I used to do this for small businesses in 02, and I still do it for a taxi/limo company. Set up multiple marketing campaigns with independent phone numbers, web pages, deliverables , etc. I even went so far as creating separate corporate identities in order to test new marketing ideas & strategies. Now, I use google voice and a combination of local and toll free numbers. Works great and sometimes, better than analytics. #mmedia
you're not alone. it takes a certain type of person to start a business, let alone run one. Most get wrapped up in some romantic fantasy about what they see on TV about owning a business. Contrary to the dream, it is work.
Partners are very over rated, but YC seems to like them. I've had several, all worthless. it's tough, you got to find someone with the same passion, or there will be significant differences down the road, especially with work load and responsibility.
watch out for going into business with family members - i've never seen that work out well either.
also, verbal agreements are just as enforceable as written ones, which is why you always get a written agreement. Contracts are a tool to prevent/protect future problems/litigation. Again, this is experience talking. I made over $1M in my first business, and then spent $250K defending it from a partner with a cocaine habit. I won, but it was tough and extremely expensive. You make money with this, he will comeback to haunt you.
If you do NEED a partner/founder, be very cautious. It can be good, but more often than not i've seen partnerships wreck friendships, marriages and families...
great post. i have a YC2011 application ready to go, and, as a single founder, have been wondering if I should apply. Yes, I know, it’s next week. I too expect to be rejected but think it is worth the shot. And, to follow up on the end of the post, personally, YC isn’t about the money or the mentorship. It’s all about who you know. All I know is that I have the next big idea, execution is 100% of being a business and I think YC offers a lot of those resources that you can’t find in a lot of other places.
I’m neither? Respect? Barking? No concept? I understand you're a business guy and really, I do appreciate your feedback. However, you make a lot of assumptions. I don't bark and with 20 years of leadership experience I’ve never had anyone disrespect me or question my tenacity - let alone my understanding of what it takes to get a job done.
ROI is Gain-Cost/Cost. It’s got nothing to do with the understanding my product, how it works, how to communicate and/or manage employees. Please explain.
I’m looking at YC as an opportunity for traction, so perhaps it isn’t the right fit for me or this opportunity. If I really wanted to do it myself, I’d hire a programmer and build the damn thing. But I think the collaborative environment around so many vested interests is really what makes this group special. Am I wrong?
Do you have any experience with this group, as a founder or other participant?
That is actually great feedback, thank you. I am self taught in many areas. Still, what seems better? Hiring someone to bang it out in 4 weeks? Get a "founder" who's going to bang it out in 4 weeks for X% of the company? Or spend 4 months learning how to code on my own, plus months learning how to code “right, and then another 4 months to figure it out?
You ask a MCS and a MBA that question, and always get different answers. The more I think about it and the more feedback I get, YC may not be what I’m looking for.
email me - [email protected]. i'm looking for a start up business partner with serious programming experience. I too started and ran a successful construction company as a means to make money in order to start another business. I also do not have a partner, because it's hard to find someone that understands starting your own business is work.
definitely looking for some type of partner with serious programming experience. I figure it would cost about $120K to farm it out, and i'm not sure if i'd have enough in the YC start up funds to develop even a simple site for demo day. I'm more interested in the connections than I am the money. Therefore, not sure YC would be the way to go. Perhaps I should start and fund operations, get it operational, and then apply to YC.
i've gotten a few of these, and I believe they are hijack apps that send the same message to all of your friends. Interesting too is how they're coming up with messages that make you wonder if it's real or not. In this day and age, you can't even trust a friend in a world that sells access to your information