Andy Beard - Internet Business Systems Discussion - Latest Comments in Keep Startups Simple?

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Grant Czerepak — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:52:29 -0000

Instead of looking for solutions, you're letting yourself be paralyzed by boogie men. Instead, try coming up with a reasonable business model and find a soul mate who is a programmer. They are not that hard to come by.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Grant Czerepak — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:52:29 -0000

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

success blogger — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:29:17 -0000

It has always amazed me how some of the most successful enterprises were started in some ones garage and with no money. apple, microsoft etc. yet I find my self telling myself that I have to find something complicated with a million dollars to succeed.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

success blogger — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 22:29:17 -0000

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Ari Shohat — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:39:50 -0000

Andy, we have no way of knowing the particulars of your situation and project ideas when you mention Google being one of the big roadblocks.

However on your other points, every startup pretty much has those road blocks to worry about. The rare success will be for those who dare to risk and try to overcome them in the face of failure and low odds. Objectively, it may be that all other counterpoints are excuses that hold us back.

PS: I hope Paul meant that "simple solutions" can be interchanged with "unique solutions." I don't think all of them are simple, in fact very often it's the insane approaches that take off. They just "become simple" much later when we take things for granted. Would we think Google Maps was a "simple solution" oh say 8 years ago?

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Ari Shohat — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 15:39:50 -0000

Andy, we have no way of knowing the particulars of your situation and project ideas when you mention Google being one of the big roadblocks.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

SharkSpace — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:23:02 -0000

Startups cant be too simple. They need to have enough to draw in an audience and keep them entertained so they come back.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

SharkSpace — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 22:23:02 -0000

Startups cant be too simple. They need to have enough to draw in an audience and keep them entertained so they come back.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

AndyBeard — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:23:03 -0000

One of the reasons I write this blog is just to chuck thoughts out and to see the reaction, and Paul's post just hit me at the right time.

I have been dropping the occasional hint for over a year as various thoughts still grab me, but the ultimate barrier is Google, especially if I go for a "Million Link Day"

Lots of hints in the related posts

I have a launch such as Blogrush had planned and have partners lined up, but the project still consists of a fairly rough 10 page powerpoint plus some design documents, and has been that way for months.

I have even been offered funding but I couldn't accept it because it was from non specialists, and the risk is currently just too high.

I fully expect to have 10,000+ equity holders - can they link freely to the project?

On the development side I won't be looking for perfection straight out of the gate but it is certainly a much bigger project than could be managed by a couple of college kids.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

AndyBeard — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:23:03 -0000

One of the reasons I write this blog is just to chuck thoughts out and to see the reaction, and Paul's post just hit me at the right time.

I have been dropping the occasional hint for over a year as various thoughts still grab me, but the ultimate barrier is Google, especially if I go for a "Million Link Day"

Lots of hints in the related posts

I have even been offered funding but I couldn't accept it because it was from non specialists, and the risk is currently just too high.

I fully expect to have 10,000+ equity holders - can they link freely to the project?

On the development side I won't be looking for perfection straight out of the gate but it is certainly a much bigger project than could be managed by a couple of college kids.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Mark Blair — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:40:42 -0000

This post of yours really got me thinking about roadblocks to launching online ventures. I feel that it is a little cryptic, and although I've read it two or three times I'm not sure I fully appreciate what you were trying to express. Of course, I might just be having an off-day and be a bit more dense than usual.

It sounds like you are struggling with how to best progress with knots and complications in your online ventures. As for me, I'm highly susceptible to overthinking and a self-imposed paralysis through trying to hone my plans before they are realized. The problem is that moving too slow leaves you open to many of the environmental risks that you identify, such as competition and changes in the Internet ecosystem.

The two parts of Paul Graham's startup recipe that really impacted me were (a) simplicity and (f) rapid iteration:

Simplicity is useful in that the simpler an idea is the easier it is for people to comprehend and communicate it. The more viral it becomes. Yet, some simple ideas have really complicated underpinnings that are hidden from view (Apple's products being a good example).

Crude "beta" release and rapid iteration strikes me as a reasonable balance between "as fast as you can go" and "perfection paralysis".

In particular, I'm thinking a bit about the BlogRush launch -- it launched a little crude and require rapid, iterative changes. It did this it the midst of lots of positive and negative buzz. But the feedback itself enabled them to identify the exact problems as opposed to the theoretical ones. They could have waited longer, fine tuned their product but may have found the "need" already filled in the marketplace making a splashy entry harder to pull off.

I'd be really interested in elaborations of your thoughts on successful online project development, if you care to do so.

(and sorry for the long comment! -- I've really got to start using linked blog posts for these longer musings rather than use so much of your vertical space)

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Mark Blair — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:40:42 -0000

The two parts of Paul Graham's startup recipe that really impacted me were (a) simplicity and (f) rapid iteration:

Crude "beta" release and rapid iteration strikes me as a reasonable balance between "as fast as you can go" and "perfection paralysis".

I'd be really interested in elaborations of your thoughts on successful online project development, if you care to do so.

(and sorry for the long comment! -- I've really got to start using linked blog posts for these longer musings rather than use so much of your vertical space)

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Yako — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:25:37 -0000

The Kiss principle. We pursuit a lot inside our company.

Re: Keep Startups Simple?

Yako — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:25:37 -0000

The Kiss principle. We pursuit a lot inside our company.