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devan

91 karma · joined October 20, 2010

multidisciplinary designer & full-stack engineer. creator of commerce.js (commercejs.com) founder & ceo @ chec angelpad alum

@dvnkshl

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devan··on Crunchfund VC
Stripe's beautiful.

I covered it in a comment above. We're an ecommerce platform for micro merchants, we just handle payments (for those who want us to) so we can provide a seamless experience.

Here's the reply.

"We merge in the ecommerce platform with the payment processor. We really just process payments so we can control the whole experience, but if you have your own gateway you can just plug the api keys in. Most ecommerce platforms require you to go signup with a 3rd party payment gateway, and the quick hack for most people is to go with paypal. Our focus is really on the ecommerce side. eJunkies lame. 1shoppingcart's lame. Yeah a few others have poped up this year (quixly & gumroad) they just really validate the need. If you don't need a fully fledged frontend store your options are pretty limited."

devan··on Crunchfund VC
1. Didn't really want to mention the product on the page.

2. We merge in the ecommerce platform with the payment processor. We really just process payments so we can control the whole experience, but if you have your own gateway you can just plug the api keys in. Most ecommerce platforms require you to go signup with a 3rd party payment gateway, and the quick hack for most people is to go with paypal.

Our focus is really on the ecommerce side. eJunkies lame. 1shoppingcart's lame. Yeah a few others have poped up this year (quixly & gumroad) they just really validate the need. If you don't need a fully fledged frontend store your options are pretty limited.

devan··on Crunchfund VC
Much more to it than that, it's a pretty old landing page.

Most of our beta testers agree.

devan··on Ask HN: At what age you created your first succesful app?
13?
devan··on YC s11 Rejected Applicants: This is the real test.
I've been working on the idea for a while now, in a nutshell it's a less bureaucratic version of paypal. I've been seeking advice from a lot of different sources. To be honest, i think the main reason is the fact that i'm a sole founder and that I've been doing everything on my own. Which is stupid, but it isn't easy to find technology entrepreneurs my age in the UK, or ones who are as committed.

The prototype has been developed, so I'm going to take it to market within the next few weeks. Then apply to YC again in the winter, with a bit more grounding and social proof.

It's not really the money I was hoping to receive it's the support/advice/mentorship, especially on legal matters. Most of the lawyers i've spoken to don't really have a clue about the SAAS model.

devan··on YC s11 Rejected Applicants: This is the real test.
Disappointed.

I've got nothing against YC, but I've seemed to go into "success is the best revenge" mode ha.

To be honest it's a good wake up call, I need to stop treating my start up as a lifestyle business.

Dropping out of university at the end of this term and i'm pushing forward with it.

Decisions been made.

devan··on Ask HN: Y Combinator summer pre selection
Hey, I think everyone gets emailed.
devan··on Ask HN: Y Combinator Application Results Day is here finally
I don't think i've ever been this excited/scared. Getting this means I can justify ditching uni.
devan··on Self-Taught Programmers vs CS-Educated Programmers
Self taught programmers are more passionate.

my 2 cents.

devan··on Ask HN: Leaving college to work on a startup?
19. At uni. Dropping out.

I'm going to miss the people here, but my idea is more important to me than a degree.

You'll find out what's really important to you. There's no real benefit to waiting, unless your idea needs the knowledge from a degree to execute. Waiting will just delay the idea and you'd probably loose passion on it.

If you're still un-sure work parttime on your start up til' you have a prototype.

D

devan··on Ask HN: How can I know if programming is for me
Don't put up an emotional barrier or add all that thought to something you haven't ventured into yet. Just jump into it.
devan··on Ask HN: Can You Code Under the Influence of Alcohol?
God yes.
devan··on Ask HN: Which VPS hosting do you use?
vps.net
devan··on Ask HN: Startup Advice for College Students
I'm 19 - business/design (basically creating shit) is more important to me than uni. I've been too 3/4 lectures and no classes this term, and i don't regret it.

Just do it, you shouldn't even have to think about it, and find somebody just as ambitious, doing it on your own gets lonely.

Phase into it, even when im in a lecture im sketching something, you'll find out whats really important (your degree or creating your own company) to you as soon as you start.

devan··on How to teach a new (remote) developer your application?
Well i'm 19 and using my student loan to fund my servers, so my budget is pretty low ha.

He's a pretty talented developer, i've been viewing his code on github. He's happy to come aboard, but we haven't agreed on any terms yet. I'm not really looking to outsource work to developers, i'm looking to build a team together.

devan··on Like.fm (YC W11) Is A Social Network For Tracking Songs
He's 20?

Sweet, he's given me hope then, I had this feeling I wouldn't have a chance because im 19 (almost 20 - in april).

Good luck Chris, and make sure not to overbloat the app with features (like last fm)

Devan

devan··on Ask HN: How do you stay focused on one idea?
You have to realise if you're not focused on one project your mind is going to be scattered everywhere and you'll end up with half assed products or incomplete projects. I made this mistake when i was trying to start something like 3 companies at the same time when i was 15/16, i wanted to do it all. You just can't.

For example if you had a series of essays to do in a certain amount of time, they'd all probably be mediocre or incomplete. Yet, if you had to do one essay in the same amount of time that one essay would be pretty impressive, you'd have time to proof read, spell check, change areas etc...

Pretty poor example but you get the idea.

Find one and stay focused on it.

When the idea becomes no longer fun get some feedback, nothings more motivational than feedback. There's going to periods were you just can't be bothered or were it tires you out and the next task/step is soo complex you procrastinate for weeks, you have to identify this and the fact that it happens and push forward.

On thing i do, it's pretty weird, start with really small tasks and build up til' you're in a productive state. (do the dishes, reply to emails, make breakfast lol) When it comes to the hard part (opening up the code editor and getting started) what i do is kinda' go consciously unconscious, you phase out everything, the task, every thought in your head (you might even go light headed), complete yet forced zen and just start coding, when you "regain consciousness" you'll have already started the task and it will be less of a mountain.

And prioritise.

I'm currently at university, in my first year, working on my new start up. It's more important than university to me, i haven't been a class all term and only about 2/3 lectures this term because i'd rather be designing/programming. My priorities are with my idea not with this degree, i have a load of other ideas and what i'll learn from this start up with help me with the others later on.

Just shelve the ok ideas and push forward with that one idea you love the most.

D

devan··on Corporate Busy vs Creator Busy
Beautiful, i'm going to justify the weeks of procrastination with this.
devan··on Blockbuster's Going Out Of Business Sale Can't Even Compete With Amazon
I'm surprised they stayed afloat this long. If I owned Blockbuster I'd make applications for devices like the iPad, PS3, Xbox, Apple TV, etc, or made a cheap box that could connect to the network and stream/download movies to it and made them void when the rent expires. Similar to what a lot of other companies a starting to do.

Nobody (i don't mean to stereotype) wants the hassle of having to go to a physical place to pick a DVD and bother with the returns process.

They need to adapt.

devan··on Want to back an entrepreneur? Best bet is to go for old
Don't stereotype.
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