Hot answers tagged solo-entrepreneur
43
Do you need more programmers or do you need a marketing person?
I think you might want to evaluate your priorities. If you are the brains behind the software, perhaps what you need is to target a marketing person(s) who can help you with your product.
Have you considered affiliate networks that sell your software for you? What going to a college and ...
40
First of all, you won't be able to distinguish a great programmer from a good programmer or a good programmer from a lousy programmer until it's too late.
Second, building a dev team (and especially a remote team) won't free up your time unless one of them takes on the lead dev role. Increasing the team size increases all sorts of communication and ...
32
This is coming from a programmer.
Usually great programmers won't work for you unless you're pretty great yourself. And you won't know what "great" is until you're at least good enough to know that most of what you've been writing is total shit - until you've seen the difference between good code and great code.
Beyond that, great programmers, a lot of ...
17
It's not true that "solos" don't have a chance.
I'm a case in point -- I started Smart Bear myself (first employee after 2.5 years), grew it to millions it profits, and sold the company as well.
It is true that it's hard. It's harder because there's more work to do, and harder because there's no one to share the emotional burden.
But of course it's ...
12
I prefer the 'star team' model to the 'team of stars' model. People that are 'Great Programmers' can be hard to find and keep, and may not be that great for your product. Hiring (and keeping) some reliable people you can coach in your style/product/market might be easier. And although employees bring more work and other issues, you can grow your business or ...
9
I am deciding on leaving university to carry on with a business idea
if it is as successful as I believe.
Consider staying in school. Many startups fail, and while money may not be a primary consideration, the glorified version of a successful startup only taking 12 months of your time is a mirage.
7
You are probably facing the same problem the wast majority of us do.
Having ideas is easy. Making them come true is hard.
What you really need to do is simple (well, not really...)
Focus on ONE project (this means you have to actually make a commitment and prioritize ONE project over all others - probably including projects related to other areas of ...
6
As long as you're hardworking and have the necessary infrastructure (proper internet access) etc then I see no reason why you shouldn't manage ... unless the only way how to sell your service is by meeting customers face to face.
My startup is based in a tiny country in southern Europe. We have relatively good internet access and it's working very well for ...
6
Getting a cofounder just because I had heard that solo entrepreneurs don't make it was a big mistake for me. I'm still doing all the solo work and now have someone else to deal with on top of it. If you find a cofounder who really excites you then pick them up - note, you don't have to start the business as partners, you can start by yourself and bring them ...
6
Yes, it is!
First thing, I would say is that you could hire a great programmer, by offering them stock options. In this way you would get both a co-founder and a great programmer.
Second, is that offshore programmers can be great, even if they are low-cost. I use VWorker.com myself. Getting value from offshoring is something that takes a lot of experience, ...
5
Doing it yourself is hard, but if one of your goals with your startup is to learn what it takes, ALL that it takes, to make, sell, market, support etc. etc. software, being solo is a GREAT learning experience. The buck stops at you for EVERY SINGLE thing. It's both a daunting and empowering feeling. Either you roll up your sleeves and figure it out, or it ...
5
Yes, average programmers do take some of the load off you. But you can't expect great things from them (proactive problem solving, innovation).
It is always more productive to have 1 amazing programmer than 4 average ones! You get more done that way! This has anyways been my experience.
But if its just support we are talking about, you guide and they ...
5
95% of the software in existence today is written by "average" software engineers. The world still revolves. Yours will too if you won't get a super-star, but a normal average software engineer. Average isn't necessarily BAD and if you cannot afford a $180K/year engineer - get a $65K one. It's not like your business will run to the ground because of that, ...
4
It's a difficult choice. The main problem with the "average programmer" is usually not the quality of their work, but the lack of drive/initiative/commitment/overall-vision.
I think you should try to get one good programmer and one junior programmer. You can get a good programmer if you negotiate a deal with some very good freelance; usually that involves ...
4
A lot depends on the industry you're in and the product you're offering, but I'd say that in general, average programmers are not worth it.
The cost of the average programmer exceeds just the salary you pay them and the other expenses incurred. The true cost shows up in the long-term. These programmers often write code that is less maintainable (and hence ...
4
You are potentially working on generating a disaster.
I would sit down an check on these things:
How much time I actually spend working at my full time job?
How much time I actually spend working at company 1?
How much time I actually spend working at company 2?
How much money does company 1 bring in now? How much is the potential return from Company 1?
...
4
In terms of time, this is no different than starting a business while employed full-time. Many founders choose to maintain their day jobs while working on their startup, so I believe you can do the same with school.
However, there are differences between the two:
You will learn a lot of valuable skills while in college. Those of us that went through ...
3
You're suffering from what most hackepreneurs suffer from. Basically, the first 90% of the project is the fun part (designing the UI, figuring out new technologies, coming up with a name and logo, etc). You're learning a new technology, designing out the UI and logo, picking up a name, and getting lots of amazing features done. Then you hit all the boring ...
3
Sounds to me like you want to be a Micro ISV. Google the term Micro ISV and you will find a few interesting sites. Software by Rob is a good place to start and so is Bob Walsh.
Best of luck.
3
My father started his ventures after he "retired". Even with 3 kids (we were only teens then), he kick some major butt. Before he died, I asked him how he managed to pull off the things he did. His advice was: "it is amazing what you can do, if you have built a safety net and don't give a s**t about falling". Wise man. For majority of his career before his ...
3
Most people who start down the path have no idea if they "have what it takes". It really is a game of perseverance. It is likely that many of the ideas, concepts and ventures you (or anyone) try will fail. The real test is to decide to keep going (not necessarily with the same idea - but in general.
You learn as you go.
Gates, Jobs, Brin, et al all ...
3
So for PM work that should only be an issue if you have more resources then yourself. Developers typically need to provide sizings on work orders and being an ace developer when you have a good set of requirements you can size it well.
For requirement management this can be an issue. Developers typically like to jump to solutions first rather then solicit ...
2
Joydeep - you write "Many professionals want to start their own venture but are scared of failing" - how very true. Be aware that many (arguably most) entrepreneurs are still scared of failure when they're out there running their business. Fear of failing is just a part of life all the way until you succeed - read Steven Pressfield's The War of Art will ...
2
Find a mentor who can help you at the outset determine if you want to take the journey. And if you do, can help you along the way travel the right path. A mentor, many mentors.
As Tim says, it's virtually impossible to know what it takes without having done it. That's where you use your mentor.
2
IMHO, whenever you hear "people say X" you have to think about who says that. Because in your case the question can be answered from two very distinct (and both valid) points of reference. The investor, and the entrepreneur.
As a solo founder (told all the time that I am doing all in reverse/wrong), I can tell you what are IMHO the good sides of being solo ...
2
Read the book "Financial Intelligence for Entrepreneurs" by Karen Berman & Joe Knight. Even if you'll have somebody else doing your accounting, you'll still need know what those numbers mean and how to do some financial analysis. This is the best book I've read that talks about these issues with respect to the entrepreneur.
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