When to buy what in a start-up, and who pays for it?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3152

by robertgaal • 19 years ago

2 2 19 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

robertgaal• 19 years ago

This is a problem I have right now in my current start-up, Wakoopa.

We're currently working on a thematic social site, which will launch in about a month. We've had a small investor gives us some seed money, which could last us for about a year. We both have our personal laptops to develop it. I use a 17" Acer, my partner has a 13" Macbook. He sometimes uses an extra screen, property of another company at our shared office, a 20". This ofcourse saves him a lot of stress and lets him develop somewhat faster.

We'd like to buy him an extra screen of course, but is this really fitting for a small start-up that isn't earning money yet? We've got the budget, but should it be tapped into? And of course: who pays for this thing? Should we just order it through our company and forget about it, or do we hold it in on my partners (very modest) salary?

This all has to do with your personal guidelines and budget, but what do you guys think? Buy the thing and be done with it, or be more thoughtful of what you spend in such an early stage?

PindaxDotCom• 19 years ago

Always buy what you need to get the job done. If you're doing a web startup then you need the hardware and software. Get it, spend the money, and consider it an investment in your company. When it comes to having the right tools don't be cheap!

When to buy what in a start-up, and who pays for it?

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