/r/startups

Photograph via //r/startups

Welcome to /r/startups, the place to discuss startup problems and solutions. Startups are companies that are designed to grow and scale rapidly. Be sure to read and follow all of our rules--we have specific places for common content and requests.


Wiki

FAQs, lessons, and resources


About

Welcome to r/startups, a community for all backgrounds, levels of expertise, and business experience.

What is a startup?

Startups are designed to scale/grow rapidly. Startups utilize tech to do this. Startups can be non-tech companies that utilize tech. Startups are information era companies and they are creating the new best practices in business.

/r/startups

We share interesting discussions and stories about our startup journeys, both the failures, the successes, and the embarrassments. Our best traits are authenticity and integrity.


Rules

1.Relevant Content Only

We are a community of discussion based around startups, not traditional businesses.

All content must be relevant to startups.

You are welcome to ask how to apply startup methodologies to your traditional business if you frame your question in a non-promotional way. We want you to be able to ask any question that helps your startup.

2.No direct sales, advertisements, or promotion

No direct sales, advertisements, or promotional posts of any kind. We have designated places that are an exception to this rule and they will always be stickied at the top of /r/startups.

  • You MAY share your startup in the Share Your Startup thread

Self-promotion is anything you have an interest, stake or relationship with including being friends with someone at the company.

At the end of the day, /r/startups moderators have the final say if your comments are promotional or not.

3.Submissions Serve a Specific Purpose

Submissions are for discussing methodologies, experiences, tactics, strategies, techniques, markets, and other such things WITHOUT tying them directly to your own project using its name or URL.

Titles must be clear and descriptive.

Submissions must have at least 250 characters of content. The more details you provide us the better support our community can provide you with. Life life, the more you put into something the more you get out of it.

4.Feedback Has a Place

All Feedback Requests (including surveys/polls) belong in our Feedback Thread or other appropriate weekly thread

You are invited to repost each week.

Be sure to contribute to the others in the thread and ask them to return the favor to increase engagement.

You may not publicly offer feedback or direct support outside of the Stickied Threads.

5.Rules for Links in Comments/Discussions

Sometimes you think the best solution is simply to link to a resource that might answer someone's question. We want you to be able to link in discussion to relevant content. We also don't want the discussion to turn into a self promotional mess and link farm.

If you are going to link to something in the comments please make sure to:

  • Write at least a sentence explaining why the link is relevant to the discussion.

  • Link only content you have no affiliation with. Affiliate links = banned.

6.Do Not Solicit PM Requests

The purpose of making a submission or comment is to engage in a public discussion with the community.

It is not to request a message from someone.

You are more than welcome to engage privately with one another, but it is up to you to take the initiative directly.

7.Sharing Your Blog is To Start a Discussion

Sharing your blog is not a means to self promote.

A link to the original blog post is allowed with prior Mod approval.

If you are submitting your own blog content, the full body of the content must be included in the post, properly formatted for reddit.

Include an outline & timestamps with a video.

If your blog is over 2000 words you may ask for an exemption.

All other rules still apply.

No blogs about your "startup" journey allowed.

8.Always Be Kind and Supportive

The goal of this community is to encourage people to learn and be inspired to pursue ventures related to startups.

Do not troll, harass people, or be an asshole. This does not mean to lie. It means to give support and explain why you don't like something.

Try to remember people likely do not have much experience yet or might be simply ignorant to what you know.

Be willing to hold a discussion and try to explain your opinion or point of view to the benefit of the entire community.

9.No Unscheduled AMAs

We do not allow unscheduled AMAs.

We need to verify and approve all AMAs.

If you wish to do an AMA you must use the "Message the Moderators" feature in the side bar and you must give us at least TWO (2) Weeks Lead Time to organize it with you.


Similar communities

Notable AMA's


Previous Share your Startup threads


New to the scene? Find your closest Startup Weekend!

