How to launch, startup playbook and cost calculator | Hacker News Reader

How to launch, startup playbook and cost calculator

howmuchtolaunchastartup.com

117 pointsbentossell21 comments

I'm not sure what this site is trying to be. The playbook just contains generic steps of a lean / startup process. The calculator seems to be a deal funnel for a consultancy which again is loose and amorphous.

Who's the audience here?

There's a lot of guides for starting VC funded & B2C things. I haven't been able to find a "guide" for setting up a software consultancy. I know a group of programmers who would sign up if I started one and I think I'm good enough at explaining difficulties/alternatives to someone who isn't technologically inclined.

It looks like there's a lot of need for people who can write quality software by contract in a timely manor it's just very difficult to find clients and start a real business. How do you make that first leap?

I find the progressiveness of the web app confusing - isn't there a page where I can see what exactly you're doing? Also I would expect a cost calculator that I can just use (and that is smarter than the 1k other calculators) instead of filling out a contact form.

In any case, the best of luck to you.

Their 4 week paid service to launch your startup idea sounds to me like, "If your idea is trivial enough that a couple guys can code it in a week... then we are those guys!"

good luck swindling the dreamy eyed 20 somethings... what a joke!

“Most recently I launched 10 Startups in 24 Hours.” – And that should make me feel better as a customer? I’d prefer someone who customises advice and plans...

This is an ad for their paid services or something? I went through a bunch of button presses that seemed to lead to a page promoting me to buy something?

Nice idea but such a calculator really depends on the type of business and the amounts from this one seem really low. Depending on your business and the number of people that actively can do tasks involved ofcourse.

I think that this survey is a feeder to a company that can do some (minimal?) marketing, legal etc. for you.

I suspect, as with all things, you'll get what you pay for.

EDIT: They describe themselves as "co-founder as a service"[0]

[0] - https://theupstarters.co/

hey.

Yeah obviously its all situational. This calculator is there to give someone an idea of what it may cost to launch. You can of course go to places like crew.co and check out there calculator for their services.

We are focused on speed and getting MVPs out the door to validate.

Its not for everyone of course and we're cool with that.

just wanted to share our process of doing things and if we can be helpful to people then happy to!

Understood, just wanted to state that it seems low. I launched some companies in the UK and the amount you quoted was from a tenth to a thousandth if the actual cost depending on the company. But the lowest (ramen startup) cost for those services was 10x higher than your quote. So maybe you are really nicely priced or you get in clients this way and up sell? Which is a viable sales strategy by the way.

Agreed.

We think that lots of companies charge extortionate prices to 'help' founders where they don't have the money and resources to do so at the early stages.

Moving quickly and focusing on the Minimum Viable Product is our speciality and this ensures people don't waste time or money building something for no-one.

We do have services that can help after the launch stages of course :)

It would be cool with a startup service, where you just need to have an idea, and take strategic decisions, while all the work is done by other people.

More concrete examples would be helpful: actual user acquisition channels that could work and how to use them. Everything else is relatively easy: User acquisition is the hardest part.

Why to write something that exist for years and is for many ppl a holy bible for starting a startup? Has not even gone out of date and nobody wrote anything better. :)

https://gettingreal.37signals.com/toc.php

For years I watch how many medium articles, websites or self-appointed internet gurus write about the same thing over and over again... with very weak effect.

It's nothing personal, yet I don't like that chat look that force me to click and click to read something.

BTW. U make super advanced website for "Your estimated cost for this project is £1800"?

I agree that the website is overkill for what is trying to be communicated but...

> Why write something that exists?

B/c it's good to have more than 1 opinion. If someone has successfully started a startup or 2, I would want to hear their story. Looks like the writers have some experience. I'm not big into relying on 1 bible.

Yet it's almost the same thing. With minor difference that they focus on interviews and long-term strategy than making MVP from day one. Also if you search through medium articles u will find hundreds of startup bibles based on Getting Real. ;)

For me Getting Real is saying one thing "Don't think to much... Just fuckin' do it!". :)

Thanks for that link - I had not come across it, but it is really very well put together. Just reading the chapter titles and one line descriptions is pretty useful!

OP's original link is nice too, but it takes a while longer to get through.

Awesome! Good luck Ben!

Thanks!

I'm going to have to call out Ben Tossel for vote brigading. Here's a link : https://twitter.com/bentossell/status/920574217841774592

This is not product hunt to say "Hey we launched on PH" which is code for "come upvote my post".

I can only speculate on what goes in private, but you get the point.

This practice of vote brigading is very very common for people who have any meaningful following or are close to "influencers". I know a shit ton of people who do either open vote brigading or do so privately. It's also very easy to avoid the voting ring detector since launches are rare. It's fucking disgusting to say the least.

The only consolation for me is that such people will not succeed long term or at least very few will succeed. To the community : please keep your eyes open, a lot of content does not get to the front page organically, when you see such posts call them out.

I hope the comments on this post make sense with this context.

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