First they tell you it can't be done, then they laugh at you, then it is a nice little hobby project, then you might be able to go full-time but so what you couldn't pay rent in San Francisco, then $100k isn't really that much anyway, then you're the exception that proves the rule.
2 months is not that long dude. I am a single founder and have been going hard for over 3 years. The key to it IMHO is to really love what you are doing so much that it does not
seem like work. I dont launch either. Just iterate. See article: http://www.marketing.fm/2009/11/17/never-launch-just-iterate...
Thanks to everyone giving me the "Just 2 months? That's nothing" comments.
I don't mean that facetiously. It's actually pretty inspiring that you guys made it through that honeymoon phase and into something real. Hopefully this venture will be around a year from now, and I'll be able to dish out the same kind of inspiration.
Solo founder here as well. I think the biggest problem is scope creep when there are no other opinions. My solution to this is making sure most features are responses to clients paying for said feature.
But the best part is that you do not need to compromise on your technical decisions. And if you do make a mistake, you can back out of it with a limited amount of fanfare/humiliation.
Also, since we're tech guys we really need a Steve Ballmer (or Alexis Ohanian) to handle the non-technical stuff so we can code in a bubble. They don't need to be founders, or equity partners, but should have a large role.
Going solo is terribly hard. The worst part is that you don't know how much you're missing by not having a co-founder until you've seen what great collaboration is like (spoiler: it is really good).
Of all the great things to get out of doing Y Combinator three years ago, the best by a mile was teaming up with Sascha to work on BaseShield. We ended up shelving that product but it's incredible to look at BaseShield and now Ninite and realize how completely they were shaped and improved by our collaboration.
I'm not talking about the set-theory union of our ideas, it's more like a tug-of-war as we'd shape the concepts and features underlying our work. Ideas always improved through this process, often radically. This was especially true for core questions like what does it do, how does it work, and what will users see.
Briefly, if it seems OK to work alone I'd say it's because you don't know what you're missing.
The search for a co-founder has been on as a serious milestone for the last month. Solo is something I chose when I started because I didn't have a co, and didn't want to let that be a blocking issue. I'm fully aware what a great co could do for my biz.
If anybody knows of a rockstar Python dev in NYC, let me know.
There's no reason you can't have great collaboration with close friends or mentors without giving away 55% of your company. I know the rebuttal will be "but the collaboration is more intimate and thorough, and the other person cares"....well, I bet you 10 people's opinion you trust is as valuable as a co-founder's.
5 years as a solo founder here. Would I do it again? Maybe, but definitely differently. What I do know is that coming out of the other side that there's very little in a small business I can't do.
I'm certainly prepared for my next project, whatever it may be. Keep it up, and best of luck.
my advice: dont be a solo founder. chances are that you get totally sucked into your idea without realizing that you're project is going to fail. if you're doing all the work yourself, make sure you release early and dont fail too hard (the longer you wait with the launch the harder the 'waking up' will be). if you got a cofounder chances are a lot higher that you might be building something substantial.
but kudos to you for sticking to your project, it takes a lot of dedication and that's ultimately what makes an entrepreneur.
How strange that people seems to accept an author writing a book for 10 years, or a screenwriter writing a movie for 5 years, yet when a web developer tries to make a simple web app people go "NO! you have to be in a team! It's TOO HARD!"
I've been on mine for almost 3 years, pulling in 40 hours a week on top of a full time job. I haven't launched (I will in a few months), but I've built up a base of 1000 users, all through sweat and blood. It's hard, it has it's up and downs, but it's a thrilling ride no matter how it plays out.
Yup I agree. I'm 1.5 years in to mine and I've had some amazing times, and also stayed up late fixing stuff I broke many more times than I wanted to or trying to meet some over-ambitious goal I had. The first time I added an extra server I screwed up quite badly so nobody could sign in (and stats weren't updating even if they could). And my biggest user emailed me to ask why it was so bad.
2 months is like a shiney new relationship - you're totally absorbed in each other and you're that couple that "never fights".... but you're going to.
I'd agree entirely on that sentiment. Just in the last month alone I can feel a lot changing in my mind regarding the whole thing.
I have a feeling that as it becomes more all-consuming that roller-coaster is going to come to bear in a stronger way. Once your ego becomes tied to the success of your venture, small fluctuations can have powerful mental impacts.
[+] [-] patio11|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] krishna2|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] p01nd3xt3r|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] resdirector|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mLewisLogic|15 years ago|reply
I don't mean that facetiously. It's actually pretty inspiring that you guys made it through that honeymoon phase and into something real. Hopefully this venture will be around a year from now, and I'll be able to dish out the same kind of inspiration.
[+] [-] niels|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] abbott|15 years ago|reply
My confession? Get a great co-founder/partner, and do more hard time.
[+] [-] TheSOB88|15 years ago|reply
This guy had the guts to do what people dream of. And you're here admonishing him for writing about it?
[+] [-] ludicast|15 years ago|reply
But the best part is that you do not need to compromise on your technical decisions. And if you do make a mistake, you can back out of it with a limited amount of fanfare/humiliation.
Also, since we're tech guys we really need a Steve Ballmer (or Alexis Ohanian) to handle the non-technical stuff so we can code in a bubble. They don't need to be founders, or equity partners, but should have a large role.
Oh yeah, and 2 months really is nothing :).
[+] [-] kn0thing|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] swies|15 years ago|reply
Of all the great things to get out of doing Y Combinator three years ago, the best by a mile was teaming up with Sascha to work on BaseShield. We ended up shelving that product but it's incredible to look at BaseShield and now Ninite and realize how completely they were shaped and improved by our collaboration.
I'm not talking about the set-theory union of our ideas, it's more like a tug-of-war as we'd shape the concepts and features underlying our work. Ideas always improved through this process, often radically. This was especially true for core questions like what does it do, how does it work, and what will users see.
Briefly, if it seems OK to work alone I'd say it's because you don't know what you're missing.
[+] [-] mLewisLogic|15 years ago|reply
If anybody knows of a rockstar Python dev in NYC, let me know.
[+] [-] chailatte|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] _b8r0|15 years ago|reply
I'm certainly prepared for my next project, whatever it may be. Keep it up, and best of luck.
[+] [-] jcfrei|15 years ago|reply
but kudos to you for sticking to your project, it takes a lot of dedication and that's ultimately what makes an entrepreneur.
[+] [-] chailatte|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] vaksel|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] jon914|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] PhrosTT|15 years ago|reply
i'm also a solo founder in hoboken (sorry i creeped your resume). nice post. hit me up if you ever want to do a knowledge share or something.
[+] [-] mLewisLogic|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mLewisLogic|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|15 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] chailatte|15 years ago|reply
[+] [-] benologist|15 years ago|reply
2 months is like a shiney new relationship - you're totally absorbed in each other and you're that couple that "never fights".... but you're going to.
[+] [-] mLewisLogic|15 years ago|reply
I have a feeling that as it becomes more all-consuming that roller-coaster is going to come to bear in a stronger way. Once your ego becomes tied to the success of your venture, small fluctuations can have powerful mental impacts.