what do you think of my project?

[julienfromfrance]

Hello everybody

I open this post to share a project with you
I had an idea meeting most of the CENTS criteria
It would be something pioneering, computer-based
The target would be people between 25 and 50 years old
The impact would be, at first national, then international and would operate regardless of my time
Access would be free with advertising, or paid without advertising
I believe in this idea and I am convinced of its potential

The (main) problem is that I am not a computer scientist or a developer
To remedy this, I considered the following solution :

1) I have considered training, but it requires learning a new profession
It takes time, will cost money and in the end I will only know the theory
I will need to accumulate experience to be able to then get started

2) I thought about soliciting an IT company to realize my idea
The price will be important. The realization will allow them to benefit from intellectual property. If there is a need for fixes and improvements, I will be dependent on them and should be patient as they become available. There will be dependency and a lack of responsiveness

3) Another possibility would be to surround myself with computer scientists, programmers. I intended to involve them in this project, voluntarily during the time of creation and will pay them when possible
But I have been told that I will not find anyone who will get involved in promises. I was advised to make them partners to "ensure" of their involvement
I am divided about this solution, because even if it allows me to surround myself with people who can make my idea a reality, it also raises issues:
- How to keep control? Keep 51% of the shares or be associated with equal shares?
- How to find these people? by placing an ad? word of mouth ?
- How can I check that the job is well done when I am not an IT expert?
- How to avoid the data leak and that this idea is copied by a partner who decides to leave?

You will understand, the realization of this idea is complicated for me
If I stick to strict control command, I should be able to do it alone. But it's impossible.
If I want to persevere, I'm going to have to lose some control and deal with associates, strangers.
After all, several companies started with associates: Microsoft, Facebook, Skype…
If you see other solutions, I am interested in your views and your advice
I thank you in advance
Julien

 

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[Andy Black]

Consider product-founder fit: what can *you* start where you can make a sale on the next week?

Ask yourself how you can start really simple, help someone (this week!), and get paying clients/customers as soon as possible.

 

[mjbarlow]

Learning to code is not as hard as people think. There are literally thousands of free awesome resources on the web.

Even ones where they hand hold you through the building of a complete web app. If you have some time and dedication you can easily build something and get a feel for programming.

I wouldn't worry about any of your hired employees stealing your work. It's pretty normal for coders to keep the codebase for the clients they have been working on. It's pretty rare for them to actually use that to build a competing product.

They generally use it as a reference for other projects. You can't really stop that, unless you silo out the code and have different Devs working on different parts. But that would be a pain, you just have to find a good Dev with a stellar reputation for integrity and everything will be fine.

Good luck with your idea!

 

[peddletothemetal]

One of the most common kinds of help-me threads here goes something like this:

1. I want to make some web thing to get rich
2. I don't have any web thing skills, or any money to give people who do to make it for me
2a. (More comical cases) also I don't want to hand over any control of it
3. What do I do?

Most of the time this gets answered roughly the same, usually with "coding is easy", which is an extremely flippant and uninformed way of interpreting it. The beginner gains are easy, anything after that is why there's guys making hefty and rising salaries in web development. Throwing down some entry level PHP and HTML and you're good for a multi-million dollar valuation is late 90s stuff.

Alternatively some partnership concept gets thrown around. Trust me, if you're bringing nothing to the table yourself except some untested "good idea", you're not getting some no-cash deal with a competent developer. I'd be interested to know the percentage of people, who recommend some no-cash joint venture concept where the idea guy brings nothing else of real value to the table, who've actually participated in such a deal. I'd bet 99% of the time it's just uninformed internet echos.

The simple answer of course is actually: change your parameters or stay poor and in your own head.

If you have neither web skills, nor money, nor market and business sense, start there. Get an entry level job at a web agency and learn and save and then job hop like mad first.

