Idea Funding
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- identity
Okay, I have a couple potentially big "internet-based" ideas goin off in my head - and Ive gotten to designing them out. Does anyone know any companies like (ycombinator.com) that take potential ideas, (should they feel them worthy) bankroll them, and take a percentage of any money made? I just dont have an extra 20-35K laying around to get this stuff programmed!!!
- identity0
hahaha - and if my idea IS picked up, funded and makes billions i SWEAR whoever directs me to the right place will get a nice chunk of change!
- sublocked0
Bootstrap it yourself.
I started Cashboard (http://www.getcashboard.com) with a business line of credit and some savings from freelance work.
It can be done - you don't need external funding if your idea is good and you execute.
- It helps that I did all of the design and programming myself though :)sublocked
- how successful is it?ephix
- very. :)sublocked
- congrats on your success! I dont have the mind/talent for programming - I'd love to take a programmer as a partneridentity
- to what extent? what car are you driving?ephix
- @ephix can you be any more invasive and crass? i don't drive i fly.sublocked
- lolidentity
- Congrats, sublocked, I love self made success storiesformed
- hahaephix
- Pupsipu0
what is your idea that's so special? Why would it take 20K to program?
- kjw0
programming from competent folks can get expensive fast in my experince
- formed0
I agree with sublocked, you can figure out ways to do things yourself. most likely, any venture capital firm would want to see a working prototype before funding a thing.
Also, you have to share the rewards with anyone supporting it, not to mention have to answer to someone else.
My business is different, but over time you can build things up. The "idea" is only the small seed, you need to get something to grow healthily for it to be taken seriously. You need ambition and hard work, perseverance and a lot of luck to succeed.
Good luck.
- Pupsipu0
well you have to start on a smaller scale perhaps. Most services start out as poorly programmed usability experiments for sharing information in a slightly new way.
I'm sure you could find someone to program you a bunch of crap for 500 bucks so you can test if people will use it.
20K of programming isn't worth it for most of the ideas I see out there.
- sublocked0
Think about releasing a smaller subset of what you're doing. What's the minimum you could get away with releasing to show proof of concept? Can you add on other features at a later date?
If your idea is _that_ good, can you partner with a programmer and sell them on the idea as well? Perhaps you can work out a revenue sharing agreement?
- robco0
interesting topic.
anybody have experience getting a physical product + brand off the ground? i know you guys are mostly web based...
- identity0
really good ideas all - im leaning toward partnering up with someone who would act as my opposite in a lot of ways (business savvy, numbers, etc.) to create a nice synergy. The person I have in mind HAS money to spend on getting a working model up. I've heard that major investment firms won't spend any money until there is something out there that not only shows potential, but a consistent track-record of positive feedback. I think I'll go this route for now - thanks for all the head's up!
- synergy - that word, how often did it lead to success?Pupsipu
- lowimpakt0
are there no incubation services around your way? keep searching
there are lots around the world
tiny example.
UK http://www.designlondon.net/cont… (funded by NESTA - http://www.nesta.org.uk/ )
India - http://www.ndbiindia.org/
- identity0
hmmm - i had not considered that.
I currently live in Sarasota, Florida. I'll look around - thanks!
- lowimpakt0
yea - best of luck with it.
be patient..
- Pupsipu0
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007…
look at him
- truemors would have little chance of survival had Kawasaki not stood behind it in the first placeraf
- raf0
There are plenty of investors out there, but nobody is going to invest in your startup when all you've got is an idea - unless maybe if you have a proven track of success.
Here's a good article on the value of ideas:
http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog…
- ukit0
Just a word of advice, there's not as much value in keeping your idea to yourself as you might think. You might want to vet it with friends or people with a good knowledge of the industry to see what they think. The chance that anyone will quit their job, turn around, steal your idea and become a millionaire is probably not that great. But the chance that you could learn something that will help you (or help you realize that it is not worth pursuing is).
- hint: tell us your idea NOWjimbojones
- Well said, ukit. Ukit is right.GetRefresh
- GetRefresh0
DO NOT BOOTSTRAP or otherwise, fund yourself. BIG mistake.