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Ask HN: My startup is launching in a few weeks and I'm terrified. Advice?

7 points by namlem ↗ HN
Me and two friends started a company right out of college developing a new social news site that we had an idea for. The thing is, when we started, none of us really knew how to program, at least not anything more sophisticated than simple scripts. So over the past 10 months or so we've been working on our site and developing our skills and are close to having something we can put out there.

However I am still very self conscious about our inexperience. I constantly worry that we're making rookie mistakes that will lead to serious problems with our service. Or that we won't be able to put out fires effectively enough.

What can we do to compensate for our lack of programming experience?

12 comments

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sharemywin
hopefully scaling issues are your biggest problem. most sites problem is not enough visitors. the other problem is financing it until it's big enough to make money. assuming advertising is your revenue model. digital point is advertising 1 cpm which is $1 for a 1000 pageviews.
rl12345
Good point. Seldom early stage startups fail because of too many users. The inverse scenario is much more likely to happen.

Even the cream of the crop have failures under their belts. Do the best you can do to succeed but at the same time stay relaxed and open to the lots of learning that is going to happen. When problems arise (and they will) focus on the curve , not on the wall.

And one more thing (that is obvious but needs to be said nonetheless): if you fail it will not be the end of the world and things will get easier - not harder - for you from that point.

lydiahan
Make sure you and your co-founders have found a product that truly solves a user pain or need. I like to follow the Lean LaunchPad method of interviewing at least 10 potential users each week (minimum). It shouldn't be hard, heck, it is actually very fun because you end up learning things about your product from actual users. Here's the trick that my co-founders and I do: every time we pay for a service (eat at restaurant, buy groceries, etc), we always make it a goal to interview 1 person. Try it out! You will better understand your users AND if you truly have a product that amazes your users, just develop and you will see results. Good luck on your venture!
philiphodgen
"We are making rookie mistakes"...

You are.

"Won't be able to put out fires effectively enough."

You won't.

So what. Launch. This is your first day at pre-kindergarten. There is a long way to go. And pre-k is fun. Ask anyone who has gone through it.

namlem
Thanks, that actually does reassure me. I mean, I figure everyone has to start with something, right? And while I do harbor some feelings of dread for our launch, I'm also very excited for it.
philiphodgen
Please put the info on your project in your profile and tell HN when you launch. The hardest job you will face is wrestling with your own ego. You think will be embarrassed.

So what.

My very first outing as a lawyer was to a Court of Appeals (!) hearing and an argument in front of a panel of three judges. I was tongue-tied and the only thing I could have done worse was pee in my pants in the courtroom.

HN's feedback will be ruthless. Your server will melt.

So what.

Revel in the rookie mistakes. You only get to be a rookie once.

sawyer1708
Speaking as someone who built something and constantly delayed launching due to the same fears, I have to say that I regret not simply launching and doing away with the pre-launch jitters.

For some reason when you launch your app/website you feel that you are putting yourself out there for the rest of the world to judge, and fear being judged and humiliated. Just work through this, launch and get it over with. You will have critics, bad feedback, but you will be one step closer to your goal. Trust me - bad feedback is way better than no feedback

stevoo
Just look at the US health website. Riddled with problems from experienced developers. Nothing is bug free.

You probably have a ton in there, but you wont know. Better launch early and start fixing everything with your users testing your system.

That way youll not only fix bugs but introduce extra features as well.

tgoldberg
As someone who just launched a startup a week ago, the best advice I can give is to just go for it! You're always going to have bugs, want to squeeze more functionality in, make it look cleaner, etc. The reality is that you'll probably learn more about your product, users, and infrastructure capabilities in your first week post-launch then you will have in the past ten months. It can be a terrifying experience unleashing your product to the world, but it's also an exciting one. Finish up the last few tasks, launch it, and celebrate your accomplishment....then get back to work :)
redtexture
There is nothing wrong with allowing it to become visible before announcing it to the world. Or perhaps a private beta for a few weeks may give the opportunity to fix some things before being crushed by a thousand visitors all at once.

All of which is to say, you can make it visible now, to a small population, in preparation for more to come.

centdev
Mistakes and failures will ultimately make you a better person. Learn to identify them and find solutions. Everyone has probably made them at some point.