Why i can't make this app
I recently got acepted to an accelerator in san francisco and i'am about to get 25k in founding; can't say the name. I was trying to develop the app with my techical co-founder, but he's recently acting very strange since we got accepted to the program; he's currently studying computer science, and is in his third year, i have tried to meet up with him but he says every time that he's really busy,and i'm sometimes thinking that he doesn't want to help me anymore, because i think he's too scared of dropout of collenge and leave his family to work in san francisco. Before i was trying to make this app, like 1 year and a half ago, i was starting an ecommerce webiste; something like p2p commerce with some cool technologies, i had 1 one cofounder that was very helpful at that time and helped me with the idea development, so when we start doing some work i invite him to help me with the development; i have to say that i'm not a coder i have tried and been to java and php courses but i've found that that's not my thing, i love selling the product and business, i think that, that's what i'm really good at.. In fact i meet this person(techical cofounder) in a java course, and beacame friends..
He has accepted to help me with the product but i've seen that he's not very commited to help, he preferes developing apps that adds lol and troll faces to people, i think this doesn't change or help to improve the world.
The company that i'm starting is app,that its really a social magazine for shopping(very interactive, similar to flipboard) i'm not going to say my secret sauce, but i'm really passionate about this, my technical cofounder was going to develop the adroid app and i was trying to search a developer for the iphone, but now that my cofounnder is gone, i have nothing now, i'm really sad, i couldn't try to learn objective c beacuase i haven't a mac right know and i think i will need large amounts of time to learn it, i really don't want to waste this opportunity because of my cofounder.
So if anyone here is interested in help me out with this app please contact me at my e-mail: arturo_g_p@hotmail.com, or here... I could give you some equitity in exchange... You need to be able tomove to san francisco to work in the company within the accelerator program... Thanks!
13 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 37.3 ms ] threadAnd from what you've written it seems that you don't have a working product and you aren't able to build it yourself. your mindset shouldn't be "I could give you some equity in exchange". You should be willing to bring that person on as an equal status co-founder.
1. Majority of all first time entrepreneurs and especially non-technical cofounders all think they're good at business, selling, product dev, etc... They are not. Most suck and don't even know it.
My advice is to stop thinking you're good at something you've never even done and focus on learning. After all, most people who think they're good at something mostly never bother improving since they think they're already good at it. Don't be that person.
2. I don't know the exact details of what you're building but from the vague description, it doesn't sound world changing either so don't knock on your buddy for his ideas. Most ideas are not "world changing" and they don't need to be. Everyone is different and even if you prefer something else, respect his choices. Don't make it sound like you're working on a world changing idea when it's most likely not.
3. You should talk to your cofounder and set things straight. I don't know if he knows you're already looking for a replacement. Not to mention you guys should have a formal termination of service for a few reasons.
One thing slightly bothers me, though. 40% may sound like a good deal, but without your future developer you basically have nothing. An idea, but that's it.
Also I'd advise you to learn how to code. You said it's 'not your thing', but when it comes running a startup you really have to be able to do everything. I'm sure there are some coding chores that you can do while your tech cofounder cracks the advanced issues.
Good luck!
So, find the right person first and then negotiate with them to bring them on as a co-founder, not ill give you some equity or ill can offer you x%.
My advise would be to use your funding to get a prototype built (using vWorker or remote hire or whatever) and build up customers. Once you have customers its easy for people to see what you are trying to do and many people would be DTH.