Wanting to run a project when you don't have enough and you are cash strapped can be crazy guys and I'm in the place now where I have basically two options, to get a loan and keep pushing or to give out equity
Getting a loan means I am trusted that my product is going to grow so well. And developers are not always readily interested in taking equity because again they don't trust that your product is going to grow
So you see what I'm faced with here.
What are you guys offering your developers, especially when cash is tight?

Is a shot at future riches with equity more enticing than a guaranteed high salary?
The point is I'm looking for some creative ideas that help me to solve this. I need to get good devs even when I don't have the salary range that they are expecting
Bonus points if you can share any success stories of developers who thrived on equity and helped your startup take off!
Thanks, guys

Hey everyone, I'm reaching out because I'm at a bit of a crossroads. I've launched over 10 startups of various sizes, and most of them haven't worked out. Now, I'm working on another one, and it feels like every other day I’m ready to throw in the towel and delete everything... but then I find myself coding through the night.

For those of you who've been through the grinder and come out the other side – or are still in the thick of it – how do you keep going? How do you not quit when things look bleak? Looking for any advice or personal stories that might help light the way. Thanks!

Not asking you to be my lawyer lol but just wondering what are some big, obvious issues to be wary about before launching.

It's a social app, membership by application only, and my team will be reviewing every sign-up that we get. We're based in the US.

I know of things like storing email marketing opt ins and GDPR down the road if I open this up to Europe. Any others?

Thanks in advance!

I’m on the hunt for some good reads on how to validate problems and solutions. I’ve already gone through “The Mom Test” by Rob Fitzpatrick, which was super helpful for figuring out how to get honest feedback without getting sugar-coated answers.

Does anyone have other book recommendations that cover similar ground? I’m especially keen on learning some solid frameworks to test out ideas effectively.

Any founders know or care about export compliance for their products? Apparently even 'mass market' SaaS products have a responsibility to screen their users on sign-up?

I know at my corporate jobs they would just pay for background checks for every prospect, but they had the ACV to justify that, which a touchless startup probably doesn't.
We're wondering if we need to actually spend precious Dev time on this... thoughts?

A few references to what is making us think about this:

- BIS

- Export Compliance Training

Hi all - we’re looking to build out an app for our company. We’re not monetizing anything on the app. The purpose of the app is to help our tenants get around our facility and have the following functions:

Access controls and security. Food and beverage menu, ordering and purchase. Signage and wayfinding.

There’s almost too much when you google hoping if anyone has worked with a good company they could recommend. Thanks

I am the founder of a SaaS app that will hopefully launch late 2024/early 2025. Right now I am working on a pitch deck and I am providing a list of competitors. Most of them are not direct competitors and don’t exactly bring the solution that I hope to bring to the market.

However, there is one company that is very similar to my startup. (Think Uber vs. Lyft, UberEats vs. DoorDash) They started a couple years ago but never really took off, they maybe have 1-5% of total market share. I’m not sure why. (Maybe poor marketing, pricing, I have no clue.) >95% of the people in the target market don’t even know they exist. They are still in business however.

My question is, how can I be better than them? There is demand for the service that my software provides. But seeing that they never really took off makes me unsure of how well I will do. Any advice?

P.S: What am I meant to tell potential investors? How can I differentiate my startup from them, considering I don’t know much about their marketing strategy, pricing, etc.

Thanks!

I'm for the first time about to start my own brand.

I have design experience but not enough marketing, sales or business admin knowledge. This is balanced by the fact that I literally love learning what I need to get a job done.

The only issue right now is that I'm approaching for the first time a lot of big topics like taxes, financials, suppliers and manufacturing, as well as web design, marketing and social medias.

How do I structure the roadmap in order to be efficient and not get lost in the process?

Because some days I have inspiration for the packaging for example, some others I have ideas about the website layout and content and I can't find a way to structure the oath ahead of me.

I'm about to officially registered my business so there is loads of work to be done on many different aspects.

Any advice or experience regarding finding the right way to approach the start of a new business?

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice on a situation at my new marketing role. I started a month ago and I'm feeling a bit lost, especially after a recent interaction with my manager.

During our last one-on-one, CEO told me something that's been sticking with me: "Don't try to please me, but please me with results." While I understand the sentiment of wanting high-quality work, it felt a bit harsh, especially considering I joined 1 month ago. I feel CEO is doubting my skills/expertise. However its been only 1 month. I have 10 years of experience though. I felt offended, but couldn't respond to him during that discussion. I felt I should I have responded to him during the same. I am really putting the hard work though.

My questions:

- Is this a normal way for a manager to talk to their new hires?

- How can I approach my manager to clarify their expectations and ensure I'm on the right track?

- Or Leave this job and move out.?

Appreciate your suggestions. Thanks a ton

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping to get some advice on a situation at my new marketing role. I started a month ago and I'm feeling a bit lost, especially after a recent interaction with my manager.

