vania-janet/multiturn-rag-retrieval-data huggingface dataset:
Yep.  Like I said, I'm riding it out while it lasts.  No skin off my nose if they go under.  That being said, this guy is a cofounder of Netflix, and with all the press this thing is getting, nobody is calling it a scam.  I have to believe that they have something up their sleeve.
Is this really venting about giving up capital to a group helping you raise it? You don't even have to give up equity for the capital or worry about VCs pulling out.  Of course something like that would be oversaturated and financially motivated to exploit the over-saturation.
Yes, many people want to be solo operators.  Being an employee sucks, but having employees of your own also takes away a lot of your freedom.    Thing is, I know a lot of freelancers who make great money.  His math isn't totally wrong, but you can reduce a lot of those expenses depending on what you do- working remotely and cutting out the time and money of a commute helps a lot.  Also, you can charge more than $100 an hour if you're providing a really valuable service- a lot more.
Awesome ending.  You are forgiven for partying.    And the web start-up lifestyle comes with its own baggage.  Nothing like working long hours to implement some feature 1 customer hinted because any money is important money to crush that creative spirit.
Ok, let's start your company and call it Parkoor. We hire drivers rejected by Uber because they will work for cheap.  We skip background and drug checks to save money and because it's best to not ask questions you don't want answers to.  A passenger hires our driver via the app, opts to pay by cash, and then tells the driver they're paying by credit, stiffing them. Who pays?  Reverse situation, passenger pays by credit in the app, driver demands cash and threatens violence if they get stiffed again. Who pays?  Passenger is killed because the driver was drunk. A background check would have revealed 6 DWI charges. Passengers family now wants to sue. Was Parkoor responsible?  Passenger was killed because the brakes failed on our drivers 1985 Camry that hadn't been properly inspected in decades due to a loophole in state law. Is Parkoor responsible?
&gt; I have a great idea for a business.  No. You don't.  &gt;It's a new idea that hasn't been done before  Seems incredibly unlikely.  &gt; I am so confident that it would be successful, I honestly don't see how it wouldn't.  You have done absolutely no research, so we can dismiss your claim out of hand.  &gt; My close friend told me I should get my service idea patented  Your friend is an idiot. It will cost you over $200,000 to get a single patent application filed, and no prior art must be available publicly. You can file a Provisional Patent Specification very cheaply, but it offers no protection. But you would be stupid even to do that, because your idea will never even make $200,000 in total.  Your idea is a terrible one, and it will not work. Of that much we can be entirely sure.
You write down an agreement so everyone's understanding of the agreement is recorded. You write down what will happen in XYZ event so you don't argue about what you all should do when that event does ultimately occur. You take as much equity as your other investors will allow you to have, and you give them as much as required to get their money. Understand that the more cooks there are in the kitchen the more difficult it is to act on a problem when one arises; when not if. Your ego-stroking play to ""open source crowd-sourced wisdom"" is nothing more than a silly request for vague advice at no cost. Starting a project on trust, transparency and integrity is naive. This is about money. Why on earth should anyone trust you with their money if you won't do the most basic step of stewardship and spend a couple hundred pounds to talk to a local professional about organizing your first ever project. To answer your question directly, the first precaution you should take is not taking money from any of your friends or family."
"Idk I've worked at a tech startup and an ad agency that have these culture perks. There were certainly times here and there that you had to work late but really I wouldn't say it ever cut into work/life balance.   I was paid well, made great relationships, didn't feel over worked and still enjoyed these ""perks"".  Sounds like some people in this thread are jaded or just being taken advantage of."
I haven’t looked at their financials but the fact that everyone is getting into the SmartTV box space means they have very stiff competition.  I personally have an AppleTV, FireTV, and a Roku.  I love my Roku (headphone jack in the remote FTW) however one of my most used apps recently rolled out a major update and Roku was the last of the 3 (I believe chromecast got it earlier too) to receive the update, about 3+ months after my first device got it.  If developers begin seeing Roku as a platform to develop for “when we get to it” then I see them suffering the same fate as, Windows, BlackBerry, and Amazon phones.
Thanks - i doubt they'll throw the CEO guy in jail as long as they appear to want to stop the illegal distribution of goods. It's an interesting dilemma though - would you want to stop the facilitation of illegal goods if it was core to your business becoming successful? Probably not, I'd say..  In the run up to the IPO, I'd expect lots of PR RE: safe guards, checks and trust. Lots of hot air in other words.
This is called him trying to screw your friend.    50k isn't a lot either, I'd hit up friends, family, try to get a government grant or even a bank loan first.  Also hit up some more reputable VCs, or even just raise the money himself.
