Ask HN: How to get small funding or free developers for a project? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: How to get small funding or free developers for a project?

3 pointsjoshmlewis2 comments

Hello! My name is Josh Lewis, I am a designer more so than a developer from South Carolina. I have an idea that seems to have a lot of potential behind it. It's not revolutionary or "world changing" as soon apps claim to be, it's just another thing to help bring something traditionally on paper, online. I've talked with firms and business owners and they both seem to think it's a great idea.

That being said, I'm not a great developer. I don't know much PHP or any other language really to build a full scale app like the one I have in mind. I need a developer, or a couple to help bring this to life. I have mockups for the app and everything mapped out. Someone suggested I get funding or find developers that wouldn't mind donating time. You will get part of the profits in the end. I'm not greedy.

Edit: It's basically a post-scheduling app for businesses.

You are asking for technical co-founders. Search for the term and you'll see many, many such requests. Ideas come to many people, good hackers are rare. Good hackers who are available to work on your unspecified idea that someone random thinks is great, are virtually non-existant.

Go read the other requests for technical co-founders, and read the responses. Then come back.

Oh, and tell us that one of your prospective customers has actually given you money for the promise of a product. Tell them they'll get a refund if it never appears. If you have one paying customer, people will pay attention.

If I may add to this...

Step 1: Create a landing page using Unbounce, you do not need to know how to code in order to do this. Describe your idea and begin promoting the landing page to collect email addresses of interested people. This will work best for "low touch sales" ideas.

If your idea needs a more intensive sales approach, try and get a letter of intent (non-binding agreement to purchase the software when ready) from potential customers.

Step 2: Once you have an idea of how much interest there is, you would then be able to approach potential tech co-founders with a more substantial proposal - "looking for a co-founder for a startup with X interested users, offering Y%" might be more attractive than "I have a great idea, can you build it for me".

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