 

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[Odysseus M Jones]

Hello everybody

I open this post to share a project with you
I had an idea meeting most of the CENTS criteria
It would be something pioneering, computer-based
The target would be people between 25 and 50 years old
The impact would be, at first national, then international and would operate regardless of my time
Access would be free with advertising, or paid without advertising
I believe in this idea and I am convinced of its potential

The (main) problem is that I am not a computer scientist or a developer
To remedy this, I considered the following solution :

1) I have considered training, but it requires learning a new profession
It takes time, will cost money and in the end I will only know the theory
I will need to accumulate experience to be able to then get started

2) I thought about soliciting an IT company to realize my idea
The price will be important. The realization will allow them to benefit from intellectual property. If there is a need for fixes and improvements, I will be dependent on them and should be patient as they become available. There will be dependency and a lack of responsiveness

3) Another possibility would be to surround myself with computer scientists, programmers. I intended to involve them in this project, voluntarily during the time of creation and will pay them when possible
But I have been told that I will not find anyone who will get involved in promises. I was advised to make them partners to "ensure" of their involvement
I am divided about this solution, because even if it allows me to surround myself with people who can make my idea a reality, it also raises issues:
- How to keep control? Keep 51% of the shares or be associated with equal shares?
- How to find these people? by placing an ad? word of mouth ?
- How can I check that the job is well done when I am not an IT expert?
- How to avoid the data leak and that this idea is copied by a partner who decides to leave?

You will understand, the realization of this idea is complicated for me
If I stick to strict control command, I should be able to do it alone. But it's impossible.
If I want to persevere, I'm going to have to lose some control and deal with associates, strangers.
After all, several companies started with associates: Microsoft, Facebook, Skype…
If you see other solutions, I am interested in your views and your advice
I thank you in advance
Julien

Super quick answer.
3.
Find a co-founder CTO that shares your vision.
How?
Get involved in that community, network.

You need to bring something to the table that the other partners lack.
Be it sales, marketing, whatever, ideas are worth squat.

Forget about controlling interest.

Do you want 100 or 51% of nothing or an equal share of a huge pie?

PS, you need to know enough code so you know you're not working with idiots.

And they know you're not an idiot they can take advantage of.
But that shouldn't be a problem of you choose your founders wisely.

 

[mjbarlow]

One of the most common kinds of help-me threads here goes something like this:

1. I want to make some web thing to get rich
2. I don't have any web thing skills, or any money to give people who do to make it for me
2a. (More comical cases) also I don't want to hand over any control of it
3. What do I do?

Most of the time this gets answered roughly the same, usually with "coding is easy", which is an extremely flippant and uninformed way of interpreting it. The beginner gains are easy, anything after that is why there's guys making hefty and rising salaries in web development. Throwing down some entry level PHP and HTML and you're good for a multi-million dollar valuation is late 90s stuff.

Alternatively some partnership concept gets thrown around. Trust me, if you're bringing nothing to the table yourself except some untested "good idea", you're not getting some no-cash deal with a competent developer. I'd be interested to know the percentage of people, who recommend some no-cash joint venture concept where the idea guy brings nothing else of real value to the table, who've actually participated in such a deal. I'd bet 99% of the time it's just uninformed internet echos.

The simple answer of course is actually: change your parameters or stay poor and in your own head.

If you have neither web skills, nor money, nor market and business sense, start there. Get an entry level job at a web agency and learn and save and then job hop like mad first.

Whatever happened to research, learn, implement? Or is that also an early 90s concept that's now out of fashion?

There is a difference between being aware of how to code simple apps then leveraging that knowledge to help push your project forward Vs being a rock star developer.

Agree with you though, focus should be on him. Disagree that he needs to join a web agency to facilitate that.

 

[julienfromfrance]

Thank you for your answers and your different points of view

@Andy Noir, noted, I will find someone to help this week

@mjbarlow, I'm interested, I would like to be able to do this on my own. Do you have sites to recommend me to learn?
And if I want to create an app, how can I do it while being supported?

@peddletothemetal, I completely agree. It's true that an idea is by definition theory, just like my vision. Concretely, I can bring money (but of course to use intelligently) and the beginning of a program that one of my friends has coded.
And of course, time, enthusiasm and my involvement
I envisioned this person to create the entire program. But he already has a job that takes him time. The rest of her time is shared between family, game consoles and relaxation. He is not in a start-up dynamic

@OMJ, yes, to know the code, I need to train myself in that

The idea of training in programming interests me. But we are talking about learning a new profession. My friend studied for several years and he has accumulated many years of experience. What would be the way to learn it fast? And to be able to schedule something before the end of the year?