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What's it like being all the way up on that pedestal without having a clue what you're talking about? Are you dizzy? Do you have to apply extra Sunscreen to your upturned nose?  When you read that one Wikipedia article, and 3 Forbes links are you just overwhelmed with the strength you just acquired, or have you felt this Supreme power all along?   We have so many questions! Please answer them with vague, nondescript platitudes and more questions please. That would be awesome.
Make sure you have a smart phone w/ a good battery and decent internet plan. If your job is anything like ones I've had, you're going to need something to do when you're sitting around for hours at a time bored out of your mind.  Go slow at first.. small mistakes can have big consequences in finance, decimal over a point, formula wrong in excel by one cell, etc..
Don't forget taxes, Web site (even if it just has your business name, address and phone number its better than not having a site at all) social media for showing off the flower arrangements and getting more business...
Let Go App...good way to find awesome deals on furniture. Depending on climate find a nice bike, pretty easy way to get around &amp; low maintenance costs compared to a car ( i.e. insurance, gas, repairs). Then depending on whether your work offers matching 401k programs, max that out or find a good index fund &amp; consistently build that emergency fund. Chill for 10-15 years &amp; enjoy the benefits of compounding interest my friend.
First you need to incorporate.  2) Build your websites &amp; setup social accounts 3) create content: photoshoots, marketing designs, etc  You should be creating your apparel designs at the same time as your site is being built and your product should be printed before the photoshoots.   If you need more in depth help. Message me.
The first thing to know is that the idea is not unique. The second thing to know is that there are already people working on the exact thing right now and none have finished it yet because they are worrying and procrastinating the same as you right now. Go and get it done!
If you truly believe your idea is viable, I'd reccommend against going to kickstarter for funding.  There are people who make a living by beating kickstarters to market (see the article I linked below).  Think about it; you'll have to wait 30 days, employ a developer, then wait for your app to be developed.  If you launch on kickstarter, more talented and organized competition will start making competitors once your project gains traction.  I'm not entirely sure that a software patent can protect you from this.  If you believe in your idea and can adequately explain your vision I'd suggest you pitch it to investors or people you know who may be willing to invest and develop it away from the public eye.  Apps don't really have a great track record on kickstarter anyways, and you do need a working orototype IIRC
Since you are posting to Reddit adding a simple website and Twitter account may also help.  It gives people a way to find you and refer others to you...  Trip Advisor is an important way to gain customers I believe (though the website is far from perfect it can be useful for travelers).  On the website/blog include some photos of where to visit...
[General Assembly](http://generalassemb.ly/) - campus for technology, design, and entrepreneurship. 8. [Giftly](http://www.giftly.com/) - gift cards for any business anywhere. 9. [Get Around](http://www.getaround.com/) - car rental service for you and your neighbors. 10. [Skill Share](http://www.skillshare.com/) - community marketplace to learn anything from anyone 11. [Fab](http://www.fab.com/) - flash deal site for design and home decor. 12. [Codecademy](http://www.codecademy.com/#!/exercises/0) - An online programming tutorial, looks like interactive learning of code, as someone scared of code this is pretty inviting and intriguing. 13. [Sphero](http://www.gosphero.com/) - remote ball that you can control with your phone. 14. [Goodsie](http://goodsie.com/) - ecommerce platform, quote from site ""Make a branded storefront without any of the traditional hassles of setting up shop online"". Is there room for another ecom platform? Maybe the simplicity will help. 15. [Chloeandisabel.com](http://www.chloeandisabel.com/) - Jewelry startup. 16. [Sojo](http://www.sojostudios.com/) - Social gaming built around getting people to play online games that actually impact the real world. 17. [Warby Parker](http://www.warbyparker.com/) - Warby Parker is a prescription glasses online discount retailer, who's going after Luxottica (mfg of majority of current glass brands) 18.
By no means is this a comprehensive list, but a few items to consider:
"Definitely get a brand partner going. You have a logo, great. Make sure it, style, fonts, colors, etc. are similar in different marketing mediums (so people know that truck is the same company as this commercial or that website).   Based on location/rules in you're area, find a great slogan for your truck that people well remember. ""you have enough crap to deal with. Let us take care of yours."""
No offense but ideas are cheap and easy to come by. Execution is the hard part.   I think your audience probably has plenty of ideas of their own that they need help implementing. Maybe your ideas could include that as well.....
Are you a cool fucking bro?  Because if not, be prepared to do all of the work and get none of the credit.  Seriously though - if people don't think you're an interesting dude (chick) to talk to, they won't like you, and you won't like finance.
