[starman]

Cuz....that's where I am right now. Any thoughts on how to solve the problem without spilling the beans?

[Uncle Skeleton]

How much/many resources would it take?

[starman]

Not much. I could probably even do it alone. The biggest problem I have is keeping it a secret because I don't want anyone getting wind of it.

EDIT: That was a vague answer. Doing the back end server stuff would be the toughest because I have zero experience in that.

[Uncle Skeleton]

I don't understand. In what way do you "have no resources to get it done?"

[starman]

Exactly what it says. I don't know anyone that can do it.

[mdc]

KPCB - iFund� Initiative



edit. oh, resources as in people. I thought you meant money.

[Uncle Skeleton]

But you just said you could probably do it alone. You don't know yourself?

Is this thread a joke? I don't get it.

[Doofy]

Ever have an idea for a killer app and no resources to get it done?

Yep, got one sitting on the shelf right now. Been sitting there five years while I figure out how to get it into production without Micro$oft nicking it. And still nobody has even come close to making anything like it. We're talking a complete end to office spam - and that's just a very small part of the app. Seriously.

Oh. And got another one for Apple to load into an iPod too. Or Microsoft to load into a Zune (and utterly destroy iPod sales) if Apple can't be arsed with replying to my emails. Which I haven't sent yet. Must get on that.

[design219]

Non-disclosure agreements.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by design219 

Non-disclosure agreements.

If the EU can't stop Microsoft from doing what it's doing, how exactly is an individual's NDAs going to stop them?

[Peter]

would you rather make the idea, get minted then have msft buy the company, or just sit in your pants as you are

[olePigeon]

I have prior art on Multi Touch Gesture Supported porn in another thread, so your idea can't be THAT revolutionary.

[design219]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

If the EU can't stop Microsoft from doing what it's doing, how exactly is an individual's NDAs going to stop them?

Most individuals are not assholes like Microsoft. I've signed them and would not think of violating one.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

If the EU can't stop Microsoft from doing what it's doing, how exactly is an individual's NDAs going to stop them?

Because most individuals are not the one of the most powerful organizations in the world with more resources than most of the countries in the EU.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by design219 

Most individuals are not assholes like Microsoft. I've signed them and would not think of violating one.

But generally the only way of telling whether an individual is an asshole or not is by having them sign the NDA and then finding out that they've broken it. By which time it's too late and vultures have swooped in to make their own version of it.
Of course, one could then sue the individual who broke the NDA but I somehow doubt they'd have enough money to make it worth while - certainly not the zillions which the app would have earned.

[mindwaves]

Patent it (or at least the underlying idea behind it in conjunction with some hardware).

[Mithras]

Oh, just spill the beans already.

[starman]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

But you just said you could probably do it alone. You don't know yourself?

Is this thread a joke? I don't get it.

Yeah, I could do it myself if I quit my job and dedicated myself to do it 24/7. But that's not really practical, is it?

Hence, resources. People. Time.

[Chuckit]

Venture capital?

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally Posted by starman 

Yeah, I could do it myself if I quit my job and dedicated myself to do it 24/7. But that's not really practical, is it?

Why isn't it? If all that's stopping you is a way to pay yourself for a year, there are tons of ways to borrow that money until your great idea starts to pay off. If the idea isn't going to make you more money than your time is worth, then sell it off to someone who wants to put the hours in and be done with it.

[starman]

Yeah, I think you're right. I'll quit my job and stop income for my family and home on an idea that MIGHT work.

Look, all I'm asking for is a bit of advice on how to find people, not "how do I f*ck up my life for an idea that might not work?".

Sometimes I'm real sorry I post here.

[peeb]

My idea? Mustache Maker. Feed your own photo, or choose from famous people or works of art - this program has an easy to use interface to allow you to place the mustache of your choice, from a library of thousands of examples, sorted by category - pencil thin, daliesque, bushy - you choose, this app makes it easy to produce professional output - your subject, with the mustache of your choice.

[Atomic Rooster]

Will this app download pr0n of my neighbours wife?

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by peeb 

My idea? Mustache Maker. Feed your own photo, or choose from famous people or works of art - this program has an easy to use interface to allow you to place the mustache of your choice, from a library of thousands of examples, sorted by category - pencil thin, daliesque, bushy - you choose, this app makes it easy to produce professional output - your subject, with the mustache of your choice.

Missing Osama.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Uncle Skeleton 

Why isn't it? If all that's stopping you is a way to pay yourself for a year, there are tons of ways to borrow that money until your great idea starts to pay off. If the idea isn't going to make you more money than your time is worth, then sell it off to someone who wants to put the hours in and be done with it.

This assumes that (1) it's a small app and (2) the guy with the idea has coding experience.

In my experience, coders do not make good designers and designers do not make good coders.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Venture capital?

Good luck with that since the bubble burst. They damn near want the finished product on the shelves and a million copies pre-ordered before they'll cough up a fiver these days. That's the case here anyways.

[Uncle Skeleton]

Originally Posted by starman 

Yeah, I think you're right. I'll quit my job and stop income for my family and home on an idea that MIGHT work.

Look, all I'm asking for is a bit of advice on how to find people

People to do what? You still haven't revealed what your goal is. If you're going to pay an employee to implement your idea, I don't see how that's conceptually any different risk-wise than paying yourself to do the same thing. If you're looking for someone to take on the risk for you but give you all the reward, then you may be in for a rude awakening. If it's not either of those, maybe how to find someone to pay you for your clever idea, I don't know what to suggest. But either way, you have to actually say something before you'll get a meaningful response, and that's just a property of causality, not of which board you choose to post on.

Sometimes I'm real sorry I post here.

