Ask HN: How do you manage and organize Ideas?

I have been a freelance software developer for 5 years now; whenever I get a spec for a project, I have this lingering fear in the back of my head that the client might turn out to be sour and not pay me. So I take a deep breath, evaluate the idea with the intention that I might be able to sell my code, iff they don't pay me. During those hours of fear I stalk the company and learn everything I can about them, trying to imagine an entire self-sustaining business.

If it's not something new and exciting, or something challenging, or something I could easily resell, I wont take it with a cash deposit.

Fortunately, things always go well and I take on the project, but as we get to know each other better and talk for weeks, my business side comes out and I become some sort of trusted advisor to them. I ponder the possibility of me consulting with them as a firm, and reach to my contacts for previous clients and other acquaintances for similar interest, and this is when I start researching as well.

I go back to the client with my brochure website, I write down everything I remember about their business needs, and we arrange casual lunches/meetings to see what they're up to and I inform them of my new venture. I try not to explain too much, and let them tell me exactly what services they might think they need from me (I work in marketing and advertising, so the needs are almost all the same; problems customizing COTS and SaaS packages); it's important to shutup and let your client tell you how they think you might be able to help them.

So, by now I have 1day/week gig that pays for the rent. I put together the token automated billing, receipt templates, email notifications, etc. I always have a PDF "Guide Book" document. Something that explains where they can find everything; support email, API keys, setup email accounts, etc.

Then I move on to the next project.

I almost always start something by talking out of my ass first. When I meet someone powerful and influential, I have this knack of opening my mouth and offering to help them.

In the consulting business, it's more important to be reachable, warm, communicative, etc. than to be technically competent. Most people hire me as a programmer but I always end up hiring programmers for them. If you can help someone sketch out the high-level designs and put together a prototype, they're more than happy to spend more money assemble a virtual team to iron out the kinks.

It's very important that you get business. The quickest way to establish your authority is to address the problems one might face in a certain industry/market-segment. When someone tells you they're a brand-manager, or M&A attorney, or VP of sales for telecom equipment, it helps to know a little about their industry and location to say something negative about its current climate. Amateurs are always enthusiastic about business, they think it's all flights, hotels and golf courses. So be weary of anything who tries to hype you into a project or industry. The real veterans are almost always weary.

[Edit:

Once a month I go through my contacts and shoot emails to people or catch them on Skype, just to touch base. I find it fascinating to listen to them talk about their work. And sometimes it reignites our partnership.]