Ask HN: Can I compete? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Can I compete?

14 pointswinsbe0123 comments

I am looking for help/advice.

A few weeks ago, I had a flash of inspiration, which turned into a good idea. The more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a _great_ idea. I looked around for other companies/products that were doing something like it already, figuring something had to be out there. I couldn't find it, so I began figuring out how to make it myself.

However, I discovered a service yesterday that does almost exactly what I wanted to do. It's not completely off the ground yet, but it's been covered in the press, is YC backed, and was built by three people from companies like Google and Apple.

I've never worked for a huge tech company, nor do I have any funding or co-founders. How can I compete? Can I?

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I grew up relatively poor, in a small town (800 people), didn't do that great in college, went to a no-name college in the midwest. I used to think like you "How will I ever compete"

And then I started to meet people the exact opposite of who I was. I realized they are just like me, and there is nothing to be afraid of.

If you're motivated and half way intelligent you'll be fine. Things probably won't turn out how you expected, but you'll be okay.

yeah, it's hard to imagine being similar to someone who built something covered in TC, when something I built has only ever been covered on my (small) college's website. they don't seem to compare :)

So, you've got coverage already. Awesome!

Use the stair step technique. Who is slightly bigger than your college's website? City/State Paper? And then build from there!

thank you for your motivation! I really appreciate it. it's because of smart, motivational people like you that this board flourishes

It's near impossible to find anything with zero competition. If you think you can build and market it, do it. You never know what direction your competition is going to take.

I'm working on project that would have been in direct competition with a YC funded company. Then they were bought by Twitter and dissolved a month before my launch date.

Thank you for your response! I really do want to try to build this thing, and it helps to hear that just because I'm up against a huge obstacle, doesn't mean I can't do it.

Undoubtedly.

It's really up to you. With most things, it's really about the execution and first-mover advantage is increasingly becoming even less important.

As for competition, that's generally a good thing. It simply means that you might be on to something if other people are pursuing the same opportunity.

yeah, that was one of my thoughts too. If it's already been funded, someone must think it's a good idea.

I think a lot of my fear is they are three ex-tech-giant guys, and I'm one guy who didn't even apply in the Valley because I don't think I'm a coding "rockstar".

Color is an app founded by three ex-tech-giant guys.

haha, fantastic point :)

I once read somewhere (I honestly can't remember where) that if you are the only one pursuing a business idea with absolutely no competition, you are either a genius, or a fool.

This all comes down to such trite sentences as: "Ideas are a dime a dozen", "Execution is everything", blah blah blah.

I really like the "genius or fool" quote, it is perfect. thanks for sharing!

If you have an idea, at least 5 different people have already had it. Blah blah blah all boils down to if you think you can make it, then will make it.

With regards to market position and all that stuff, thats where strategic thinking come in. Its how Apple unseated RIM. Google slammed Yahoo, Altavista and all those others. And lets not forget YouTube. None of these companies were the first in their field, but they are at the pinnacle today.

All that said, practically speaking, it would be an excellent idea to involve others - mentors, board members, financiers, and/or cofounders. Best course of action is to find a startup incubator nearby and get the feel for the people there.

Thank you for the advice. I think the sell to cofounders/financiers will go over better once I have the prototype working :)

You could ALWAYS compete. When you have a great idea and it seemed obvious and there is no one doing it, you should reconsider it. A good idea is afraid of being lonely.

very good point. thanks!

Make it and release before them, steal their thunder.

1 competitor is nothing to worry about. Like everyone has said competitors mean there is likely a market. That being said given they haven't launched nothing is proven.

Find a niche and own it.

So, a market sector with no competition? Or is this sector still niche because only one service is addressing it?

I would avoid a market sector with no competition. If you have no competition, you're probably creating a problem to solve.

Sometimes competition is a bad word to use though, and it is better to think of as alternatives. For example, the first car company had no competition, but they had alternatives (the horse).

interesting, I've never thought of it that way. that actually is a fantastic parallel in this case, too.

I know competition brings innovation, but it still makes me feel very self-conscious about my abilities to create a comparable product, one that could be considered an "alternative".

Thanks for your response!

I have been cataloging my ideas for several months now, in preparation for bringing others into the loop to help further refine and develop them,

By every metric bandied about on most start-up/entrepreneur websites involving initial position to make a good jump, I wouldn't appear to have a chance. I certainly don't fit the model of elite-school graduate with powerful social networks/resources installed from boot-up.

I don't even think about that stuff. It's information detailing other people. Not me. Not my thoughts. Not my ideas. Not my approach. Not my experience. Not my insight. Not my life.

Not a problem.

They say there's nothing you can say or do that hasn't been said or done before... but we've got more resources at our fingertips this instant than the entirety of all civilizations on Earth did just 20 years ago. We have the ability to grow our thoughts into real things like never before in history, and I mean to use them. You should too-- be exited, not pensive.

Be awesome-- your inspiration is not like others, and your implementation need not be the same either.

I think of articulating ideas in a software solution context as describing Mona Lisa's smile. Many people will use many different words. Some will sound better to some people than others, and others will sound good to everyone-- but there is no perfect answer for everyone. Just remember the most important thing: they are all describing the same thing! Of course there will be similarities between them. They're trying to solve the same problem(s). No worries.

All you can do is observe, watch others observe, and learn to describe your solution the best way you can-- using your vision and the world around you as a feedback mechanism to tweak and develop your approach.

You might have a superior element to your design that the current developers will not even ponder until they see you implement it.

TL;DR: JUST DO IT.

thank you for your in-depth reply, I really enjoyed it! I love you metaphor of Mona Lisa's smile, it works perfectly for describing how people feel about different approaches to the same "problem".

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