/r/startups

1,765,731 Subscribers

1

Help build your brand

Over the years, I’ve developed various strategies to build brands, and now I’m looking to put them to the test totally free. I’ve been diving deep into books and resources from people like Alex Hormozi and Myron Golden, and I’ve learned that the best way to grow is by serving others and solving real-world problems. Which I knew , but I feel like I might be on to something here?

I wonder if anyone agrees? What I do know is that many people in this struggle with many differnt things and a helping hand no matter what stage in their joueny they are in could help.

This idea stemmed from a brand strategy I was working on for my wife and the realization that this could genuinely help others. Even my father has asked me to help him start a new business, and I want to see if I can really make a difference for others while honing my skills along the way.

For some context, I’m currently pursuing a master’s degree in game design, and I’ve realized that working on brands feels like designing a game. The goal is to win by creating successful businesses that make both owners and customers happy. I also run two of my own busniesses from home.

If you’re someone who’s who needs some help, just want to brain storm or even just want to talk about busniess stuff hit me up!

0 Comments
2024/12/19
23:41 UTC

26

I’m guilty as a non-technical founder

I have to admit it. I’m guilty as a non-technical founder who doesn’t have coding experience but took a coding bootcamp and has an EXTREMELY entry-level understanding of code.

I have, what I believe to be very great “concepts of a plan” Trump Voice.

But, I know how hard you developers work when you’re coding these applications/softwares/platforms.

I don’t know the best way to partner with someone (if you don’t have the capital to pay them to develop the project while I spend time on the front lines making sure it’s in everyone’s face).

The only thing I can think of is to find someone who particularly believes in the idea as much as I do to the point where they say “F It” let’s both be on board and make this happen, we split equity 50/50 and we just grind and make the MVP and get in front of investors.

As a technical founder, what would you say is the best way or most intriguing way to approach yourself if you’re the non-technical is a start up with no capital?

63 Comments
2024/12/19
21:13 UTC

6

GCP or other AI Startup Cloud Credits

Wanted to see if anyone has any tips.

We have an actual AI-based solution (not just wrappers) and can fund our work with our own investments, cashflow, 100k-300k, but it would also be great to get cloud credits from GCP, AWS, etc.

The problem is for the "Scale" tier they have these requirements where for AI, we need an incubator/accelerator support, which we don't have.

We have applied to places like YC, but rejected, but despite that we can fund our work, our own + government, and wanted to see if there are other ways to get at this cloud credit.

Thank you all

9 Comments
2024/12/19
19:50 UTC

17

Startups expecting free work?

I don’t understand where people get the audacity to expect free work on their terms. A friend of a friend asked me to meet about “hiring” me part-time on their startup. I figured I could probably work on it a few hours a week, so I messaged them back and had a meeting. They said they expected me to volunteer and I wouldn’t get any money or stock. I laughed. Then they said that I’d need to put in 10-20 hours a week on a schedule doing software development work and I’d possibly get a chance to get paid in the future. They told me that they know I do great work and I would be a valuable addition. Apparently not valuable enough to pay haha. Obviously, I’m not doing that. I just don’t understand where people get the expectation of free work from. It’s crazy to me! If I started my own startup, I wouldn’t expect to hire anyone on unless I was able to pay them to give them a part of my company. Is this a normal thing in the startup world?

Edit to add: They also went back to my friend and said that I was “unhelpful” and “not dedicated to my work as a SWE” because I wouldn’t volunteer my time. It’s laughable haha.

22 Comments
2024/12/19
19:49 UTC

0

Getting "funding" from users? Customer vs Investor conflict

I'm pondering over a conflict I see in the startup world. Sorry if my text is too long to get to the point.

When a product is initially launched, the founders/company start 2 priorities:

  1. Deliver value to the users

  2. Make money for yourself

These are usually in somewhat of an equilibrium, because you need to achieve #1 to even get to #2.

Then, if the company gets big VC investment and eventually IPOs, you get a new priority that seems to take the #1 spot - delivering a return for the investors and shareholders.