During our last one-on-one, CEO told me something that's been sticking with me: "Don't try to please me, but please me with results." While I understand the sentiment of wanting high-quality work, it felt a bit harsh, especially considering I joined 1 month ago. I feel CEO is doubting my skills/expertise. However its been only 1 month. I have 10 years of experience though. I felt offended, but couldn't respond to him during that discussion. I felt I should I have respond to him during the same. I am really putting the hard work though. I want to discuss this part with CEO, that I felt not great about this. Is this okay?

My questions:

- Is this a normal way for a manager to talk to their new hires?

- How can I approach my manager to clarify their expectations and ensure I'm on the right track?

- Or Leave this job and move out.?

Appreciate your suggestions. Thanks a ton

I’m a recent graduate from a Digital Marketing program at a local college. I’m now taking a night course focused on market value, pitching, and value proposition. My first assignment is to ask thirty people I don’t know some basic questions for market research. I’ve created a one minute survey on google forms, if anybody has the time to fill it out, it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWX5Pu8RO8YDO2iFeD_r674ZZckVRvDU5DsvqyDlb5xm8mSA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHbZ3fwp-Rnl_GZuTpx1JmKN7P9an82FhygdHtwCHCV1yKK_aeuPpuJutyA_aem_AZVJNWdQS_5RIdlS2TjLooVrTVSKNVBOclVU3QsOImz3dQ8xTwwVBOMFalOAXdf6oT0

So I'm thinking of something but I feel it's not easy for just 1 leader to keep going with the drive they have. Initially you need people who are passionate and willing to take an extra mile. Maybe not so much later in the company.

How do you find people who take up initiatives anymore? Who aren't here to do what they're told but are free and bring out of the box ideas to the table?

Edit: I'm a student who's looking to build something, so at a nacent stage I don't have equity to offer, what I meant is probably find people with drive who'll join the idea and work towards it and we reap benefits together.

Edit 2: All of your resposnes are great, but my How was quite literal, networking? I find myself and others at networking event plain fake. I've found some passionate people while doing college projects and groups. Be it about food, but they're willing to change or bring something of their own with regards to food.

Here with a basic query as the title suggests. As a non-tech cofounder, I am torn between hiring Devs to build an MVP or to take the services of a product development company. Due to limited resources, I think an agency would cost a lot but at the same time, I am not fit to recruit Devs on my own or hire a CTO to do that. Open to any suggestions here.

Hello startup founders and managers, what are some practices you incorporate when interviewing or hiring remotely? Most especially when it comes to technical hires. If you already have a team where the employees are mostly located in one office, how to do you incorporate a new remote hire into such team?

Hey all I am a devops engineer and a management student. I am working on my main startup launch since last year, only to realise that I need a team and need to work more diligently on a daily basis.

I also have ADHD that hinders my progress and productivity in almost every sphere of my life. So I decided to make a productivity app for myself with ease of use in mind.

During that process, I realized that this app can benefit many others as well, and also talked to a relatively smaller sample customer base, to validate this. So I decided to make this app for production and try to get an investment and use it to also work on my main idea with a team.

I am good at web development and backend, so I was thinking to launch the MVP of this app as a Telegram bot, but I am really skeptical because of the following reasons:

1. Is it really a investor friendly way, I chose telegram because of higher user base, and hence ease of access to the services I am trying to provide.

2. A telegram bot, is technically an application but doesn't quite have the same privileges as a conventional mobile app. So it can hinder some ease of use(which I want to be the main point of the app, ease of use, with smooth user experience).

I might be sounding really naive, but I really want to have some good opinions on it, because I am really confused at this step.

Hi guys!

Working on a small app that works similarly to Uber. How do you measure how much should you promote working as a driver and using the app to move you from place A to B? Because we're worried that there will be too much people that want to earn money but not enough to use the app. What's the safe proportions?

Is it common that investors require to appoint a co-founder of their preference as a prerequisite to invest?

What are the caveats of this? Heavy dilution and possibly control on next rounds from the side of the VCs through their „puppet“?

What if this co-founder doesn’t fit with the overall team and instead are source of problems in the execution?

Please help

I recently got hired for a recruitment startup in the US as a fundraiser.

I am an impeccable grant writer and I have helped fundraise sustantially in the non profit sector. This is my first gig though in the for profit sector and I need any advice on how to help the organisation get money.

Currently we just need seed funding to start up and get the required equipment to get money on the ground. The founders have 30+ of experience in the jsustry and a pool of connections. As soon as the operation raises enough money to operate, client acquisition won't be a problem.

The founders are reluctant to take out loans and have highlighted that they would prefer to start up solely on grant funding. Is this possible?

Hi! I started my cleaning business in January and have since been running google ads, putting up door hangers, mailed flyers, and using Nextdoor. However after 4 months I still haven’t received a single customers. The google ads are getting clicks but generating into customers. I also have a pretty nice website and our prices are a bit lower than competitors with an additional 15% discount to first time customers. If anyone could give me advice that will be great!

I'm looking to build a product for startups having a customer success team.

I have two questions for you if you are in a customer success team, and three questions if you are a founder of a company that has a customer success team.

1. What are some of the important tasks you or your team have as a customer success exec/associate in your startup?
2. What are some of the redundant tasks that take most of your time, and maybe you don't enjoy doing them?
3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard is it to find new customer success execs/associates?

