I was also looking for sources for showcasing my website: bizcoterie.com. One of my search results...

http://www.quora.com/Startups/How-do-you-promote-your-startu...

Thanks, this is pretty nice reference. Btw, I will soon face the same problem with launching my service http://besthi.re

I think that you're addressing a real issue for job applicants, but not sure about the domain name.

Thanks for the comment. Well, it's an experiment for now. I asked few HRs, and their reaction was positive ( of course this doesn't have to mean anything ). Beside emails, I think to offer blogs as well, something like john.besthi.re so we will see how it will go.

do you mean customer validation has to be done with an idea or concept. I thought having a MVP helps in that customer can more easily understand what you are talking about.

Talking to your parents and showing that what you are doing is likely to be beneficial. Probably you can shows the codes posted at github and then show where the coder is working--running their own show or running the show at some big company etc. If they see that what you are doing is what guys much older to you are doing and is likely to help you, probably your problem may get solved.

"Google was never really interested in the idea of "open" — yes they love "open" when it helps them, but it's actually a very opaque company which has a "my way or the highway" mindset."... Shades of Microsoft

If you want inspiration you need look no further than Winston Churchill. You could try to overcome it. I really like the card idea below. Why not Freelance... since most of it is done over mail.

Ivy League application reviewers should be able to answer this well...

Good work. Am sure you will get better. All the best.

Thanks man.

"become a respected peer to developers"... Why not respected peer to a Project Manager or...? Why focus so narrowly?

"is probably being done better than I can do it" .. probably you answered your own question with this. How are you going to take him on based on one feature if he is better? IMHO, Get going on another idea.

I meant more in terms of the quickest prototype I can launch; their mature product's version of this feature will be superior to my first creation. I do believe that over time I can compete and surpass them though.

I might be asking myself these questions... How important would that feature be? Would having the feature make a lot of difference? With this feature would your product be better? Will that feature alone allow you to sell better? How long would it take your competitor to add the feature? Would having this feature help your competitor to sell better?

If competitor will take time and will help him sell better then one option if you develop the feature is you could sell it to him if you can't compete

See if there's one feature that you can target and polish better than their version. That can be your spearhead selling point.

Edit: Just editing to comment on how full of "derp" this comment is. Reading comprehension fail on the original post - sorry! :/

"right way of presenting myself"... I constantly faced this problem. There are lots of people I know who can write resume to suit the job for which they are applying. May be resume writing skillset could help in this.