw some change in. ;)

tongue in cheek What you really mean is there are too many bad ones out there, and that I can agree with.

A to-do list is a basic list; a truly GTD centric system hasn't been created yet. Some people have added the words GTD to their ideas but in reality looking through commentary (and using them), most of those applications fall way short of the intended goals.

I've yet to see a funded, well built team, with UI, IA, and mobile experts assembled to do battle on the front. Thus far it's been very small part-time teams doing what they do to scratch their basic itch.

This will be an interesting project to see what fruits.

Glad to see candor and transparency.

"YC, Angel, Friends and Family, maybe even a couple million (to last several years)... but not VC funding.

VC funding is for people who would like to spend four years working like a dog for a %1 chance to get $10M in payoff...than the alternative of four years working like a dog for a %400 chance of getting a $1 million payoff."

Ahh! I understand you better. This type of VC deal is something I would probably be pretty scared of.

Above and beyond you have to have advanced common sense. If a VC wants X, but you're not a moron, and you want to do Y, don't go with the firm that is selling you bad advice. If it's too late then you didn't do enough due diligence before it was too late. That's not anyones fault but those who signed the papers.

Time to market is deeply important. Not to find a herring to point at but go create another Youtube or Twitter today and tell me how the post market absorbs it. If a market grabs enough momentum to get to a kool-aid point getting the weight of the market is going to be difficult.

While I don't believe our product is so important, I believe some of the deals and ideas we have are. If delivered properly placement has concrete potential which locks a company in for a good term, not to mention a good vector for growth. They don't say strike the iron when it's cold.

Like you've said in your other funding YC talk, cases may be different. There are thousands of variants that can effect ones viability, needs, realities, and needs.

As well I'm not making any assumptions on VC's talking points. They are our own from our own market research, trends, and skull sessions. We're seeking more angels than VC's anyhow since VC's play a game we're not really interested in. Not that good VC firm's don't exist. The funded is showing us that the cloth isn't always equal.

Good contemplative stuff though, none the less!

Posted on the site, and have further thoughts.

"Work hard for a year, save enough, be diligent, and you too can fund your own startup.", was the basic summation of the article in the end.

The tools I'm working on require partnerships with different service carriers which can run as much as 10k a month, then you have contractors, lawyers, designers to pay. You'd have to have one helluva job to pay for all that. My partner and I have been using our salaries, equity lines, savings, for a year and it's not enough.

Playing the slow-goer, almost like a casual gamer, won't always work. In a years time maybe you'll get married. Maybe you'll have a kid. Maybe you'll get fired. Maybe you'll want to go live on an island and harvest coconuts. Not to mention the market might be radically different by the time you even launch.

If you have an idea, and you want to see it birthed, and you know what it will take, and you can write a plan that shows it--because you did the hard work to see it through--then birth that bad boy.

Term sheets aren't all horrible. Don't ask for the moon, be realistic, get what you need and make sure you don't have to go get more. Don't get an office, be frugal, hire the best, negotiate well, partner with those who are assets and share the love.

This isn't rocket science but it does take careful thought and solid reasons. Do your homework and make the right decision for you and your product.

-a

The guy is seeing from one perspective but the reality is those who have needs of security probably shouldn't be at a startup. ie: kids, tuitions, and SOs. Pick one, but I don't think it's safe for a person to get all three and step on board the startup instability train.

Yes, you may find kindred spirits.

Yes, you may find yourself back in the job search doldrums--how long does it take before you go back to the banks (insert your locales stable tech-pool) to put food on the table.

Startups rock, but they not be feasibly rockable for everyone. ;D You do what you need to, and that can only be done by the do-er.

Article to be filed under sarcasm. ;)

With Google's beta of analytics looking more and more bubbly it's not too hard to fuzz the lines and see a more complete picture with integration. If they could speed the process by aquiring Clicky's instant gratification it'd be a dangerous total package.

It will be curious to see where this heads in the long run. CBS is on a tear but will it fit their image, will they try and establish control, overall agenda. I've enjoyed last.fm for many years supporting through paypal donations each time I expire.

..it'll be interesting.

I think you can infer it. There are studies on people who have to work for long periods in isolated environments (and high stress), to those in isolation that aren't working.

When it comes down to it, we don't do well alone.

If you want to have word play and add additions like.. I'm alone and a startup, but I have a fantastic group of individuals I surround myself with...or I have a family that really cares. That's not really alone is it?

I don't see many isolated entrepreneurs that stay alone and never give up the control--and grow. How would you hire and instill passion? How would you not have a motley crew of cog creators?

Having a partner, or general support, is the groundwork for a network. A network is what allows us all to play, create, and grow.