Ask HN: Is there any legal way for a young developer to make money?
I want to use my skills to start generating some revenue - at least enough to cover the cost of a VPS to host these projects - but there is not a single advertising service, credit card processor, or "app store" that will knowingly do business with a minor.
My parents could theoretically open accounts for me, but then do they need to be the ones clicking buttons? Do I have to stand over their shoulders and tell them what to click, or can they hand over the password? Would this violate "non-transferable" clauses?
I understand that I should be focusing on improving my skills, living my life, etc. I am. I'm not trying to get $10m from a VC and build an empire like Facebook. I just want to cover costs and make a little money from things I've made for myself which I believe other people will find useful.
Any ideas are welcome. This seems like the kind of place where I'll find someone who is/was in the same boat.
11 comments
[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 35.0 ms ] threadI'm 17 and also in High School and have found starting tech companies/working on projects great at this age. I think you're coming at this thinking that you won't be respected and you'll have problems launching a startup or working on projects at this age.
I'd say in many ways it's much better to do so now. You have the opportunity to learn, the best way to 'Improve your Skills' and learn is to launch startups/test things out. It's both a unique learning opportunity and chance to do anything someone a few years older can do.
I've never been treated any differently to anyone else. I've been to numerous events, meetups and meetings over the last few years and have found it refreshing to be treated like anyone else there. It's actually taught me a lot as well. People don't care that you're younger, even when I have to speak to someone personally in business. The point being that you're in the position that you can do anything you want, whether it be something for fun, a niche product or something with a big vision.
Don't let policies stop you, you'd be surprised at the amount you can do under 18.
This is me, if you want to talk more: http://twitter.com/andrewbrackin
Some things you should look into:
http://mlgen.com which is amazing as it's full of both hugely successfully young entrepreneurs and some doing amazing things in small niches. I've also met loads of like minded individuals who share their experience and help me connect with people I may want to meet.
http://teensintech.com is another cool site with a pretty great team of folks.
It's not very often that I have a problem as if it's quite a big after party (bouncers/staff from establishment run the door) they rarely expect a 17 year old to be going to a startup event after party.
Obviously none of this is a deterrent to starting anything.
Google Adsense even specifically suggest this approach:
http://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en...
There are other means to get attention without going to fancy drinking events. There are lots of meetups and conferences where anyone can go. Go to those and meet people!
As for submitting your apps, not sure what you can do there except get older :) I had to wait to get older in order to become more credible - and also wait for females to not be perceived as idiots in the field.
A couple of years down the road Ben Woldring (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Woldring) is one of the youngest self-made millionaires in the country.
So, get your parents to sign up for hosting, adsense, appstore, etc. and code away. By the time you're old enough to legally sign your own contracts you'll know so much of doing business (whether your business thrived or failed) your experience will prove to be a big asset.