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ssylee

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Email: stanley at sysil dot com

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Others have made excellent comments here. I want to add this:

- Mention that unless it's for a certain price range, you're no longer in the market. However, you will keep them in touch when you're changing the policy again.

- If the pricing/arrangement doesn't work for both parties, say you're happy to refer them to someone else who could use those projects.

Also, stay in touch with them regularly, but you don't need to go overboard on this, as you want to focus on your company.

Have you tried testing your idea without coding or hiring people? Most ideas in start-up founders' heads usually aren't any good in terms of making money. It's not until the pivots when they found profitable models.

You've mentioned you've talked to over 20 people and they said they would buy your product. However, getting them to pull out their wallets when you actually have the product could be a different endeavor. Not sure if the problems you're solving are painful enough.

Re: rdl's comment, I'm not sure. I'm not experienced with YCombinator process or startups, but can't the founders explain their application was sent as of the submission date (weeks or days before), and then explain during the interview about the important changes? I mean, Parkinson's Law is in play with entrepreneurship big time.

Find some potential VCs. Research the hell outta them to find their interests and what makes them tick. Then, when the opportunity comes to provide them value, be proactive about it. Give it time to build relationship until you can meet in person and go from there.

Alternatively, you can fly out to different conferences in order to meet them in person to kickstart the relationship.

You mentioned the need to develop concrete examples showing how rewriting copy is worthwhile. However, even if you're starting out for free, you won't have examples to show for it. How appropriate do you think it is to show other people's examples before doing for free to gather your own examples?

What about if they say they are only fluent in certain languages at the moment while having a basic knowledge in the languages that you use? Do you look more for ability to solve computer science and discrete math problems?

Interesting take on how many businesses and startups are being run by the founders these days. Doug, I have one question for you: how do you feel the sales and marketing (or the neglect of them) affect how the founders are able to treat their staff?

Your wife totally sounds like the story of Michael Ellsberg (www.ellsberg.com), while yours is similar to Joe Mihalic (www.nomoreharvarddebt.com).

What's your income situation right now? You can try to negotiate the interest rates down to minimize your monthly payments. Once you are able to handle the payments and workload with ease, I strongly suggest to start with freelancing on the side. Most successful entrepreneurs I know start off with consulting and freelancing before productizing their services or physical products.

I wouldn't say he's dissing Steve Jobs. I think he's speaking the truth b/c people do get remembered for their societal contributions. Charity just happens to multiply your memorable societal contributions the most.