The graveyard of good ideas
Solutions that were tried, and what stopped them.
Patents that were rejected or abandoned, products that shut down, projects that went quiet. Borrow the idea, avoid the dead end.
1,703 solutions
- startupShut down2009
Ask YC: My school wants to shut down my app. How should I respond?
Few hours ago, I received this letter from my public uni's CIO: http://www.scribd.com/doc/15099510/i-letter1 The site can be seen at http://www.classhunt.com Full story: I launched ClassHunt about a month ago. The campus newspaper covered and ~500 people are using it so far. Many are totally in love with it("ClassHunt is AWESOME! I give you serious props for creating this site. I've already told a couple of friends about it and one of them has had the same luck that I have. You're going to prevent a lot of headaches with this system! :)"). The technology behind is in python. It queries the uni's server for every department on campus and parses the course data. At first, I was querying every minute, so ~130 requests/minute. Now I am querying every 15minutes. Few days ago I received an email that my server IP had been blocked. The lady from IT dept was very nice and willing to work with me
Why it failed: Few hours ago, I received this letter from my public uni's CIO: http://www.scribd.com/doc/15099510/i-letter1 The site can be seen at http://www.classhunt.com Full story: I launched ClassHunt about a month ago. The campus newspaper covered and ~500 people are using it so far. Many
zaidf
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: If Google is a monopoly, should we be doing anything about it?
Hi all, I read the article "A Brief History of Google Killers" (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=616482) and saw these numbers: "[...] show Live Search’s share as fluctuating over the past couple of years, but never exceeding 2.6 percent. Google’s share? Eighty-one percent, up from 75 percent two years ago. [...]" These numbers are indicative of a monopoly situation where for-profit organisations could/(do) shaft the end user. Microsoft is in the news every so often about antitrust cases against them. Why not Google? However, I do not keep abreast of litigation stories and don't want to go through reams of information to get insight into the issue So, I am asking HN: What do you think? Where is it going?
Why it failed: Hi all, I read the article "A Brief History of Google Killers" (http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=616482) and saw these numbers: "[...] show Live Search’s share as fluctuating over the past couple of years, but never exceeding 2.6 percent. Google’s share? Eighty-one percent, up
stijnm
- startupShut down2009
Ask PG: Do you ever fund startups outside of normal Y Comb. funding cycles?
Hey Paul, In the case that someone were to run a startup in the months leading up to Christmas, has there ever been a situation where Y Combinator has provided funding to a startup outside of the "normal" funding cycles? I ask this for two simple reasons: 1. A friend and I are going to be working on our own startup coming this fall, in this case potential funding MAY be needed before the Winter Y Combinator session starts. 2. Neither of us can really relocate to California at this time. It has potential in the future, but not for this coming winter. If PG doesn't have any insight into something like this, does anyone else have information pertaining to something like this? Thanks a lot. EDIT: Since everyone seems to think that we are looking for funding right now, I will clear things up by saying that no, we are not looking for any funding at this point in time.
Why it failed: Hey Paul, In the case that someone were to run a startup in the months leading up to Christmas, has there ever been a situation where Y Combinator has provided funding to a startup outside of the "normal" funding cycles? I ask this for two simple reasons: 1. A friend and I are go
jlgosse
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: Please Review My Project (JS Game Engine)
Hi Everyone, This is the first time that I've submitted anything here, but I lurk and read HN daily. My partner Joe and I just launched a suite of tools for building 2D web games with pure JavaScript and we'd really love your feedback. http://www.effectgames.com Briefly: we're a web developer and designer who are both very heavily into video games. While trying to avoid any negativity around Flash, we thought standard and open web tech would be a better basis for creating games (plus we're more familiar with JavaScript). We have been working on this off and on for over four years, and now we're ready to release the "Effect Engine" -- a pure JavaScript / DHTML framework for displaying and animating game graphics, playing sounds & music, handling keyboard & mouse, and performing sprite collision detection. It smoothly renders multiple layers of parallax scrolling tiles and sprites
Why it failed: Hi Everyone, This is the first time that I've submitted anything here, but I lurk and read HN daily. My partner Joe and I just launched a suite of tools for building 2D web games with pure JavaScript and we'd really love your feedback. http://www.effectgames.com Briefly: we're a
itsmin
- startupShut down2009
If someone has a perception, even an incorrect one, there's reason for it.
