Ask HN: Building a new software company in 2022 | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Building a new software company in 2022

8 pointsfandorin12 comments

If you were to start a new software company in 2022, what tools/apps would you choose to cover all the important areas in the best way possible? (e.g. recruitment, onboarding, communication, docs, marketing, CRM).

Based on what you already know.

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I know it's not what you want to hear, but the tools/apps would probably in the very very bottom of my list of things to worry about.

That said I'd use:

Communication: Gmail

Docs: Google Docs

CRM: Google Docs

Team Collaboration: Google Sheets

All free tools, no need to get fancy here. Again, the least of my worries.

You are one google blacklist away from losing access to everything.

Unlikely, and if so i’ll just create a new account. I cant worry about such things when creating a new business

There's plenty of stories on HN of those on Google blacklists. It's more likely the more Google services you use.

Are you planning on making apps, running Google (AdMob) ads, or using Firebase? Because that has a decent risk of getting banned and affecting unrelated Google stuff.

If you're a billion dollar business, it's less likely, but even Kindle has recently stopped selling books through their app because of Google's new terms and services.

Add backup owners (your #2).

Interestingly, I've found that tools become less important the more you nail your purpose, culture, communications and processes.

For that, the Traction book would get you off to a very good start in implementing your company "Operating System".

I do understand your interest in tools though, but I spent far too long obsessing over tools in my business. Perhaps it's because I'm a software developer and I wanted to believe that tools could fix the problems, rather than facing up to the more human challenges.

Right now our 15-person business uses Notion, Slack, Google Docs, Figma Jam, Semrush and Productive. These cover all the things you mentioned.

The important area is paying customers.

All the things you mention are only nice to haves.

Because money from customers allows for inefficiencies.

Good luck.

All the great ideas for starting a software company have been taken and executed.

And if you have a great idea which hasn’t been taken, it is most likely a feature that the big tech companies will just steal anyway. (e.g Clubhouse)

The competition is far too great to start a startup.

This is so incredibly wrong.

> All the great ideas for starting a software company have been taken and executed.

Wow. I am amazed a comment like this could be made by someone reading Hacker News.

It's ironic, but HN is one of the most anti-startup communities out there.

I think because running a startup is well within the grasp of most people here, but there's a personal reason not to, and like religious or political beliefs, it gets amplified.

i think that this really should read “you can build it but you probably can’t buy the required visibility or user base to achieve critical mass”. i think these days the problem is not how to build something but where you find the money to be able to compete.

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