Lighten up a little and you'll have more fun. You are not your handle. But also, have a little more respect for your audience. If you go anywhere and say "I have an insanely great idea but I don't want any of you getting your grubby hands on it; but can you please help me with it; but I won't tell you what kind of help I need because it might reveal the awesomeness of it," well yeah you're not getting any help with that.

[starman]

I've already stated I need back-end experience, and you say "People to do what?". If I reveal too much, I risk giving my idea away. Not something I want to do now, is it?

I'm sorry I didn't give EXACTLY, PRECISELY what I wanted, but that wasn't the point of the thread. The point was "how do I find people?" and I didn't need to give away details to get an answer.

[Chuckit]

1. The answer to "How do I find people?" seems so blindingly obvious (Craigslist/Monster/HotJobs/Elance) that I've been assuming you actually want to know more than that. Am I missing something?

2. If you can't afford to take the time off to do it yourself, I don't see how you'll afford to pay somebody else. But I guess you know your situation better thna I do.

[starman]

Is it "so blindingly obvious" when I'm not an employer?

[Uncle Skeleton]

But are you looking for an employee, a partner, a boss, an investor, an adviser, what? That makes all the difference.

edit: "people to do what?" was a management question, not a technical one. What role in your proposed operation are you looking to fill?

[Face Ache]

How it Works - Cambrian House, Home of Crowdsourcing

[vmarks]

There are a number of indian developer houses that work on just this sort of thing - specify it all, they write it.

Two such firms even had booths at Macworld, trying to get the attention of the people with killer ideas and no programmers to implement.

[OwlBoy]

Originally Posted by vmarks 

There are a number of indian developer houses that work on just this sort of thing - specify it all, they write it.

Two such firms even had booths at Macworld, trying to get the attention of the people with killer ideas and no programmers to implement.

I think I have heard of apps that have been made this way on podcasts. Not sure what apps, or for what platform though. I just know the apps were good enough to be talked about and then the development method was brought up.

-Owl

[rickey939]

I've decided to take on this project personally.

Thank you.

[abe]

OK. Here's my idea. Anyone who uses it owes me 10% of the gross revenue from this idea and of any licensing deals. You can keep the rest for your trouble.

Before a big celebrity event, gala, opening night, awards show, Gridiron Dinner, lavish party of the season or what have you, there should be a way for women to know if someone else will be wearing the same designer, style or color dress or outfit.

A sort of national and international computerized clearinghouse, which would list local social event calendars and events could be added to the calendar by registered users.

Mrs. Gotrocks can afford to buy and wear any dress she wants. So can Mrs. Warbux. And the ultimate embarrassment would be showing up at the same event wearing the same mauve colored chiffon Vera Wang over the shoulder dress.

A simple computer website which lists the event and each anonymous service subscriber would enter what they were wearing so others who will be attending the event will be able to dress accordingly. Each time they logged on they would have anonymous identification so no one would know they were the one who would be showing up wearing a Vera Wang, the only thing anyone would know is that SOMEONE would be wearing a certain designer, a certain style and a certain color.

This might be silly to most men but women care about such things and if your lady has ever begged you to take her home to change the minute she saw someone else wearing the same dress, you will appreciate her having access to a service like this.

I imagine there should be a paid subscription aspect of the service and a free level of service. Ads by different designers, stores, hair salons and etc. would create additional revenue.

Every dress boutique or Beauty Salon would make their own computer available to help their client check the service before buying a dress to make sure no one else was wearing that same_________. Of course the website could be accessed by any internet capable computer or handheld device.

In the event someone attended an event wearing the same dress as someone else, I expect a social protocol or etiquette would develop which would further encourage widespread use of the service:

When two women showed up at the party wearing the same outfit, they would step aside out of the earshot of everyone else and compare notes. Did they consult the service? Did they list this dress? And whoever DIDN'T consult the service would be the one who'd have to go home and change. The one who listed their outfit on the service would have the social right of domain to wear that dress at that event.

The loser would be sure to check the service next time.

Another advantage to women would be that they would have a reason to buy more outfits so that in a Symphony season they won't be identified beforehand because they were identified by the same three dresses every week.

There it is. I have other details but that is enough. And as I know the cost of getting a business started, I don't want to make the overhead too much of a burden. 10% in perpetuity, seems right to me.

Remember, you read it here first...partner!

abe
3/10/08

[Peter]

yoink.

[peeb]

LOL.
Forget it - who sets the rule that "whoever DIDN'T consult the service would be the one who'd have to go home and change."? To work this needs EVERYONE to use it, and they won't, and the ones that won't won't consider the rules of the site binding on them.

[Doofy]

That's actually a pretty good idea Abe.

Forget the lower classes like peeb (who don't know how high class society functions) with their naysaying. This would work.

But promoting it would be a problem unless you could hook up with a few venues and offer it as part of their booking service.

[abe]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

That's actually a pretty good idea Abe.

Forget the lower classes like peeb (who don't know how high class society functions) with their naysaying. This would work.

But promoting it would be a problem unless you could hook up with a few venues and offer it as part of their booking service.

Thanks, I think so, too.

But I'm done with it except for consulting the implementers and collecting royalties.

[vmarks]

I'd tell you how you get it adopted, but unlike abe, I'm not willing to share that secret key to the profits.

Oh, but I do know the answer.

[abe]

Originally Posted by vmarks 

I'd tell you how you get it adopted, but unlike abe, I'm not willing to share that secret key to the profits.

Oh, but I do know the answer.

Well, you go ahead and do, do that voodoo that you do so well and remember me as of the 1st dollar and on the 1st of every month.

I'll be here when you need me to consult.