The interests of users and investors are somewhat in conflict. For ex., it's not in the interest of the customer to spend hours scrolling on FB/Insta, but the folks at Meta will do everything in their power to maximize that metric and sell you ads.

Given this conflict, we see that most major products turn to shit, but they still dominate through other means (acquisitions or other ways to fuck up competition).

So, if you truly want to build the greatest possible product for the target audience, then VC/IPO/etc. doesn't seem to be the way.

Bootstrapping is another way to do it, but it's ofc harder and you'll most likely not scale that fast or high.

Therefore the question - is there a way to get funding from users, besides them just paying you for the product?

An example could be corporate bonds, but I haven't heard this being practiced by startups. Another example - longer term pricing (ex. 3-5years), but I haven't seen that either and it's probably not very attractive to the user.

p.s. sorry my ramble isn't clear enough, it's a bit late here and I'm tired

4 Comments
2024/12/19
19:13 UTC

2

Startup founders

Im looking for people with some experience in the industry. I have a platform for students that helps them build their idea into reality. For the next step im bringing in coaching groups. They will be 10-15 people and there will be weekly/ biweekly coaching sessions to see that everyone is on track. I need more experienced founders to coach these groups. Let me know if you are interested.

2 Comments
2024/12/19
18:48 UTC

8

Fintech startup

Founded a fintech startup based on P2P loans and P2B investing. Currently working on pitch and business plan. Presenting it to a VC fund in less than a month. Does anybody have any suggestions or ideas.

• How to get funding and hook VC or investors?

•Best tips and ideas for making pitch and business plan better.

•Any tips regarding startups/fintech/running a company.

Thank you in advance.

7 Comments
2024/12/19
18:37 UTC

2

Looking for Co-Founder/Mentor: Experienced Game Dev Seeking to Start a Studio

Hi Everyone! I'm a Technical Artist with over six years of experience across AAA, mobile, and AR/VR game development.

I possess a strong foundation in production methodologies, including Agile, and excel in resource allocation and risk assessment. I'm passionate about creating engaging casual and hyper-casual mobile games.

I'm seeking a business-minded co-founder to handle the business development aspects of the company while I lead game production.

If you're a driven individual with a passion for mobile gaming and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, I'd love to hear from you. Please share your background and let's discuss the possibility of building a successful mobile game studio together.

0 Comments
2024/12/19
17:32 UTC

6

What's the sweet spot for traction for a pre-seed company?

Ideally you'd would walk into a VC firm with amazing traction numbers and they'd be so excited, you'd only have to pitch 1-2 VCs before closing your round.

I mean , I want to spend time building my product not pitching to VCs.

The question I have is what's the sweet spot?

If I don't have decent traction and try to raise I'll spend all my time in meetings.

If I want too long then I'm hindering my growth as I don't have enough money to grow my company.

I'm not an Internet celebrity, didn't graduate from Stanford or anything so I don't have any 'suspend belief' magic behind me.

I also want to only raise based on ME and without a co-founder.

I did a co-founder last time and didn't enjoy it. I want to be a solo co-founder and instead bring in an amazing team later.

I'm not ruling out a co-founder it's just so difficult to find one.

So basically, how much revenue, customers, etc do I need as proof of traction to VCs?

20 Comments
2024/12/19
17:31 UTC

2

$100k ARR but not able to scale!

Hello Founders,

I need genuine help to scale my B2B Marketing Tech SaaS.

We are doing $8k MRR and spending $5k expenses, we are not able to scale.

Every month I need to build the runway for next month.

We are bootstrap, raised $35k from known angel investor and got few VC’s traction but no luck.

I need fund to do PMF and spending major time to build next month runway :(

5 Comments
2024/12/19
17:23 UTC

1

Looking for introverts 👀

Hi there, as the title says, I’m looking for an introvert with great ideas but maybe not the confidence or social skills to pitch them. I want to challenge myself, create opportunities, and step into the authority I was born with.

