MrMike

I think that, depending on the type of product/service they're offering, it could definitely be worth it. If it's a consumer product targeting less computer savvy folks, the shorter/easier the better. If it's something my parents would use, and they could go to "z dot com" instead of "z dash gardening dot com". On the other hand, if it's a site that targets HNers, then it's probably harder to justify.

Gotcha... just don't fall into the "i'm done!" mindset

Sorry.. last one... "Finished" isn't really a mindset I'd recommend when developing anything (especially web apps). Definitely pat yourself on the back for hitting a milestone and releasing this version, but unless you won't be updating or improving the service, you're not finished. =)

One more - Clicking share should pre-highlight the share link so I have to do a little less work to get the url.

Gave it a try. Some feedback:

Signed up then landed on the main screen, but wasn't instantly sure what to do there. Then I clicked the +, searched, and added a couple of videos that immediately started playing, but they were obscured by the "Add Videos" window, and no "Close" or "Hide" link anywhere. Clicking off to the side hid the window.

At that point, it was me watching a queue of youtube videos alone. I could share the room, but there was no interaction possible with the other client I had in the room.

Also, the second client I had started the video from 0:00 vs where I was at. While it would probably be too complex to make it exactly sync'd, starting a newly joined user at approximately the same place in the currently playing song as the others would help.

There was no way to change the size of the video. Since there was no social interaction, I thought I'd just watch my queue full screen, but that wasn't possible.

Keep at it!

I just compiled a list of reading (and watching) materials for this yesterday. Here you go:

http://blip.tv/djangocon-europe-2010/idan-gazit-design-for-d... (great overview of the major design aspects - nearly 1hr)

http://media1.kadavy.net/allthefontsyoulleverneed-kadavy.pdf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X4f83C8ANg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkJ6fPPRA5Q

18min http://vimeo.com/1542721

http://journal.drawar.com/d/we-do-not-need-you-to-design-any...

http://designingfortheweb.co.uk/book/ (free)

Been there. I'm sure most of HN has.

No one but you can decide if your best course of action is taking the sweet ass job or trying to launch a kick ass startup, or a combination of both.

It seems as though you're paralyzed by the abundance of ideas you have. Something you need to come to terms with is that an idea, for the most part, is worth only how well you can execute it. So, my advice is: Pick one idea and give it your all. If you need to have a day job to cover expenses, etc., then do it on the side, but do it. Stop talking about your idea. Stop rehashing it over and over and over. Stop abandoning it and moving on to "some better idea". Just buckle up and enjoy the crazy ride. If you keep bouncing around from idea to idea, you're never going to get your feet wet actually trying to execute on it, which means when you have that golden idea, you'll be navigating uncharted waters, versus having the ability to say "I've dealt with this issue before. I can make it a non-issue."

You'll recognize (hopefully quickly) whether or not your idea has legs and can turn into something bigger/better/etc. But you'll never know if you don't pick something and go for it. Also, recognize that there's no harm in trying something then shifting gears and going a different direction (or going after another idea). It's a part of the game. Rarely will you ever see a successful entrepeneur that executed well on the first idea they pursued, while having that first idea remain very similar to its original concept during the "light-bulb" moment. Pick the idea that will give you the most enjoyment with high potential.

So, you seem to have answered your own question in Q2. Unless you have other financial resources to sustain yourself, then taking a job and pursuing your entrepreneurial goals on the side is likely your best option. There's no harm/shame in doing that. Be aware of the agreements you sign with the company you work for -- you don't want them claiming rights to what you do after work, etc.

Happy to be your alpha tester =)

You're probably aware, but 12:35pm 8/22 - site is down.

Trying to keep the discussion more general, versus specific to our company/product.

In terms of giving them a choice, yes, that's definitely something we've got on the roadmap, but I'm wondering if there are best practices/frequency to abide by in the mean time.

Thanks

Thanks! Will work on those shortly.

Also interested in this.

It's a proof of concept to see if people will engage with the market as a game. It should be pretty obvious I'm no designer, but the algo behind it is pretty cool taking into account various factors when awarding scores at market close, including: - volatility that day - when the prediction was made - how close to the actual close the prediction was

Would love HN's feedback on what next steps should be to get people to give it a go.

Given how turbulent the market has been recently, thought it would be a fun few hour detour from my normal work.

www.voyurl.com/welovehn for private beta access

Hey HN -

I'm Mike - founder of LaunchSpark. Had a couple of great calls with HNers that suggested I add some information about myself here and on the site. I added a more in-depth bio to the About LaunchSpark page [http://www.launchspark.net/p/about.html].

I'd be happy to answer any questions.

-Mike

Hey everyone... I know that there are mixed feelings about social sign on around here, but I'd like to show this off anyhow.

SimpleAuth is a completely free Social Sign On / Multi-point Sharing / Contact Management (for letting users invite their others from their friend lists or address books).

SimpleAuth also addresses a major issue with the largest commercial player in the market -- the fact that with other services, your provider API Keys are tied to their domain (YOURNAME.THEIRDOMAIN.COM). With SimpleAuth, you create a CNAME and all the API Keys from the providers are tied to your domain. Should the unthinkable happen, you won't be left out in the cold asking your users to re-register.

We're like the SimpleGeo of SSO/sharing/contacts. We've got some pretty neat stuff in the pipeline that will be the revenue driver, but the SSO/Sharing/Contacts will always be free in their full glory.

Would love to hear your thoughts.