1) It sounds like you're doing all the work. Your "co-founder" - what is he doing?
2) Oh that's right - he's doing his other business - presumably the one that pays your income. How did that arrangement work out? Are you an employee of that business?
3) This sounds like a way to get royally screwed. Let's say you make the product, it turns out to be a success. Your friend can say that its IP of his company - that you were just an employee - or worse, you were a contractor. When you worked on that project, what agreement did you sign? Is there something there that says "any work derived by contractor as part of this project becomes IP of Company"?
4) This sounds like the classic, "I have a great idea, here, you develop it, and i'll give you no income and 5% when it's all done" scheme.
5) A demo is good, but it should not be an end all be-all for funding. The best ideas are the ones that leap off the paper. If you need more motivation/funding - there a dozen groups like Ycombinator now. Don't quit at just them. A true entrepreneur never quits!
6) Don't be an architecture astronaut. There's no point re-designing everything when you don't have a paying customers. Put stuff together, slap it with duct tape, whatever. You don't get users if it's just sitting in a github repository. If your site experiences growing pains, that's a GOOD thing.
7) I would cut bait and run, but make sure you pay your landlord back. It seems like he's extending a lot of faith in you by letting you be 2 months behind in your rent. Don't screw him.
8) Get a real job, and gain a savings cushion. This market that your targetting is full of consultants/hipsters/experts that are probably making a decent stream of cash. This will also help you generate buzz for your project when it's all said and done.
1, 2) Exactly right. This isn't a knock on him though. He's got a family and has to pay the bills. Plus he doesn't code at all.
3) Absolutely. I'm not worried about getting screwed in this instance, as we're good friends and have built up a lot of trust over the years. Then again, people usually don't expect to be screwed over.
4) More or less. I had a decent salary up until a couple of months ago. It was enough to keep me barely afloat while going out and actually having a social life.
5) Couldn't agree more. Quitting is not on my menu, the YCombinator interview fell into our laps so I ran with it. I would never have sought funding at that stage if it were up to me. I could see doing it now though.
6) This is great advice that's hard to follow. I'm trying to get better at this all the time.
7) My landlord is a super nice lady and I will definitely not be fucking her over.
8) Yep. This is my only option at this point. I am going to get a Web dev job and get my shit back in order.
Been there, went so low once it was dog chow just to survive for a few days. Proximity is a bitch when you don't live near a tech hub, even worse when the people around don't understand what you do.
Do yourself a favor, if not just for the peace of mind. Look into the labor laws regarding ip in your state. I found mine by searching for [state law labor code] then read through to find the laws regarding intellectual property and inventions. Find out how fucked you really are in terms of the law and the agreement you have with your friend.
Hopefully you're working with good people, and in my experience everything changes once money is involved.
Once you get back to your project, set a schedule for your milestones. It's one thing to be disciplined, and another to know how long it will take to get your product usable and to market. Especially if you're building alone.
Good luck, I'd be grateful for the community that's behind you.
1) It sounds like you're doing all the work. Your "co-founder" - what is he doing?
2) Oh that's right - he's doing his other business - presumably the one that pays your income. How did that arrangement work out? Are you an employee of that business?
3) This sounds like a way to get royally screwed. Let's say you make the product, it turns out to be a success. Your friend can say that its IP of his company - that you were just an employee - or worse, you were a contractor. When you worked on that project, what agreement did you sign? Is there something there that says "any work derived by contractor as part of this project becomes IP of Company"?
4) This sounds like the classic, "I have a great idea, here, you develop it, and i'll give you no income and 5% when it's all done" scheme.
5) A demo is good, but it should not be an end all be-all for funding. The best ideas are the ones that leap off the paper. If you need more motivation/funding - there a dozen groups like Ycombinator now. Don't quit at just them. A true entrepreneur never quits!
6) Don't be an architecture astronaut. There's no point re-designing everything when you don't have a paying customers. Put stuff together, slap it with duct tape, whatever. You don't get users if it's just sitting in a github repository. If your site experiences growing pains, that's a GOOD thing.
7) I would cut bait and run, but make sure you pay your landlord back. It seems like he's extending a lot of faith in you by letting you be 2 months behind in your rent. Don't screw him.
8) Get a real job, and gain a savings cushion. This market that your targetting is full of consultants/hipsters/experts that are probably making a decent stream of cash. This will also help you generate buzz for your project when it's all said and done.