I didn’t get to go to college, but I’ve learned that it’s not always necessary. Many people with degrees have even told me not to waste my time on it and to keep doing what I’m doing. I’ve been fortunate to have mentors across different fields who’ve guided me, but my mentor in tech has inspired me the most. He was building a startup before transitioning into politics, and watching him work behind the scenes fascinated me. I got to sit in on investor meetings and pitches, and even though I wasn’t in the spotlight, I loved the energy in the room. That experience lit a fire in me, and now I want to take things a step further.

A Little About Me: I’m an ambivert with introverted tendencies, but my social skills are strong enough that people often mistake me for an extrovert. Growing up, I took care of my grandfather, who only spoke Spanish and was illiterate, which forced me to interact with the world at an early age. That experience shaped me in ways I didn’t even realize until later.

In school, I was one of the smartest in my class, and teachers would often use me to help tutor kids who were falling behind. Most schools I went to hardly had honors classes and my high school had 1 AP class! (Wish I was joking about that). I was considered for skipping a grade, but my parents didn’t want me to miss out on being with kids my age. Those early experiences gave me confidence in how I communicate and connect with others. It’s a skill that has opened countless doors for me—both personally and professionally.

What I’m Looking For: I’m looking to partner with someone who has a great idea an app, startup, side hustle, whatever, but struggles with pitching it, sourcing funding, or just putting it out into the world. I believe people buy the story before they buy the product, and storytelling happens to be one of my strengths.

If you’re someone with vision but not the confidence to step into the room, I can do that for you. I’ve been exposed to the tech startup world, and while I’m no stranger to the challenges of pitching, I thrive in environments where stories are told, connections are made, and ideas come to life. Whether it’s working on pitches, meeting with investors, or brainstorming ways to move forward, I’m here for it.

Someone who wants to build a healthy working relationship and believes in healthy communication and boundaries. I understand how valuable others ideas are and want to also create healthy professional boundaries.

Why Me: I’m a hard worker (it’s the Latin gene), quick learner, and able to adapt to just about any situation. I’m not afraid of confrontation or having hard conversations, and I thrive on being direct and getting things done. Bilingual and am comfortable in both English and Spanish. Open to be pushed

I’m the person who grabs life by the horns, and I want to use that energy to help someone else’s idea grow while gaining experience myself. I understand what it’s like to be underfunded and bootstrapping, so we can figure out an arrangement that works for both of us. I don’t do this kind of work for free, but I also know how to be flexible when we’re both starting out.

Let’s Connect: If you’re someone with a great idea but need a partner who can tell your story, connect with the right people, or just take some of the load off your shoulders, let’s talk. I’m excited to collaborate and make something impactful together. Don’t hesitate to reach out I’m ready to get to work.

I definitely have weaknesses that are not listed here because that’s not the topic here and can let you know what they are. But my weaknesses have gotten me far and fuel me daily.

2 Comments
2024/12/19
17:16 UTC

3

Best Place to Hire Developers for a Startup (with Business Mindset)?

Hi I have been working on a project with freelancers on project basis, and now to take one step further to hire a Developer either on full-time, part-time basis but something which is more consistent keeping nature of SaaS development in mind. i.e. Speed to Market, iterations, Sprints, backlog etc.

Not a traditional developer who use waterfall method to scope everything out and most of the time fail to deliver ready product on time.

I can continue to invest in the project and keep it bootstrapped, down the line with the right person I can also share equity to have skin in the game.

We are currently have commitment from the Agencies & SMEs to sign-up with us once we are ready to go live with all features in backlog.

My experience is scaling and growing businesses from last 10+ years including eComs, Physical Products, SaaS, Service business clients in my agency setup.

I am not asking for someone to work for free or directly join as co-founder as I am willing to pay for a quality work and not on a stage to experiment with new developers (with no offense)

Appreciate your input on this!

