Ask HN: Open-source a startup?

4 points by gregw100 14y ago ↗ HN

I've been building my startup for the better part of this year, but have come to a point where I no longer can afford to pay designers or programmers. However, I'm entirely focused on getting the site built, as I feel it is the perfect time for such a product and it will greatly benefit our world, especially in these tough economic times.

I've been considering ways I could finish it while not currently having the funds. One is getting a loan, but I'm quite adverse to the thought of putting myself in such debt, especially with other responsibilities like having a roof over my head coming in first priority.

Another is crowdsourcing, but the problem with that is that I'm worried if enough people hear about my idea, someone with bigger pockets and more connections than me may steal my idea and launch it before me. The third option I've though of is turning my startup into an open-source project, with only qualified people being allowed to work on it.

Has anybody ever thought of this? What are some pros and cons that I may not have thought of? Also, how would I make it open-source without giving up full control of the direction it goes in?

2 comments

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cesarpereira 14y ago ↗

Your last sentence has a conflict in it. You are thinking about open-sourcing the project, but you still want to control it? That doesn't sound very open.

Are you at a point where you can launch something? Do you have any feedback from potential users or customers?

Launch before you think it is done. You didn't provide enough details about progress so I will make some assumptions. Scale down your startup to a Minimum Viable Product. Do you have any data that points to this startup generating any income right away to pay off any such debt?

[dead] gregw100 14y ago ↗

I don't mean open-source in it's most literal form. I'm referring to just changing my project to a more open project, rather than completely private. In other words, letting anybody with the relevant qualifications to work on it for their own pleasure, experience, etc.

Because the project is my idea and I have a vision for it, I wouldn't want to somehow give up control over its direction. I'm just not against letting more people work on it who have the skills and are willing, rather than an extremely controlled tight circle of developers. In other words, it would be open-source, but with somewhat of a hierarchy and direction.