Just keep in mind that on Upwork, you basically have to be the cheapest person to get most of the gigs. It's great to get your feet wet, but I would strongly encourage you to use it to build a portfolio up and then start reaching out to people in your network to see if anyone needs your services.
Firstly, I highly doubt anyone on this site will be able to provide you with accurate input on this matter regarding what TO DO.  It's the what not to do that may be possible. That said, if you want to offer equipment for rent, which in a developing country is probably a decent idea, I'd start by asking around and doing some research on what people really need and are wanting to rent.  I would suggest studying other developing/developed countries histories to see what companies were successful around a similar stage as well. I'd start small: pressure washers, generators, concrete mixers, fork lifts, hydraulic ladders, etc.  Getting things that are just a bit too expensive for someone to own and something they don't need all the time.  These can be great revenue generators because they're cheap to purchase, but can be rented at a premium.
"First you need a niche, edgy idea - like a coin that ""will be used"" for autonomous car taxi's, a crypto for indie game dev startups, an ico for UFC ppv fights .. or some crap  Then you make a fancy website, hire a few techies to copy the code from another coin, get into a few conferences, claim that Vitalik (the Eth founder) has backed your coin and voila - you have an license to print money"
doesn't sound like much more than a side hustle, but if you have people wanting to buy your product, just start an instagram/fb page and show your stuff. put all initial profits back into marketing. i wouldn't waste money on incorporating yet, let it grow naturally.
"I mean it as a serious answer. If the very idea of your app is the valuable part then you won't have a successful business. If your idea is so incredibly amazing then someone can copy it as soon as your app comes out and you only have a couple months lead time.  Also, the ""proper"" answer, NDA, has been given several times.  Everybody has an app idea. Few people follow through.    And, well we're on the subject don't be ""that guy"" who tries to get a developer to make it for him (The actual skilled part)and split the profits 50-50"
Zero ice breakers. When I go to these things, and there's an ice breaker, I internally roll my eyes and start playing with my phone or get up and leave if I can. If you have one hour, get to the point. That's not a lot of time, and don't waste their time. Being a CFO is next to impossible from a time management perspective, so don't wreck their day.
backups. fucking backups. from day one of our software project i was warning about backups. four years later, no vendor support, no tested backup and going live with the system. year after that (off the legacy system) the thing goes kaput. good thing I had left before then.   fucking amateurs.
NEVER and I do mean **NEVER** split a business ownership 50/50.  --  Make it 51/49 or whatever you want but never go 50/50 as if there is ever a disagreement You have the power to over rule. If you go 50/50 you will potentially get stuck in a legal battle which you do not want.
I'm not the tech guy here (you'll get plenty of feedback, trust me). I just wanted to say it's an awesome entrepreneurial idea here, because this is such a difficult field to first begin reading about. It's admirable what you're making and I hope it takes off. Really clever branding as well!
"The actual process of ordering food is probably one of the easiest processes in a restaurant. What's not so easy is understanding the movement of your inventory and ways to minimize your waste to maximize what you order and reduce shrink. That comes down a lot to auditing your product (multiple times a day, even).  Make sure before you approach the owners that you develop a business plan. Jumping the gun too early and trying to get in on their operation will come off as naive. You have to deliver the value of having you as a partner/main franchisor. Check out the movie ""The Founder"" if you want to see some of that in action (and check out a pretty decent movie to boot). Business owners usually talk numbers so learn to speak their language once you're able to get a grasp on the finances of the business (which you'll more than likely get to do once you get more management experience)."
You mean like all the products linked on every page of my blog and elsewhere in the comments?   Those things -- and their financial success -- and what I write about them is WHY I get invited to speak at conferences, be on startup pitch panels as a contrarian judge, etc. etc.   Speaking of conferences, here's mine that I put on, featuring mostly people I'd call friends or acquaintances (like Tobi, Tom, Geoff, Buffington and Garrett): http://schnitzelconf.com/
"No! Have you?  But I am trying to raise money for a disruptive autonomous room robot, a fraction of the juice fad, and fast time-to-market. Grueling task. Guess cos there are no ""cool buzzwords"" and gimmicks. Real market need is not enough apparently."
Nice work saving. If you do find yourself in a relationship or with children, you'll be glad you saved now; family members increase the expenses ;-) Some observations large and small, no conclusions, I bet it would be awesome to do the world travel and the startup, and get a ton out of those. The money you've saved gives you the freedom to do all that great stuff that matters.