5 Comments
2024/12/19
17:03 UTC

1

Curating list of SaaS deals for this holiday season

Last month, I ran a Black Friday SaaS deals campaign on my website, and the response was super overwhelming! One of the founders booked 6 calls just from that campaign!

With Christmas and New Year around the corner, we’re bringing this back to help more SaaS founders and their customers.

We’re featuring only 20 SaaS deals in this campaign.

If you’re a SaaS founder, here’s what I need from you:

  • Your SaaS name & URL
  • How it helps people (in one line)
  • Discount code
  • Validity of the offer

Drop your details in the comments or shoot me a DM.

Once the page is live, I will personally dm you the link. Happy holidays!

0 Comments
2024/12/19
16:52 UTC

0

Needed software like shopify but cheaper, only for email submission.

Can anyone recommend software to run my website on? I'm looking for something customizable but more affordable than Shopify. The site will include a home page and about 10 product pages, but it only needs to collect email submissions for interested customers—no payment gateway required.

11 Comments
2024/12/19
15:35 UTC

74

Why startups burn cash

I dont understand what is point of geting funds and hiring 20 pepople, if you can do same results with 3-4 people?

Having offices in US, everything is ridiculously expensive, you can do same in Europe, with same quality employees.

I heard that many VCs require startups to move to US if they want to get investments.

So whats the deal, why they do that, and why startups burn cash?

Does your valuation increase if you have more employees or something

96 Comments
2024/12/19
13:58 UTC

7

Investment Banker seeking to transition to Startups / VC – Offering help with pitch decks, financials, etc.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently a second year Investment Banking Analyst where I work with companies in the TMT sector. I’ve been exposed to financial modeling, valuation, advising on M&A and financing transactions. After almost 2 years of banking, I want to pivot to the VC / start up scene and figured I’d do something a little unconventional.

I want to gain deeper exposure to the startup world by collaborating with founders in any way that I can. If you’re working on a pitch deck, need help refining financials, or have other projects where an extra pair of hands could be useful, I’d love to contribute. My goal is to learn from your journeys while offering value where I can.

Feel free to reach out if there’s anything I can assist with. I’d be happy to chat and see how I can help! Also, of course, can provide proof of employment, experience, etc. If helpful, I’m based in the NYC area.

Thanks all!

12 Comments
2024/12/19
13:39 UTC

10

10 Years Later: Struggling between startup dreams and stability

TL;DR: I’m a technical founder who, after a decade of side projects and pivots, now runs a small digital platform making about $200/month. It barely covers costs and requires freelancers. I’m torn between quitting my job to go all-in or keeping my safety net. Any advice?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been at this for about ten years, starting out with a WordPress plugin that made around $60k over two years. After moving from the Middle East to Europe, adjusting to a new job and culture slowed my side-project momentum. Several attempts followed—some profitable, some dropped due to logistics, and one failed startup accelerator partnership.

My current venture is a platform tailored to the MENA region. Initially it was a Calendly-like product, but after 18 months, I pivoted to a Shopify-style marketplace for digital goods. I’ve got about 50 active monthly users, each making around $100/month, and I take a 5% commission. That’s roughly $200 MMR—enough to cover $200 in infrastructure costs, but not the additional $600 I pay freelancers monthly.

I’ve often tackled problems I couldn’t personally relate to. Now I’m solving one I’ve experienced myself, which is more fulfilling, but still tough.

I’m 37, have a girlfriend, and feel torn. Should I quit my full-time job and commit fully, or maintain this juggling act to stay financially safe, especially given the uncertain economy? I’d really appreciate any thoughts, lessons learned, or advice on how to move forward.

Thank you!

11 Comments
2024/12/19
11:49 UTC

9

How do i begin with it?

I really struggle with either forming ideas or if i have an idea i automatically start to notice the complexities in it or that something similar to my idea is already existing in the market. I really wanna work on something in the mental wellbeing field related to technology but all the recent fast developments have made me doubt my ideas alot, what if a tech giant is planning or will plan something like that in the future?

