We're offering this $$$ opp, what would it take to make it worth your while?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=124083

by donna • 18 years ago

10 44 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

We have an Alpha version of our service, which needs the last 20% development push to get over the hump to begin generating revenues. We're looking to gather 4 more people.

- someone to help do business development - someone to help do PR & marketing materials - couple more LAMP programmers

We can't pay with cash, so how do we find people who are willing to take the risk? We're thinking of a dividend like model, where investment of time = percentage of revenue stream from the system at the get go.

Curious, what would it take to make it worth your while? Thanks!

brk• 18 years ago

"Worth my while" couldn't be reasonably computed until I knew more about your company, like:

-Anticipated viability of the company and revenue stream predictions

-Effort (in hours) that I would need to contribute to effect a positive outcome

-Financing model of the organization

-Compensation of other employees in a similar position to effect the outcome of the company

These things factor into the "risk", which affects the appropriate "reward". If I could make a major impact on your company by only needing to invest 8 hours per week, it wouldn't be a tough choice to make the decision to attempt to help out. If however it would take 20+ hours per week, then other things/tasks get requeued to make room to help with your startup, that changes what I would need/want to get out of it to make it worth my while...

donna4• 18 years ago

thanks, helpful input

Hexstream2• 18 years ago

If I may be so bold, it's not a chat room here. If you agree with some post and don't have anything more substantial to say, consider just upmodding it.

mrtron• 18 years ago

The last 20% tends to be harder and take longer than the first 80%.

Where are the developers from the first 80%?

donna4• 18 years ago

doing it.. making the architeture happen.. but require more help in debugging, and GUI implementation

tim23• 18 years ago

Not the way that I develop. Usually I leave the last 20% for stuff that may actually be rather easy, but just isn't within my expertise or I'm not qualified to do. For example, I may save polishing the design, graphics, copywriting, publicity, and legal for the end since I can just contract most of that out anyway.

tim23• 18 years ago

> what would it take to make it worth your while?

1. Alignment of goals - something I really want to see exist in the world?

2. Other people are excited about the product - I tend to feed off of others' encouragement.

3. Belief that this will pay off big.

4. Strong individual recognition for my participation.

5. Those guys already there have to be working at least as intensely as me.

6. Don't want to work with really clueless people.

donna4• 18 years ago

i agree, i'm looking to work with brillant, innovative people

jyu2• 18 years ago

you and everyone else

nostrademons3• 18 years ago

Be brilliant and innovative then. People like to work with people that are just a bit more brilliant than themselves...

mkull• 18 years ago

80% of the time is spent in the last 20%. the devil is truly in the details.

Honestly, this post itself is a red flag to me. Please take this post for what its worth (I may very well be wrong), but IMHO if you do not already have the resources necessary to get your startup to market already I think you might be in trouble. Adding people onto a project at the end to get it done, usually ends up in failure. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month

Plus, your going to have to be wayyy more descriptive in order to get an accurate guage of interest. Why not talk freely about what/where your service is here? Doing that alone should get you some good feedback

donna4• 18 years ago

thanks for pointing me to the research, this concept is being modeled for exploration of a knowledge-base. ;-D

ghiotion6• 18 years ago

That's obviously and English sentence, but I have no friggin' idea what it means.

jyu2• 18 years ago

This post is too vague. How are you different from every other start up that wants me? What industry is it? What have you done to validate the need for your idea? Here are some tips in becoming more descriptive:

http://onstartups.com/home/tabid/3339/bid/3673/Mediocre-Mark...

ghiotion6• 18 years ago

We're offering this $$$ opp, sell vi@gr@ from home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously, why is this on the front page? I hate down arrows, but this post makes me desperately wish I had the option.

rms6• 18 years ago

What is your problem?

ghiotion6• 18 years ago

I was attempting to point out that this post has all the qualities of spam. It's vague, it uses symbol repitition ($$$), non-standard abbreviations (opp), and seems like a scam.

falsestprophet• 18 years ago

I think that you would have to compensate these new partners with a reasonably large share of stock (of the same class as the founders). I think that you should shop around for people (or a person) who can handle as many of the roles as possible.

I would start by sharing your email address and talking to people who are interested. Good luck.

dualogy• 18 years ago

"where investment of time = percentage of revenue stream"

So the longer I take, the higher my percentage? :)

curi2• 18 years ago

the same thing happens with hourly rates. known problem.

aikiai• 18 years ago

It is, and this is one of an equity-driven startup's key advantages over institutionalized competitors. Seems like a bad idea to introduce it at this stage.

jakewolf• 18 years ago

Is this a service you'll be selling or are you relying on advertising?

Since you have no cash to pay, I'll take all the revenue generated from the time I start working with you up to 250k/yr. In addition, I'd like a significant equity stake.

The time I put in isn't important. What matters is how many dollars I help the site make.

msiegel2• 18 years ago

1. Does that mean if you spent 6 months working on it, you would expect $125K from revenues?

2. How would you determine how many dollars you helped the site make?

edw519• 18 years ago

I really hate to say it because I like this forum so much, but this is the one kind of thing I DON'T like to see here.

If you're going to be in business with someone, get to know them.

This seems like a pretty good place to get to know people (especially if you can arrange in-person meetings).

Probably not a good place to be "making deals".

One step at a time please.

nostrademons3• 18 years ago

I'd need to know what it is, and it needs to be something that I believe really, really needs to exist. Usually, anything that's LAMP doesn't qualify unless the LAMP stack is just a backend or accessory to something more exciting.

(Speaking hypothetically, of course. I'm not actually looking for anything - I've just turned down offers from startups that are very, very attractive, because I believe my current startup needs me more.)

Kaizyn• 18 years ago

There is a problem with this. All developers are not created equally. It may take me 100 hours to complete a task a more capable programmer only needs 5 to do. In such a situation, I'd acrue more value than the next 3 closest developers.

We're offering this $$$ opp, what would it take to make it worth your while?

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