Ask HN: 3 months in - where should I take this project?
I just released a radically improved facebook version of the game at http://bit.ly/rhoHkH . It has everything set up, social elements, invite system, leaderboard, store , etc.
My question is, how do I get to the next level?
Some major barriers that I'm facing:
1) As an indie student developer, I find it very hard to compete with other social game developers.
2) The pros work in teams, have a marketing budget, and iterate very fast. They seem to have all the right ingredients to scale.
3) I can't afford a marketing budget. I can only put more sweat equity in game design.
4) Because I don't have a solid user base, I can't even start working on the 'business intelligence' side of social games (metrics monitoring, A/B testing, k-factors, etc). I'm missing out on that big time.
5) Mobile-wise, I'm working on porting the game to iOS+Android. Using existing frameworks like appMobi and PhoneGap decreases development time.
6) I considered starting a company solely developing multi-platform games. No luck so far (don't have VC connections, no access to talent, not based in the Valley). I also submitted my application to mobile game funds (TinyCo, YouWeb).
How do I get my skin in the game? Should I join a game startup? Can my talent be used in other startups? Should I form one myself?
Honestly, I don't think I can go far by working alone. I need to get into the major league.
PS: Am a grad student in Indiana (international citizen). Non-CS major.