Unfortunately I haven't brought myself to make that leap yet.  That being said - i'm pretty happy where i'm at.  I get to work with a lot of talent here, and there's only three of us, so there is a huge ownership component of what we are doing.
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Yes, it's not the founders who are doing the con -- it's the venture capitalists, who lead you to believe you're special, knighted, can have money for free, and who either don't really help you or in, for example, meddle, force board members on you, force you to sell, etc.
I'm not necessarily saying that VC is the way to go.  It works for some, not for others.  Personally, if my company idea takes off, I'd try to avoid it if at all possible.  However, the article was written in a way that any point she had in her post was overshadowed by her bitterness and excessive obscenities that it comes off as unprofessional and not worth reading.  It takes away from the valid points therein.
"Great points.  To which I'd add, the success of Freckle has helped us ""be our own angels"" and invest a lot of our own cash into the development of our second, much bigger SaaS product.  And again, nobody can tell us what to do, or make decisions we don't agree with, because we have 100% ownership. It's a virtuous cycle."
It shouldn't, really. Investors and companies thinking about an IPO shouldn't be scared.  I mean, Facebook is a company with no real way to profit from its technology. They have the user base, but has no way of profiting off them. Yet anyways. For them to come out with a near $100 bln valuation, only making a few bln in revenue last year (and little profit), it seems that the market is just adjusting to their respective value to investors.  Now, if a company wants to IPO that's awesome, just make sure:  * The company will be relevant to daily life in 10-25-50-100 years, etc. * The company can turn a profit without uncertainty. * A company that can grow. Meaning if you buy into a $100 bln valuation, that it can be realistically seen as to growing into a $200 bln company in the next few years. * Preferably, traditional investors like companies that make or deal with a physical product.  * The company has leadership. CEO Zuckerberg of (FB) may have created the social network technology, but that doesn't mean he's fit to run a $100 bln public company. I mean, the guy couldn't even dress in a suit for his important meetings pre-IPO. * Preferably companies that can/will enter emerging markets. Cue Coca-Cola and bottlers. * The list goes on but I'm bored of typing. Anyone can add/argue or critique anything if they would like to.  If you have all that, you shouldn't be scared of IPO'ing or investing in at IPO.
Insurance, incorporation, marketing, related fees, licenses, and maintenance would all cost way more than you likely paid for that thing.   It seems like a *really* low valued investment in infrastructure/resources for the amount of annual investment you'd need to keep things running.
Have a proxy battle if you care so much about the long-term prospects of facebook or sue him for negligence.  If you've been paying attention to google/facebook/yahoo's recent massive acquisition spree recently, you either wouldn't care so much about this deal or shouldn't be in the stock if you were concerned about Zuckerberg playing venture capital.
Yes, my point is some DO stick around. Just like any other business, some stick around, some last only a few years. Given that facebook has done nothing but grow for the last seven years, it's likely to stick around a while longer. Either way, there is lots of money to be made
"Sounds like a bitter douchebag who got passed over by some awesome bootstrappers.  Wait, what?   Now seriously - you know what that polemic of mine was about? Reaching people. Shaking them up. And it's done a far better job than any ""reasonable"" essay could.   EDIT: I didn't ask anyone to vote on anything, FYI. And thanks for the compliments. But I would like to see numbers on your ""higher probability for success"" from venture capital."
Is there a way to get into VC without going the IB route? Seems like its pretty much the only way that I've heard. I supposed one could be the head of a startup and then after a successful ride with VC could become employed by a VC firm. What other ways?
They have, several times (BOS, the Boston Celtics, seems like the most famous such IPO in the US).  They seem to always go private again after a while, though.   Just another company... Really not much to say about it.
That's what I was thinking right near the end. I didn't want him to essentially sell his business for $150,000, when he could easily walk away from there with $0 and get his investment from an outside source.   I still think it's risky to accept the royalties in exchange for full equity, but I'm glad he didn't give up any more than 30%!
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lol yea, I know. You think he's going to keep investing in and running his only meaninful competitor in a space he just made a big move in? Because he got a shitty super minority stake? Get out of here
Thiel is involved with at least 15 immense internet companies, not to mention his past ownership's. It's easy to draw conclusions from a-b without actually looking into all the details and complexity,  as long as it makes sense for you right?
I'm a believer in broad index funds for the vast majority of investors. However, I'm sure someone here is more qualified than me to speak to the correct allocation.   I'm mostly pointing out low-hanging fruit: you should (almost) never invest in the company that pays your wages. You could just dump it in the S&amp;P or some broad market index and be in a better position.