Hi HackerNews. This is an extended version of a response to a complaint about new Linux users suggesting changes to Linux packaging http://ubuntusyndrome.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/johnny-come-lately-linux-heroes/. The point I'm making is not just about Linux though. I thought HN may get a kick out of it... If someone has a perception, there's a reason for it, even if that perception isn't itself correct. In regards to the article above, yes, apt makes things easy when you learn how to use it. The modern day 'App Store' concept is an extension of this concept. But there's a world of difference in the user experience of 'Synaptic Package Manager' versus App Store. End-user apps aren't separated from libraries and development tools, categories are aimed at software developers, descriptions of a package called 'foo' read 'This is a package of foo' or 'This is a graphical interface for libfoo'
Why it failed: Hi HackerNews. This is an extended version of a response to a complaint about new Linux users suggesting changes to Linux packaging http://ubuntusyndrome.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/johnny-come-lately-linux-heroes/. The point I'm making is not just about Linux though. I thought HN m
nailer
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: Are we in trouble?
Honestly... does anyone have any idea. I have been hearing people like Donny Deutch coming out and saying 'ignore the noise, it's all hype' and I turn on Bill Maher who says 'it's all gonna hit the fan.' Has anyone seen any economic case studies, predictions, or articles, that can shed some light on what is REALLY going on here.
Why it failed: Honestly... does anyone have any idea. I have been hearing people like Donny Deutch coming out and saying 'ignore the noise, it's all hype' and I turn on Bill Maher who says 'it's all gonna hit the fan.' Has anyone seen any economic case studies, predictions, or articles, that ca
keltecp11
- startupShut down2009
YC Applicants: Q&A with Abby and Ivan Kirigin of Tipjoy
I have recently exchanged Q&A emails with Ivan Kirigin, the founder of tipjoy.com, about his experiences being in the Y Combinator. I want to really thank Ivan and Abby for replying all these questions with depth. I've promised I would share these Q&A with the community so all YC applicants can have a taste and feel of what's to come and more importantly what the application process is like. I also want to thank Andrew Warner from mixergy.com for helping me and inspiring me to apply for Y Combinator. If you ever need to learn entrepreneurship, his interviews is a great way to learn it from. Here's the Q&A: Q: Did you have to assist the financial risks that were involved with both of you in the same business? Isn't it like putting all your eggs in one basket? The worst case scenario was that we would have to go back to 'regular' jobs. Leaving a job at a big company to start yo
Why it failed: I have recently exchanged Q&A emails with Ivan Kirigin, the founder of tipjoy.com, about his experiences being in the Y Combinator. I want to really thank Ivan and Abby for replying all these questions with depth. I've promised I would share these Q&A with the community s
releasedatez
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: I'm looking for a technical co-founder/partner.
I read HackerNews almost daily, and I always enjoy the articles and the discussions about startups, software and code. So, I'm hoping that there might be a similarly minded HN reader out there who is looking for their next big thing. As a preface, I've had a lot of software developed, but I've never worked full-time on software with a co-founder/partner. Much of this is new to me, so I would definitely be open to comments or ideas about the way I'm performing this search from other members of HN, especially about the responsibilities I've listed below. The Offer : In one sentence, I'm looking for someone to work with me to build a Software as a Service business based in Japan. I'm experienced at IT sales, running a business and managing people. I have a large network of contacts in Japan, and Webnet IT has a large 'built-in' active customer base that are interested in software that provi
Why it failed: I read HackerNews almost daily, and I always enjoy the articles and the discussions about startups, software and code. So, I'm hoping that there might be a similarly minded HN reader out there who is looking for their next big thing. As a preface, I've had a lot of software devel
jason_tko
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: PhD, Startup, or Career?
I'm nearing the end of my undergraduate Computer Science degree and I've been presented with the opportunity to read/study for a PhD fully funded by my University. The trouble is, I also hold job offers with two of the most prominent software vendors in the world. I'm at a cross roads as to which route to take at this point. To add further confusion to my life, I've also been given a great idea for a startup and have the chance of working with a really cool co-founder. I really don't know which way to go with this one, any ideas? I'll give a short description of the startup just in case you are wondering. My friend did a year long industrial work placement at a finance company while at University. He worked in the anti money laundering division. While he was there he had to use some god awful enterprise software that made use of some pretty bad pattern matching algorithms. Basically, he
Why it failed: I'm nearing the end of my undergraduate Computer Science degree and I've been presented with the opportunity to read/study for a PhD fully funded by my University. The trouble is, I also hold job offers with two of the most prominent software vendors in the world. I'm at a cross
student
- startupShut down2009
Tell HN: Four (hopefully) unique and useful start-up tips
I've read a lot of posts here on HN about start-up tips and advice. Many are good, but some are too vague to be actionable. Others, while useful, sometimes repeat common themes. I run a start-up that is relatively successful. I am a long time lurker on HN, and wanted to give back to the community. I don’t have a personal blog, and HN is the primary audience I want to share this with, so apologies in advance for the formatting. Although they might sound similar to other posts, hopefully these tips will be unique enough for someone to find useful. I know that they've been worthwhile for me. == 1. Learn to say "no" gracefully == A lot of tips stress the importance of saying "no", turning down projects that you can’t do, and focusing on your core competencies. This is all great advice. However, in my experience, saying no is not always an easy task. Often times, you’ll be saying "no" to an e
Why it failed: I've read a lot of posts here on HN about start-up tips and advice. Many are good, but some are too vague to be actionable. Others, while useful, sometimes repeat common themes. I run a start-up that is relatively successful. I am a long time lurker on HN, and wanted to give back
ackkchoo
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: What to do after graduation with 100k?