I dont wanna follow this quick money thing but rather build something impactful and useful for people, But i have No past experience in this as i am fairly young (17) and dont know where shall i start with, Any advice on how i should start with will be incredibly helpful

12 Comments
2024/12/19
11:05 UTC

1

How do you market your apps?

I am talking more specifically about mobile apps. I see a lot of people saying SEO is the only thing needed, but seems to me that I can't even get over 10 downloads in some os the apps I make.

I create a nice to see store so the quality of the app doesn't even matter as people won't test it.

How do you make people test it? how do you make it visible?

I also tried using TikTok/YouTube to show of, but still I get 0 views on those so

3 Comments
2024/12/19
10:20 UTC

9

Two notifications this morning: one bad, one good.

Hi startup folks, this morning started with two news, bad and the good one (of course I would like to switch them)

A bad one: another rejection email from Y Combinator. It’s very disappointing, but of course it’s not the end of the road. We had two interviews with YC during these 2 years (applied 6-7 times). Rejections are just part of the process, and every “no” gets us closer to the next “yes.”

The good: I also got a notification about another paying customer for Trag (ai code review tool). Knowing that people continue to see value in what we’re building and choose us is a good motivator. That’s all the validation we need to keep pushing forward.

Building startup is hard, and the hardest part I always mention when people ask me is that when you have a job you know what to do, you have tasks, deadlines, structure etc, when you build a startup it's total chaos and things change constantly.

Wishing all startup founders success on their journeys—may you achieve it without needing to rely on YC!

7 Comments
2024/12/19
08:54 UTC

6

Where to find a marketing cofounder

I've built two Shopify apps this year - an analytics tool and an order editing app. Recently bought out my partner, and now I'm stuck in the classic developer's trap: The products need constant work, leaving zero time for marketing.

The few customers I have absolutely love the products and stick around, but growth is non-existent. I've got two years of runway saved up, but I spend every day buried in code - I’ve recently a had more time to try get more users but it’s really not my thing.

Should I keep going solo and somehow force myself away from development to learn marketing? Or bring on a marketing co-founder and give up equity? After just buying out one partner (he lost interest right after we launched), I'm hesitant to give it up again.

For those who've been here - what worked for you

7 Comments
2024/12/19
07:39 UTC

2

3D Printed Shoes

Anyone with experience in material science engineering and design interested in exploring 3D printed shoes market, please DM. Many brands are exploring and launching 3D printed shoes/soles, so wondering if anyone with similar experience is willing to talk about it? Thanks!

4 Comments
2024/12/19
05:42 UTC

4

What actually matters when partnering up with a non-technical co-founder?

Building my second startup (I'm the tech person) - but solo this time after leaving my previous one due to disagreements with my co-founder(s) after 4 years. But I'm starting to feel overwhelmed juggling all the business stuff while building the product.

What ended up mattering the most in your experience? What do you wish you knew before partnering up? And how did you figure out if you're truly compatible before making things official?

32 Comments
2024/12/19
05:42 UTC

4

It’s Lonely At The Top

Lately, I’ve been feeling the weight of this phrase, and I imagine many of you have too. Being a first-time founder has reminded me a lot of my time as a paramedic student. Back then, my instructor had a saying: "I have a year to split your head open and cram in as much knowledge as possible." The pace was intense, and by the end of it, we were expected to step into the field and make it happen…thrown to the wolves, you could say.

Founding a startup feels eerily similar: high stress, constant learning, and the expectation to deliver under pressure, often with no one to guide you. But what stands out to me the most is the loneliness. Even with a great team or support system, the ultimate responsibility rests on your shoulders.

For those of you who’ve been down this path, how do you manage the isolation? How do you stay grounded and avoid burning out?

