Looking for a Partner
December 6th, 2009
I think it’s about high time that I find a partner.
Let me explain: I have an Idea- and I think it’s a pretty big idea- but as I’ve moved forward with the tech implementation I’m starting to realize that my biggest hurdle is that I’m not a designer (no matter how much I might think I am). It’s not a question of skill- well, ok, in some cases it is – but more a question of speed: I can sling code with the best of them, but I can’t for the sake of me figure out how to make something easy use and/or pretty without beating my head against the wall for days on end. I don’t have the practice, skills or experience to do that quickly, so I end up finding more and more excuses to refine the technology than really focusing on what matters: the User experience.
As such, the skill set should complement my own- I can handle the implementation, you should be able to handle the look, feel, and experience. This goes beyond simple design, too- we’re going to have to collaborate on feature priorities, but as for the how to and now what that would be left largely in your hands. This means you’ll have to have a strong work ethic, and be willing and able to receive and reciprocate mutual encouragement- if one of us slips, we both fall, so in the truest sense of the word I’m looking for a Partner.
I don’t care about location- we can do meetings by Skype, phone or whatever as long as you are recommended and vetted by someone I know and trust. In fact, if you’re located in Pittsburgh that would be pretty awesome, as the startup community there with InnovationWorks and the Alpha Lab are incredibly supportive of getting endeavors of the ground. That’s hardly a requirement though, so don’t let that turn you off.
There are two real requirements though: 1- You’re a seasoned professional (feel free to define that as you see fit), and 2- You have a highly developed sense of ethics. You’ll understand why that second one is important as soon as you get a whiff of the idea.
What do you get? Well, first of all you get to work with a seasoned code nerd who appreciates (as you saw above) good UI and UX, and really wants to make it part of the core of the team. I can’t exactly pay you- No startup at this stage of the game can, but you’ll be happy to know that I’m not getting paid either (In fact, I’m currently paying for the servers). As for equity- well, partner is partner, and I’m willing to go even-split, but that might include more people down the road as the business side of the idea starts to become more prominent.
So… uh… what’s the idea? There are a lot of people out there who know what it is already- I’m certainly not unwilling to share, but I’m not about to blog about it. I firmly believe that there’s no such thing as a new idea on the internet, and the only way you can differentiate yourself is to do it better. Having said that, a current google search doesn’t turn up with much, so I figure it’s worth a shot.
Interested? Know someone who might be interested? Well then drop me a line, send me some visual samples, get a mutual friend to introduce you and I’ll fill you in on the actual scope of the idea.
If you think your idea is cool, you’d tell everyone about it. If you want to sell your idea, you’d be marketing it.
No one cares that you have an idea. The guy with a “pet rock” had an idea.
If your idea is something people want, they will pay to to create it (or pay you to pay someone else to create it.) If it’s a really good idea, they’ll pay to to come up with more ideas. If it’s something that’s so obvious (but heretofore completely overlooked) that upon hearing it, someone else will immediately recognize your brilliance and drop everything and try to implement it first, you should tell everyone about it as quick as you can, and get it timestamped on your blog, because the value of saying “I thought of it first” and being able to prove it is probably worth the patent application.
If it’s the type of idea that can be implemented in a week and won’t make you enough money to be worth your while unless you can capture more than 50% of all potential users right away, it’s not worth building.
We should get together for beer and discuss this. I am intrigued.