I'm a regular reader and commenter, but for this question wished to remain anonymous. I apologize about the length of this, you can skip to the end for the question if you are short on time, but would really be grateful for any responses as I really value the HN community. Background: I'm 21 and currently approaching the final year of my undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia. I'm a business major at the McIntire school which is fairly respected (http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/rankings/index.html) and concentrating in management with a sort of sub-track in a newly launched entrepreneurship program that I'm excited about (co-taught by some entrepreneur alumni). The business program is a two year program and I came out of high school with enough college credits that I've been able to take more or less any classes I've been interested in (mostly Philosophy, Political theor
Why it failed: I'm a regular reader and commenter, but for this question wished to remain anonymous. I apologize about the length of this, you can skip to the end for the question if you are short on time, but would really be grateful for any responses as I really value the HN community. Backgr
graduating
- startupShut down2009
Own up HN: What are your craziest abandoned projects?
I think everyone has at least one of these projects: something that seemed like an awesome idea when you started it, then mid-way through you realize how bad it was for such-and-such reason. Going through my old files this afternoon in an effort to reclaim some HDD space reminded me of some of the crazier ideas I've had. It's always great to follow up your ideas, but it's even better to realize when they're totally crazy! I'm sure that all of you have some great stories, and who knows, maybe our crazy ideas will inspire someone else to write their own crazy, and possibly great, app!
Why it failed: I think everyone has at least one of these projects: something that seemed like an awesome idea when you started it, then mid-way through you realize how bad it was for such-and-such reason. Going through my old files this afternoon in an effort to reclaim some HDD space reminded
aarongough
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: Don't show points?
I was thinking about group think and how to keep it out of HN. And I ran into a fundamental problem/cause: Psychologically, people naturally follow groupthink. No matter how much you stress not following it, they'll still be inclined to follow the herd. So just saying "try not to follow groupthink" isn't good enough. Instead, why not make it less possible to follow groupthink? So here's my suggestion: stop displaying the points. Maybe still gray out downvoted comments, but I think even that is unnecessary. They'll float down to the bottom of the thread anyway. And I know that when I see a downvoted thread, I read it differently. I don't say "maybe a couple people just didn't like what they said, and it was actually ok" coming into it, I say "what did this person do wrong? What stupid thing did they say?" I come into it biased because of the points it has. Same goes for a comment with a l
Why it failed: I was thinking about group think and how to keep it out of HN. And I ran into a fundamental problem/cause: Psychologically, people naturally follow groupthink. No matter how much you stress not following it, they'll still be inclined to follow the herd. So just saying "try not to
jackowayed
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: The ideal company for programmers, or giving freedom to your programmers
I find myself often torn between two desires: a) Having the freedom to work on something I'm passionate about. And being able to work on it by my schedule (this doesn't mean I'll be working 4 hrs a day, but it does mean that I can choose to work 4 hrs on a day of low creativity). I usually conclude that I'll need to start my own company if I want to achieve this. b) Building a great product. Working on something like a Google Android, which usually requires a team. I think the crux of the conflict is this: If given the freedom to work according to my creative instinct and my schedule, my output in one week would far exceed the 40 hr output that my company gets out of me right now. My company (and many others that I've seen), unfortunately, do not realize this, or can not risk having a "maverick" on the team. In the end, its a loss for the company, and frustrating for me. Programming jobs
Why it failed: I find myself often torn between two desires: a) Having the freedom to work on something I'm passionate about. And being able to work on it by my schedule (this doesn't mean I'll be working 4 hrs a day, but it does mean that I can choose to work 4 hrs on a day of low creativity).