4 Comments
2024/12/19
05:31 UTC

0

Looking for a Co-founder in Bay Area

I'm a self-taught developer, I was the lead developer for a flying car company and the lead developer for Ai at my current one. I'm unconventional and smart. I've built the full system for the flying car in 2 months without prior knowledge of the automotive and Aeronautics industries.

I'm looking for a technical and visionary person, with the grit to change how people interact with technology as a whole. Preferably you built your own version of JARVIS.

4 Comments
2024/12/19
05:15 UTC

0

Brainfart at 5am

Burn my idea.

It annoys me that i build a GPT with the old model and i want to move to the newer one, e.g. to use its online search function. Maybe i even want to move away from GPT or compare its performance with another model (similar function like a GPT).

Solution: small SaaS which holds all the data (text, documents, etc) and can be updated in a central location. E.g. i manage my different IP domains in this SaaS and it injects the knowledge via API to a GPT or others. Not talking about "training" of a model, just basic central data management which stays up-to-date. Aimed at non-technical users with very simple, plain UI. Assumption is that models will evolve fast and I want to use improved models.

Disclosure: If you build this, you owe me a coffee.

2 Comments
2024/12/19
04:09 UTC

1

Startup Struggles and Career Paths

Hey Fellow Startuppers,

I’m feeling somewhat disoriented at the moment because I have several possibilities for my future career. However, some of them don’t seem entirely satisfactory, and I’m not sure I have a full picture of all the available options. I’d like to reach out to you for advice and insights based on your experiences. Perhaps some of you can relate and share interesting perspectives.

I’m in my mid-30s and plan to defend my PhD next year. Currently, I’m finalizing my dissertation on cryptologic topics, including Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs), encryption security definitions, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC).

Two years ago, I began exploring the idea of a startup focused on PQC migration services, such as an automated CBOM discovery toolset. I even managed to motivate some of my colleagues to join as co-founders. Unfortunately, the team dissolved because my colleagues opted to work for large companies with stable, well-paying jobs—which I completely understand! However, the downside was that building such a tool required a deep understanding of different programming languages at a functional level. My skill set, as a cryptology specialist with expertise in cryptographic implementation and theoretical security, didn’t equip me to develop such a tool independently. I also found that other colleagues (from both industry and academia) weren’t interested in joining a venture, preferring to focus on completing their PhDs and pursuing other career aspirations.

As a result, about a year ago, I shifted my focus to something I could manage on my own at a technological level. I started developing an encryption and processing service based on homomorphic encryption, which I have employed in several ongoing publicly funded research projects. I’m currently preparing a scientific publication on this work.

I also partnered with someone knowledgeable in GDPR and legal matters—a complementary skill set for this venture. However, after six months of collaboration, I realized this person was unreliable and unpredictable. Following multiple red flags, I decided to part ways and proceed independently.

Despite these challenges, the project shows promise. I am actively building the engine, and the business model is clear. However, I’ve encountered a significant hurdle: selling PETs to companies is exceedingly difficult. Only a small portion of companies prioritize privacy, largely because their customers don’t demand it. Many companies collect vast amounts of user data (e.g., geo-coordinates) without any plans to utilize it—practices that are not only legally dubious but also insecure. Data leaks could cost these companies heavily, yet they often remain indifferent.

When I approach companies (e.g., CISOs) to discuss privacy and security, I feel like I’m hitting a wall. I currently have some leads for next year that might convert into paying customers, but I suspect my sales pitch is falling short. Earlier this year, I had two very promising leads, but when I proposed pilot collaborations, both stated they had more pressing issues and couldn’t commit—at least for the time being.

This makes me wonder if I’m failing to convey the value of my proposition effectively. I’m convinced my solution offers a high ROI, but I’m unsure how to better articulate its merits.

Overall, I’d describe my current state as “not good, not terrible.” The upcoming year might bring better outcomes. Encouragingly, some VCs have expressed interest in my idea. However, without any initial revenue—even modest—I worry that my valuation will be significantly lower.