 

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[Odysseus M Jones]

What would be the way to learn it fast?

Start now and put in serious hours.

And to be able to schedule something before the end of the year?

Find another CTO.

I envisioned this person to create the entire program. But he already has a job that takes him time. The rest of her time is shared between family, game consoles and relaxation. He is not in a start-up dynamic

You said it yourself, your friend can't do it.

 

[Andy Black]

Consider product-founder fit: what can *you* start where you can make a sale on the next week?

Ask yourself how you can start really simple, help someone (this week!), and get paying clients/customers as soon as possible.

Maybe this was too vague.

Maybe this explains it better:

• Stop Building Stuff

 

[BizyDad]

@Andy Noir

Hey @Andy Black if you ever need a *cough* "stage name" *cough* this is it.

Sorry, I've obviously been spending too much time on @Lex DeVille threads...

One of the most common kinds of help-me threads here goes something like this:

1. I want to make some web thing to get rich
2. I don't have any web thing skills, or any money to give people who do to make it for me
2a. (More comical cases) also I don't want to hand over any control of it
3. What do I do?

Most of the time this gets answered roughly the same, usually with "coding is easy", which is an extremely flippant and uninformed way of interpreting it. The beginner gains are easy, anything after that is why there's guys making hefty and rising salaries in web development. Throwing down some entry level PHP and HTML and you're good for a multi-million dollar valuation is late 90s stuff.

Alternatively some partnership concept gets thrown around. Trust me, if you're bringing nothing to the table yourself except some untested "good idea", you're not getting some no-cash deal with a competent developer. I'd be interested to know the percentage of people, who recommend some no-cash joint venture concept where the idea guy brings nothing else of real value to the table, who've actually participated in such a deal. I'd bet 99% of the time it's just uninformed internet echos.

The simple answer of course is actually: change your parameters or stay poor and in your own head.

If you have neither web skills, nor money, nor market and business sense, start there. Get an entry level job at a web agency and learn and save and then job hop like mad first.

I want this to be its own mini rant thread that we can tag and refer people to.

THE HARD TRUTHS ABOUT WEB DEVELOPMENT IDEAS

I'm sure someone with real writing skills could come up with better.

------

Other than an idea, what concrete skills do you bring to the table?

Great ideas are often saddled by poor execution. And the best way to ensure poor execution is by not developing your own skills but thinking you should have controlling say in the goals, execution, and outcome.

I believe in this idea and I am convinced of its potential

Based on what? Is anyone else convinced?

I have considered training, but it requires learning a new profession
It takes time, will cost money and in the end I will only know the theory

There is a saying I've heard a lot lately and it applies here:

Everything you want is on the other side of hard. -Monty Williams

Roll up your sleeves and get to work.

Maybe it won't take as long as you think it will.

For inspiration, you could read this thread The guy has had an amazing 5 year journey.

This is the excerpt from the first post that made me think of you.

I recently had this insane gut feeling to see what I could learn about C++ (Coding) and software development. I saw a severe need for Artists and Studios that do VFX. A VFX artists current tool set takes between 30 minutes to 12 hours to do XYZ task. A typical studio's solution is throw more hardware and processing power at the problem (money). I took a different approach and said, well my clients have so much feature overloaded shit inside of their editing software that they don't use or need, and it obviously takes up a ton of processing power, so why don't I fix that?

Back in November, I did coding in the morning, hustling in the afternoon, and Khan Academy math courses at night. Within a month of solving software issues by googling and persistence, I had an elementary understanding of computer graphics, software development, and some of the math behind it.

Imagine if this guy said, "oh but it'll take time and money."

You'd be surprised how much you can learn online for free these days...

Hope that helps.

 

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[Lex DeVille]

I hired someone to build the MVP for my latest idea. I'll use that to generate sales so development can pay for itself.

