"I build apps for people with big YouTube channels."
I find this is always the best answer, because trying to avoid conversations by saying "I have a startup", only results in the re-asking the "so, what do you do" question, to which I have to provide a real answer.
If your product actually IS a technology (and not just a website FOR a product), you're going to need a technical co-founder.
Without a technical person, you just have an idea. You may have the market and business plans all mapped out, but this is really just the tip of the iceberg. Your final product will largely be shaped by the technology behind it. Unless you have a detailed technical version of your app speced out for someone to build, whomever you 'hire' to do the coding for you is by default going to define your product just as much as (if not more than) you have.
Now you can hire someone to do this for you, but with high probability, this relationship isn't going to work out. You're going to need this person to work with you 24/7 and be as dedicated as you. That's by definition, a FOUNDER. Anyone treated differently will quit, and you'll be back to the beginning.
Exactly. If you can find someone that great (and that important to your business) who's genuinely happy with salary & options rather than full equity... then hire him because he's a rare beast.
My default view on anything is skepticism. I imagine that most HNers, being critical and logical thinkers, have similar positions. The abundance of skeptical posts makes sense to me.
YouTubers definitely cross promote each other, but it's not nearly as disgusting as you would think. In many ways, growing a new YouTube channel is very similar to growing a startup (these people are essentially startups themselves). At this point in the game, it's almost necessary to know someone more popular than you in order for your channel to get noticed.
I've worked with many YouTubers (I'm Ryan's co-founder), and can honestly say that they are nice people who appreciate each other's talents and want to help others like them succeed. They have a very strong sense of community, and they all know (or at least know OF) each other. Of course there are a few who do nasty things to try to get ahead, but those are by far the minority, and generally don't do well in the long run.
I haven't had much experience with dogs in the workplace, but having my rat around while I work is a very positive experience. He isn't particularly distracting, and he certainly reduces stress levels. I don't know if I'm a more productive programmer because of the rat, but I'm definitely happier while working.
California has seasons! There's Fog Season, Tomato Season, Banana Slug Season, Dry Season...
Kidding aside, I really miss East Coast seasons, too. Sure I can go to Tahoe if I want snow, but there's nothing like being bundled up and walking around NYC at night after a light dusting of snow... before it turns to gross brown slush.
As someone who is currently doing a startup in the Bay Area, lived in NYC for 6 years (and loved it) and went to Columbia, I don't even know where to start ripping apart this article. I'm hoping someone else already did it.
And for the record, Columbia is in Morningside Heights, not Harlem.
The way we got our name was pretty silly, and it happened in under a minute, so I'll share the story. My co-founder and I build apps, so we decided we should include the word 'app' in our name. I also tend to love company names with animals in them, so I had the idea to append an animal on the end. My co-founder held up our pet rat, and now we are AppRats.
We were initially concerned that people would be turned off by the word 'rat', as they occasionally are when we mention what type of pet we have. But as it turns out, most people really love the name, and they definitely remember us. Furthermore, being 'rats' completely describes our nature, as we are scrappy, extremely resilient, and making the most of the few resources we have.
The lesson we think applies here is that if you build your brand to reflect yourself, do what you do best, and make your customers happy, things generally work out pretty well.
"Rat" also has connotations of obsession, e.g. "gym rat". So an apprat would be one who eats, lives, and breathes apps -- just the kind of image you want to cultivate.
I find this is always the best answer, because trying to avoid conversations by saying "I have a startup", only results in the re-asking the "so, what do you do" question, to which I have to provide a real answer.