We are a burgeoning startup eagerly seeking recommendations for a cost-effective CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool with a specific feature set. Our primary requirement is a customizable app builder akin to Salesforce, allowing us to integrate various variables tailored to our unique business needs.

Necessities: Contacts Opportunities Simple flow Email > opportunity (display mail in opportunity) Quotation tool

Who can help us out?

Hi everyone, Im part of a Pacific Canadian Startup who's looking for IRAP Funding. My business meets the eligibility criteria, and we are working on the business plan.

Anyone has any idea and tips on how to create a winning project proposal. What kind of things attract them the most?

Also, what is your experience with NRC to get IRAP and what would you say was important for your application to be accepted. Im applying first time and want to make my business gets the funding we need.

Hi!

I have a solid business idea. Proven business model but in a location where there is very limited competition.

Main issue is, I need 1.2-1.4 million to as startup costs (this includes 4-6 months of working capital). I have very little cash.

What would be the best ways of funding this business?

Our b2c startup is Product Ready.

Finishing last bits of QA right now.

We have 4,000 waitlist sign ups, and 100 users in a closed beta (which we opened a couple weeks ago).

We raised $100k via friends and family on a SAFE.

I would like to raise another $100-150k for marketing and salaries (haven’t paid myself and now have a CTO versus a dev agency).

Beyond reaching out to people who know us & believe in my team, how would you go about raising your pre-seed before launching / traction?

I’ve tried cold-emailing a few hundred angles but didn’t have any luck. Got a few VCs meetings but they wanted to see traction / want to cut a much bigger check than we need.

I’m contemplating going to pitch competitions, but looking for other avenues.

While we could launch and slowly gain traction, I would rather have more marketing capital for exponential growth as we have already A/B tested acquisition channels so we know our approximate CACs per channel.

Thanks in advance.

Have you noticed how little innovation there has been on LinkedIn lately? Since its acquisition by Microsoft, it feels like the platform has stagnated in terms of new features and improvements. As we navigate through the ever-evolving landscape of remote work and professional networking, shouldn't we have more dynamic tools at our disposal?

Why open source?

Average user can ask for a feature & the community can vote on it. Keeping a public backlog of features is better than a black box of features designed to make corporations more money rather than empowering users to make better work choices. Right now there is no way for me to gauge if my hiring manager is going to be a jerk or not?

What's wrong with LinkedIn & Glassdoor?

Glassdoor only allows you to review the CEO. Most of the people writing reviews would never deal with the CEO on a day to day basis & CEO approval means nothing. People would like to know the manager they are about to start work for. I've worked for companies with great Glassdoor reviews but got employed by a shit manager (micro manager). The problem was that manager knew people hated him & he often looked for promotions in other companies once the hate became too much to bear. The prick is still climbing the corporate ladder & we are still dealing with his legacy shit. It would be great if managers reviews followed them as they changed jobs.

We applied to the Summer 2024 program, which had a deadline of yesterday, and today we received an email to interview next week.

Just wondering if anyone here has interviewed with them, and have advice for how to prep. Are their interviews like the YC blitz-style interviews or something else?

Would love some any tips or insights :)

I am the sole founder of a C Corp startup and I am in the stage of issuing shares. The company is self-funded initially. After a few months, I expect to include VCs, possible co-founders and employees and a variety of shares would get issued.

Which strategy should I consider to issue the share amounts, and which classes of shares should I consider to be able to control my startup in all stages and I would have ~51-60% of shares in my own startup?

I simply want to make sure that nobody would kick me out from my own startup.

We're at a super early stage and gearing up for a Friends and Family round. Currently, we're pre-revenue with an MVP in place. Contemplating a post-money SAFE but seeking advice on terms. Curious to hear what others have done in terms of valuation and cap. Any insights or learnings are greatly appreciated!

Hey, Reddit fam!
Stumbled upon a fascinating article recently about a Silicon Valley team developing hyper-realistic 3D digital twins – basically avatars that look just like us with AI features! Their vision is to bridge the gap between gaming and real life by creating a whole ecosystem with mobile apps, a metaverse, and a social community. It gets even wilder – they plan to integrate it with fitness trackers, ID verification, fashion, and more!
This has me curious:

• What are your thoughts on the safety and privacy implications of such a connected, digital identity?
• Can our phones even handle running something this graphically intense? What about accessibility for those with older devices?
• Do you see a real need for this technology? Who would use it? (Personally, I'm super intrigued by the possibilities!)
• What kind of applications for this technology are you most excited about (or worried about) when it comes to AI integration?

​

Hey folks.

So, long story short. I developed a product. Everyone who’s seen it loves it. I’m ordering the first batch and will begin selling it soon.

It costs roughly $5 for a finished product, we’re selling for $35.

Our site, ad campaign, packaging, everything is ready to go. We’re just deciding how big the initial order will be.

I’ve been approached by someone wanting to invest, but I haven’t the slightest idea how to come up with anything that makes sense. Saying $10k for 5,10,50% is pulled out of thin air.

How do I go about structuring an early investment prior to sales? How do I do this without royally screwing myself?

Thank you for any insights.