Seeking web developer for start-up opportunity

Hi guys

We’re a new and unique start-up that's looking for a web developer whose proficient in PHP, mySQL and CSS.

The sort of web-app we are trying to develop has never been done before and the basic specs are as follows:

-Custom back-end and front-end for 4 different types of registered users, each with unique roles, plus an admin login.
-It will be dealing with large amounts of data, some of which will need to be sorted and charted (preferably with Google chart tools)
-to be able to generate a printable pdf with certain data
-One type of user will need to be able to sign using a digital signature service (perhaps Acrobat Digital Signature API?)
-To be able to send SMS’s with a unique code
-Manage advertising
-be able to send newsletters to one type of user
-be mobile/tablet friendly
-be very secure
-be able to easily integrate with third-party software (most likely through data export of xml file)

Original development estimate was 136hours.

We anticipate this to be a long-term project with periodic upgrades and additional features being added.

Ideally we’d like the developer to come on board at risk in return for an equity stake. NDA required.

Please PM me if you're interested in discussing this enormous opportunity.

Any help or advice will be much appreciated.

Any self-respecting web developer (that's good at what they do) will decline this. We all have fallen for the "OMG opper-tune-a-teeh!!" scam. Money upfront or no code.

AcidRaZor said:

Any self-respecting web developer (that's good at what they do) will decline this. We all have fallen for the "OMG opper-tune-a-teeh!!" scam. Money upfront or no code.

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Thats pretty much it. I hardly code at all and get requests all the time to develop the "latest most great most fantastic idea ever"... for free. I can guarantee you any experienced coder would have had this happen to him several times.

As someone who has started up two IT related companies, I can assure you that you will not get the right quality applicant at risk and it will cause problems further doqn the line that you probably haven't even considered yet.

Invest money in your people upfront and save that 10% equity stake for yourself...

Perhaps a developer with a little more ambition and entrepreneurial drive would think differently. By no means do I imply that I want the development to be done for "free" as I would expect someone to be able to envisage the future payoffs (dividends) would be far greater than the amount that they would earn upfront after analyzing the business plan. Equity is not free, often in a successful venture, paying with equity is the most expensive method. Maybe if certain developers understood business a bit better they wouldn't get caught in "scams" or waste their time on ventures that would not be viable. Painting everyone with same brush and generalizing the way you have before even reviewing the opportunity is incredibly small minded.

For others out there, we are also open to development in return for a combination of cash and equity.

How much is YOUR initial investment? Is it a "business venture" where IT makes up the largest portion of said "venture"? If your answer is yes then the IT developer is carrying all the risk and the developer should be giving you shares of the "company" not the other way round. Ideas are nothing without work and therefore armed only with an idea your contribution is almost 0 and your risk 0.

I've been offered these kind of "opportunities" myself a few times. Every time the risk to the other guys is 0, but I would have to put in a large amount of work.

Let me give you little insight into the IT industry:
There is a MASSIVE shortage of skills. No developer has trouble finding work. A university graduate can walk out of University today and get a job in less than a week (easily, I saw it happen this year multiple times with the people I studied with).

So considering you are looking for someone desperate, what kind of quality developer do you expect to find?

reeced said:

... has never been done before ...
... development estimate was 136hours.
... to come on board at risk in return for an equity stake.

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No thanks, pft!

reeced said:

Equity is not free, often in a successful venture, paying with equity is the most expensive method.

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You seem confused. A start-up is not a "successful venture". Equity is only worth something if its already successful (N/A in this case) or has a high chance of succeeding. In short you'd need to convince developers that this has a chance of succeeding. This hasn't happened...in fact all the "opportunities" talk suggests the opposite. Here you'd need to convince the developer not only that the equity is worth >R0 but also that its worth more than the developers initial contribution.

In this particular case you're asking someone to:
* Take the risk
* Do the work
* Contribute capital

In which case the developer might as well start a business himself & avoid the part where he/she shares profits for his/her work with you.

reeced said:

Perhaps a developer with a little more ambition and entrepreneurial drive would think differently. By no means do I imply that I want the development to be done for "free" as I would expect someone to be able to envisage the future payoffs (dividends) would be far greater than the amount that they would earn upfront after analyzing the business plan. Equity is not free, often in a successful venture, paying with equity is the most expensive method. Maybe if certain developers understood business a bit better they wouldn't get caught in "scams" or waste their time on ventures that would not be viable. Painting everyone with same brush and generalizing the way you have before even reviewing the opportunity is incredibly small minded.

For others out there, we are also open to development in return for a combination of cash and equity.

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I have to agree with everyone here your "attitude" is wrong towards this matter

Pay a company to do proper work and take it from there

Nothing in life is free as you are not the ones taking the risk the developer has a month or 2 months of his life to loose

I would rather spend the 136 hours walking with my dog or playing battlefield 3 at least I can level up

reeced said:

Perhaps a developer with a little more ambition and entrepreneurial drive would think differently. By no means do I imply that I want the development to be done for "free" as I would expect someone to be able to envisage the future payoffs (dividends) would be far greater than the amount that they would earn upfront after analyzing the business plan. Equity is not free, often in a successful venture, paying with equity is the most expensive method. Maybe if certain developers understood business a bit better they wouldn't get caught in "scams" or waste their time on ventures that would not be viable. Painting everyone with same brush and generalizing the way you have before even reviewing the opportunity is incredibly small minded.

For others out there, we are also open to development in return for a combination of cash and equity.

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Lol just remember no one needs you, you need a developer (dont forgot that)

AcidRaZor said:

Any self-respecting web developer (that's good at what they do) will decline this.

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Agree with you AZ since web-devs don't know how to code

AcidRaZor said:

We all have fallen for the "OMG opper-tune-a-teeh!!" scam. Money upfront or no code.

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But you got to understand he has reinvented sliced white bread! Do you really wan to kick yourself when his wonderful product gets bought out by Google for $100 million .... (more )