Ask HN: Is there a way to sell my MVP?

[konschubert]

I started working on a little web service startup idea with a colleague about two months ago. We managed to implement a minimum viable product which at this point is basically just a website with registration, payment and a nice domain. But we realized that our passion for this project currently isn't strong enough compared to the legal legwork that comes with going public in our jurisdiction while dealing with our full time day jobs.

So, we figured that we might try sell the MPV plus domain to somebody who's in a better position to get the business started.

Is this at all a realistic idea? Where should we advertise it? For how much money could we expect to sell something like that?

[wpietri]

You have correctly identified the problem, which is lack of passion. This is part of why experienced entrepreneurs tell noobs not to worry about somebody stealing your idea. It's rare enough that even one person cares about the idea enough to make it real. Most other entrepreneurs already have ideas that they like just fine.

As others say, you can try to sell it, although it sounds unlikely. But if you want to try, ask yourself two questions:

Who specifically would be passionate about this specific idea?

How much would that person have to pay to replicate what you have?

The first question gets to how to market this. Depending on the topic of your MVP, maybe there's a wannabe-entrepreneur somewhere who just couldn't come up with his own idea but has money in his pocket. You need to find that person.

The second gets at pricing. Most MVPs are throwaway code. And even if it was well written, most code without the original team gets thrown away, because it's expensive to find somebody who knows the domain and tech stack, get them up to speed, and clean up the tech debt. So the fair comparison is something like: how much would it cost a discount outsourcer to build a replica? That ceiling is probably pretty low.

Now you can do the math: fairly valuing your time, subtract your cost to find, sell, and close that prospect from your expected selling price. For most people, that estimated return is negative, especially once you weight for risk. Maybe you're different, but be sure you have a good understanding of why.

[konschubert]

Thank you for writing out this response. I knew that I should not be worried about somebody stealing my idea, that's why I asked about selling the MVP, not the idea. But you are right: Even though I believe that the MVP is well written, I am effectively competing with the cheapest outsourcing shop.

[ld9821]

Would you give the same assessment for a harware based project designed for a specific customer base?

[saycheese]

Based on your description, you do not have an MVP, but an attempt to find an MVP; what you have is untested prototype or an MVP that for whatever reason failed to validate your assumptions.

Only potientally asset you have to sell is the domain, which in my opinion is a completely different question; that being, how do I value & sell a domain?

The hosting, design, payment & registration systems, etc. - are most likely are liabilities unless proven otherwise given the related technical debt[1]; basically, these are commodities which best acquired from scratch based on the needs of party acquiring them.

Lastly, as you likely know, the point of an MVP is to validate an idea is of value, since ideas generally speaking are worthless; I would actually argue that good, but unvalidated ideas, have on average a negative value, since resources are required to store/process them and most "good" ideas fail validation attempts.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_debt

[konschubert]

I guess you are right, but damn...

[pliftkl]

Easy things: 1. Ideas 2. Name 3. Website with registration and payment

Hard things: 1. Acquiring paying customers 2. Keeping paying customers 2. Product Management once you have customers

People will pay you more for hard things than they will for easy things (there are, of course, exceptions to this, but execution of "great ideas" is much harder than having those ideas).

[konschubert]

You are right. I realize that. I know that an idea alone is worth very, very little. And an MVP is worth little more than nothing.

But even "little more than nothing" is something. That's why I am asking.

[bborud]

"registration, payment and a nice domain".

A minimum, VIABLE product? Does it do anything? Does it do anything that others can't easily replicate?

Explain the "viable" to me.

[heeton]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_viable_product

"is a product with just enough features to gather validated learning about the product and its continued development"

If people are willing to pay for something, even before it has any features, that seems like a pretty good MVP to me.

Assuming that people are paying for it that is...

[konschubert]

> A minimum, VIABLE product? Does it do anything?

The MVP is basically just a custom storefront for the service that is being sold and which provides the actual value.

> Does it do anything that others can't easily replicate?

No. But is is new and unique.

[obvio]

https://flippa.com/sell

[seibelj]

This is the best place to sell it. Be aware that many of the products for sale are scams and your product will have to explain why it isn't also a scam to rise above the fold.

[tyingq]

And find someone with a little sales flair to help you make the listing.

[f311a]

So you wanna sell domain, website and untested idea without customers?

[adamqureshi]

The problem is "value" if your MVP makes NO money that what is it worth? I sold my MVP to a private company then they paid me to customize it for them. It was in healthcare. The MVP had value for them, they wanted to license it to others in the same niche industry ( i kinda had to "sell'em" on this platform approach) but did it back like 3-4 years ago. Same approach could work for you.

[jimnotgym]

Could we see it? It is really hard to sell something without a revenue stream. Its value is closer to the value of the domain than a business.

[Alvarogot]

Sounds difficult but why not give it a try? Have you identified a buyer for your web service startup idea? Once you´ve done it you could send some Linkedin messages, cold e-mails and even make some phone calls

I think that might work better than advertising an MVP

Best of lucks

[joshmn]

I don't think you have an MVP. I think you have a domain and either an untested prototype OR an MVP that failed to validate your idea.

There are forums to sell your domain on, Flippa/the like, SEDO/the like. I won't list them here since they're just a Google search away.

My advice would be to do whatever it takes to spend 4 hours (each of you) trying to get your first customer, payment in hand. If after that, you don't have a customer, then I think it's a fair thing to either write it off as a learning experience or seek the "hey someone else take over this invalidated idea" route.

If you manage that first customer, that could potentially motivate you to get the legal stuff done. I'm not sure your locale, but usually a Delaware LLC and generic ToS/PP is acceptable. You'll know when you don't need the generics, and when that time comes, you'll know.

You could be the next Pied Piper, which is why it never hurts to try.

[stefanobernardi]

You sure can sell it, but it won't be very valuable. Less than the cost of building it for sure. Probably the only spot that would work for that is Flippa, but you could try to contact a broker like FE International to see if they might be able to help you.

[iamabraham]

The value goes up - sometimes way up - if you have even one paying customer. It isn't a "minimum viable product at all." It's a non revenue generating website with no users which makes it a hobby, not a product.

[ummahusla]

Use flippa.com to sell your stuff.

I sold like 5-6 side projects which were abandoned for ages.

[tluyben2]

From the sound of it, it seems this would needs to have more development before it would make anything even on Flippa.

[mootothemax]

Would you mind linking to the sites you've sold before, or even the Flippa auctions? I could be interested next time you have something similar, and would be happy to cut out the middleman.

This offer stands for anyone reading; send me your projects and I'll gladly take a look about buying :)

[bdcravens]

Your domain is at best worth a few hundred. Your code is worth an hourly rate x hours worked, discounted. (since there needs to be a reason to buy vs build)

Assuming you and your partner put in 20 hours a week, I'd guess $5000 for an untested business is the best you could hope for.

[satysin]

Does the site actually do anything or is it just a business idea and branding?

[jpdus]

You are from Germany, right? What kind of legal legwork do you mean, is it domain specific? Would love to hear more about the MVP, contact is in my profile.

[konschubert]

Elementary :)

I will send you an email.

[alecsmart1]

Can you let us know about your MVP? A website? Maybe then we can tell you more.

[konschubert]

Sorry, I want to keep this discussion generic to make it useful for others.

[mbesto]

We can only answer that if you disclose revenues and net income.

[eecks]

What's the nice domain? What is the tech stack behind it?

[WhiteSource1]

There are domain brokers you can sell.