 

[Andy Black]

Ah. I didn’t spot I’d been mis-tagged.

If you can’t make a sale this week then consider doing something where you can.

 

[Odysseus M Jones]

Did anyone click on Andy Noir's tag to see who it was?

Actually it's some guy called Andy Schwartz.

Sacré bleu!
I mean noir

 

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[julienfromfrance]

@OMJ Yes, when you say it, it's obvious

@Andy Black Thank you for your fascinating sharing. I have read several of your posts and watched videos you posted. I may have left too quickly on the HOW. I will reconsider the WHY. and start smaller, which will eliminate some current brakes. The video "start now, no funding needed" is very enriching!

@BizyDad I agree with you, execution is of the essence. An average idea that is well executed will always be more successful than a great idea that is poorly developed
Yes, you have to put your emotions aside and analyze things coolly and pragmatically. I have shared this idea with several people around me. What I remember is that they told me it's innovative. Reading the posts, it would have been even better if they had said it's useful!
Thank you for this story, I am looking for training

 

[Andy Black]

@OMJ Yes, when you say it, it's obvious

@Andy Black Thank you for your fascinating sharing. I have read several of your posts and watched videos you posted. I may have left too quickly on the HOW. I will reconsider the WHY. and start smaller, which will eliminate some current brakes. The video "start now, no funding needed" is very enriching!

@BizyDad I agree with you, execution is of the essence. An average idea that is well executed will always be more successful than a great idea that is poorly developed
Yes, you have to put your emotions aside and analyze things coolly and pragmatically. I have shared this idea with several people around me. What I remember is that they told me it's innovative. Reading the posts, it would have been even better if they had said it's useful!
Thank you for this story, I am looking for training

Thanks for coming back and updating us.

Seems you’re moving in the right direction. Consider *not* looking for training though.

Some threads that might help:

• What if you already know enough?
• Stop Building Stuff
• Who have you helped?

 

[Odysseus M Jones]

@OMJ Yes, when you say it, it's obvious

Yes, insight is one of my superpowers.

You don't remember me do you?

Re-read your own introduction thread.

Then there's your post on someone else's introduction thread.

Their thread has the exact same conundrum you currently have.

You've got more help than they did.

I'm going to write a book

How's that coming along?

 

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[julienfromfrance]

Yes, insight is one of my superpowers.

You don't remember me do you?

Re-read your own introduction thread.

Then there's your post on someone else's introduction thread.

Their thread has the exact same conundrum you currently have.

You've got more help than they did.

How's that coming along?

Yes, you were the first to welcome me on this forum
Glad to see you among us

For the book I started it
In fact, I noticed that some websites offered a free book in exchange for a subscription.
It was the way for them to have emails
But it also devalues the purpose of my book
And then I went in another direction
I analyzed a situation, noticed a problem, imagined a solution in the form of an app
Today I go back. I thought I had found a "HOW" after a "WHY"
But it's not as obvious as it used to be.
I try to start from scratch, just help people and meet their need
Maybe I wanted to go too fast. I am inspired by the advice of those who have succeeded

 

[julienfromfrance]

Since the start of the week, I signed up for Quora. I look around and listen to people looking for solutions

At the same time, I would like to share with you the outline of my initial idea
Not easy to mourn this project when I thought this project holds up

I started from the following observation: everyone has relationships in greater or lesser quantity
Social networks help connect people
But besides that, we are not completely satisfied with these "superficial" relationships. People are looking for authenticity, sincerity and depth in their exchanges.
Anyone can say they have relationships, but few can claim to have good ones

In addition, there are arguments, misunderstandings, misunderstandings. In the end, even if we have relationships, those if are sometimes difficult and conflicting.
Here is the problem and I am sure that people aspire to better, seek good relationships in order to be happier.
This is the need that I deduced

This is the reason why I thought of a concrete way to help people improve their communication, reduce their arguments, communicate better and have a better time.
The result is: more happiness
And I'm sure it resonates with a lot of people
It could help a lot of people

What do you think of my analysis?
What is your take on this?