Specifically, how do you learn how to build a company around your product? Or how to build a board of advisors/directors? What are the best practices around managing those?

How do you shift your cash flow management thinking from spending out of the reserves built up, to spending out of future cash flows?

In other words, aside from building product, there are so many other skills that a founder has to learn as they grow their company. I assume most YC companies learn this stuff from YC or their batch mates that have done it before them.

But for those of us not in the Valley or in YC, how do we learn this stuff?

Also, I guess the main premise behind my question was how do we learn best practices in company building in general? Ie how do we build the machine that builds the machine using best practices for everything, or as many things as possible (for both tech and non-tech companies)?

I am going to use Dropbox Pro to sync all of our important stuff, but we have large media files that we need backed up.

I want to get a dedicated server in my home office and setup a network share (over the internet) where they can just drop large media files in that folder/network share and it automatically gets uploaded to my server.

Then I would like to backup that server to some remote service.

My partners have Macs, I have both a Mac and a PC.

Is there a simple system/solution that will allow me to do all of the above seamlessly?

I am very technical, but I am looking for the simplest solution to both setup and work.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19005131

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

Especially businesses that are going well and growing organically and the owner/founder is comfortable and has no need to sell.

How do I broach the subject that can optimize the likelihood that they would realistically entertain the idea of selling their company or more importantly selling to me?

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18209597

Points: 1

# Comments: 1

From creating the initial Scope of Work to ongoing managing client expectations and general project management can be a major distraction from what you want to do -- build product.

If you are interested in exploring the outsourcing of the administration and project mgmt of your projects, leave a comment here or email me at marc dot gayle+hn at gmail dot com.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16505859

Points: 3

# Comments: 0

Can you explain a bit more....do you have a way of gathering those leads now? A way that can potentially be automated?

Thanks.

Please don't say random things, especially if you don't have $10,000 to spend right now. The whole idea of this question is to try to potentially discover value and to price out those that want "Snapchat for dogs for $500".

Edit 1: Requests like "Lifetime Access for" also don't qualify as viable responses....for obvious reasons.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16478465

Points: 25

# Comments: 59

Ruby is naturally the first language I want to start with, but if you have some examples from other languages then I am game to exploring those too.

Would any HNers be willing to contribute by discussing a few refactorings they have done? They would have to be from an open-source project (or public repository on Github or Bitbucket), so others can look at the history.

If you are interested in discussing a refactor you have done (or a few) just email me at marc.gayle+refactoringhn@gmail.com or reply to this thread with contact details.

Thanks!

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15627509

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

So my question is, as a Startup where can I go to learn about building a physical distribution network from scratch?

I know where to find guides on programming, finance, academic subjects, etc.

But no clue about where to find good, accessible (free/cheap) info on this stuff.

Also, what software can I use to manage my inventory in all of these locations.

Imagine I (or an employee) is doing all the inventory reconciliation in each store, and then invoicing them for sales made. Is there any YC company that creates software that may help me with this? Or is there any other software that has appeared on HN that will help me with this?

The only ones I know of are huge MSFT or Oracle solutions, which are obviously not suitable for a startup.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14987448

Points: 2

# Comments: 0

I know about the YC Company - Ship Bob.

What are some alternatives?

Thanks!

I assume this is sarcasm...just want to verify :)

The fundamental problem with what Benjamin pointed out with the lack of benefits with network effects, only applies when you are thinking about moving people and only thinking about 1 singular network. Sure, you and I may only want to go from point A to B within my city.

I think the real value for Uber is when they have this huge network of constant activity between most points within any city/country, the value proposition to carry cargo goes through the roof.

Imagine being able to send a document (or a package) anywhere else within the city in 20 minutes.

Amazon is experimenting with Drones for quick delivery, but just imagine being able to purchase something on Amazon, Walmart, Target, and get it within 30 minutes from an Uber driver.

Their network effect looks different than most others, say Facebook, because the real value is a network effect of networks. i.e. they have highly concentrated networks within cities, and they have a high concentration of city-networks within states, and outward.

The clear value proposition there is one can easily move a package from your house through your network within your city, to another network in an adjacent city, and on and on to say the next state.

Right now, sure you can ship something 'overnight' via FedEx relatively long distances within the US but technically it's not REALLY overnight. Technically, you have to reach the FedEx store before some cut off time (say 12 noon), so that package can then be taken to their sorting facility and make it out on the flight that night.

Imagine if there is the a real-time network where at any moment any package can be placed on the network and be on the most efficient route to the destination immediately. That's obviously the holy grail, but no longer do you have packages sitting in sorting facilities and waiting on bulky planes to take off.

They may not have these plans, but I have no inside knowledge and that's one clear advantage I can see of having a network where something is always being delivered between almost any 2 points within the network.

I assume that all of these investors are not dumb and neither is Kalanick and his team, so I suspect there is a much larger logistics play than we can imagine.

Just like Tesla isn't just a car company, but is also both a commercial power (Southern California Edison) & oil company (Exxon) plus maybe an autonomous delivery fleet all in one, I assume Uber is something similar we just can't see it yet.

Not quite sure how to do that though, and if it is even possible.

The projects you get are usually bottom of the barrel.

I have no interest in those types of projects.

But when I am free, I have to start looking for projects again.

Then it occurred to me that I would love to be able to pass along the excess projects I get, for a referral fee (say 5% of the value of the project). But the obvious issue with that is that I would need to have a constant network of developers with different skillsets that can competently complete those projects.

So what I would like to do is develop a network that does two things.

1. Rewards you for passing along a project/client. 2. Manages the completion of those projects.

So my questions to HN are: 1. Do you have excess projects that you get from time-to-time that you would be willing to pass along to a network like this? 2. Do you have projects that you would like completed where other marketplaces/platforms haven't worked well for you? If so, would you care to share your concerns. 3. Would you want to be a participant in this network to work on projects/gigs that are passed along to you?

Another thing I was thinking is that say you have a project you want to pass along, but you want to project manage it (almost like being a product owner), then we could facilitate that for a higher fee than the 5%.

All of this is obviously very immature, and still at the idea stage.

I would love your feedback on everything, how I can improve the idea, what are things I am not considering, etc.

Comments URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13313429

Points: 1

# Comments: 4

Either way, the fact of the matter is sending cold emails is actually a powerful way to build sales -- there is a simple reason so many people do it, it works.

Like it or not, many startups do it.

So I was simply pointing this out for the OP's benefit.