You might ask why I’m so concerned after just a few setbacks. The answer is that I’m juggling this venture alongside a full-time managerial role, which is becoming increasingly tedious. I feel like my technical expertise is slipping away the longer I continue in this role, which gives me an unsettling gut feeling. At this moment, I would be happy just to quit my job and work somewhere else. However, I’m sure that if it’s not a startup with some cryptographic aspects, I’ll end up facing the same gut feeling again.

My plan for the next year is as follows:

- Continue pursuing the remaining leads and secure at least one paying customer by the end of May.

- Pitch my idea to startups with similar concepts and explore the possibility of joining them.

- Look for startups in need of a CTO with my skill set, even if it’s unrelated to my current idea. I would especially appreciate any advice on where to find such startups.

If you have additional suggestions i would be very grateful to hear them. Thank you for reading :)

3 Comments
2024/12/19
03:54 UTC

21

Failed startup, now what?

We raised a good amount of seed capital but that was it. From what I hear, they hit end of the runway and no A round term sheets on horizon. So, closing down shop.

I was pushed out right after the seed was finalized. I was 1/2 vested at the time, remaining of unvested shares bought back. I voted against a move my cofounder really wanted. He rallied enough support and “poof”, out I went.

Now company is going through liquidation. I doubt I am high in the preference line but is there any chance of cash trickling into my pockets? Beyond what I put in (if that)?

The irony and schadenfreude I get to experience from the move I voted against being the costly mistake preventing growth… that’s worth a lot.

18 Comments
2024/12/19
03:23 UTC

1

When To Move On From A Project?

What metrics or factors are most important when deciding if a project is worth continuing or not?

I am 24 and have been working on a project for about two years now after work and on weekends. Although two years is a long time to work on a project, I found it justified. On first launch, we organically obtained 300 users in two weeks, 40-50% of users were consistently active and paying customers, doing well on socials etc. Customers were giving voluntary, overall very positive feedback about the platform. Nothing crazy but enough to validate the idea. We ended up having to bring down v1 and pivot semi drastically and have been working on v2 ever since.

At the time, I was working on the platform with a lifelong friend. He did the frontend/design while I did the backend framework, database, cloud services, servers, data visualization, etc. I also do all the social media, content creation, promotion, legal, administration, etc. However, he has now decided not to work on the project anymore, leaving all the remaining frontend work to me. I know nothing about frontend, so I am at a crossroad.

On one hand, I could find a frontend cofounder. As I'm sure some of you know, easier said than done. I see this process taking at least a couple months, most likely more. On the other hand, I can just take 6 months and learn frontend technologies so I can finish the project myself.

I don't see anything from a "startup metrics" standpoint that makes me think I need to move on to something new from that perspective, but I am starting to wonder if it would be more worthwhile to build something I am more capable of finishing front to back myself, and in less time than it would take to learn frontend and continue the project. How do you decide when it is time to move on from a project? Where is the balance between learning what you need to get it done and wasting time learning something you should bring in help for? Any advice is much appreciated.

**EDIT: Way too long

0 Comments
2024/12/19
03:21 UTC

68

Looking for people to build stuff with/for in 2025.

Hello everyone! Saw a post from u/geraldgenta for 2024 and looking to achieve something myself or with others in 2025!

I am looking for people in startups or thinking of starting one to learn more about what you guys are doing and ideas.

Information about me:

  • Full time software developer in backend and data at a tech company.
  • Been teaching university students programming and working at my university as a data consultant as side gig, Looking for something new.
  • Interested in data related things ~ my goal one day is working for companies similar to Snowflake, Databricks, Datadogs etc.

I'm looking to connect with people in the startup space, whether you're already building something or just brainstorming ideas. I'd love to learn from you and explore ways we can collaborate or simply exchange knowledge.

Fun fact: I'm also from Toronto, just like OP mentioned in their post!

Feel free to reach out if you're working on something interesting or if you'd like to chat about the startup world! Looking to meet you all!

80 Comments
2024/12/19
02:20 UTC

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