hackoder
- startupShut down2009
Web Design Job for the Eager
I have a bit of a story to tell here, but their might be a job in it for you, so bear with me. I just spent the last 45 minutes talking to the owner of Tahoe Reno Firewood. I don't know why I did it, but I just started talking and asking questions, and I couldn't stop. The reason I was on the phone was because my girlfriend Anna had gone on his website: http://www.renotahoefirewood.com/index.html to order a cord of wood. As it stands, to do this, she had to download a PDF form and then email it back to him. Even after jumping through these hoops, he emailed us and asked us to call because the form was screwed up. So, Anna had me call the guy, and while I had him on the phone, I decided to ask some questions about his business, and give him some advice on his website. He seems like a really nice guy, and I really like his business - we've discovered that not everyone in the wood business
Why it failed: I have a bit of a story to tell here, but their might be a job in it for you, so bear with me. I just spent the last 45 minutes talking to the owner of Tahoe Reno Firewood. I don't know why I did it, but I just started talking and asking questions, and I couldn't stop. The reason
andrewljohnson
- startupShut down2009
Ask YC: Advice on shutting down startup
I and 2 of my friends developed Onista (http://www.onista.com) a while back and we also invested some money (not a whole lot) for hosting and legal bills (like forming corp, patent investigations and all) We launched it, and somehow we never got to do much on marketing the app so it never picked up (or may be it was a wrong idea to begin with) At this moment all 3 of us lost the interest and want to shut down Onista to pursue other ideas independently because our time commitments are not same anymore. What are our options? - Try to sell Onista? Not sure if we can even do that since there is not much traffic. Don;t even know if we can do this. - Just shutdown servers, dissolve corp and move on? Any advice on what is the best way to move on? Thanks in advance
Why it failed: I and 2 of my friends developed Onista (http://www.onista.com) a while back and we also invested some money (not a whole lot) for hosting and legal bills (like forming corp, patent investigations and all) We launched it, and somehow we never got to do much on marketing the app so
prashantdesale
- startupShut down2009
YC Rejected: Please read.
In the coming hours, and days, HN will be seeing submission after submission regarding their YC application decisions. It happens every application period and can become quite annoying. As such, I will address most of the issues many of you will be submitting threads about. "Why did I get rejected?!??" I don't know, many of us don't either. Other than your idea possibly being a pile of garbage, none of us here know as to the exact reasons you got rejected. Sure, pg will, but I doubt he'll write up a critique of your app and post it publicly. If you want to know why you were rejected, email someone at yc to see if they're even willing to give you feedback. "Maybe we should start a YC-rejected group!!!" Go for it. Honestly, it's a big waste of time. Last year someone created RejectedByYC.com, but that seems to have vanished. I don't really know why you'd want to limit yourself to giving/re
Why it failed: In the coming hours, and days, HN will be seeing submission after submission regarding their YC application decisions. It happens every application period and can become quite annoying. As such, I will address most of the issues many of you will be submitting threads about. "Why
kyro
- startupShut down2009
Gaming HN for an Orange Name - A Warning
My name, at the time of posting, is orange. It's kind of nice to be recognized for being upvoted on average, even if I don't make a huge number of comments and will never be on the leaderboard. However, it just feels wrong. I've been unconsciously working on getting a high average for a while, and this will only encourage my unproductive behavior. I sometimes refrain from posting when I know my comment won’t be read or won’t be upvoted. In the spirit of pointing out the full effects of this change, I will now offer a simple list of guidelines so that you too can get your name in orange and feel like a real man/woman/entrepreneur. As for me, I’m with tptacek—opt me out of a colored name. 1. Only post in threads that are on the front page or look sure to get on the front page. If no one will see your comment, no one will upvote you. 2. Don’t post on a front page post that already has more
Why it failed: My name, at the time of posting, is orange. It's kind of nice to be recognized for being upvoted on average, even if I don't make a huge number of comments and will never be on the leaderboard. However, it just feels wrong. I've been unconsciously working on getting a high averag
GavinB
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: HELP Patent troll cruising my industry. What to do?
Ok, this isn't my normal HN username, sorry. Our startup provides web services/apps to a specific industry. Today I received news that one of our main competitors (although larger) just paid a multi-million dollar settlement to a patent troll. I'm no attorney, but reading the abstract of the patent is scary–it's so broad that just about any tech company in our industry could be a target. They sued 2 even larger companies in the early 2000's (patent was filed in 2001, so it seems like they're going down the list of targets based on size. We're profitable and growing well, but not to the point where we'd be "next on the list" ... What should we do?
Why it failed: Ok, this isn't my normal HN username, sorry. Our startup provides web services/apps to a specific industry. Today I received news that one of our main competitors (although larger) just paid a multi-million dollar settlement to a patent troll. I'm no attorney, but reading the abs
tedjedbed
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: Seeking advice from programmers for non-programmers
In light of your experience working on startups, what advice would programmers share with non-programmers? I'm a "business/marketing/sales" type who worked with three others (two programmers) to launch an app two years ago. We didn't make millions (or thousands) but I'd never call it a failure. I think the four of us would all say that we learned a lot about working with others, working on a startup, and our individual habits. I'm eager to apply what I learned to another startup - I've never stopped wanting to create things. I'm not a programmer, so when I have an idea, corresponding wireframes, and a sales and marketing strategy, I'm missing the most vital component. I work a full-time job. I've considered taking classes to learn a programming language, but pragmatically, I face an uphill battle to master a very difficult skill. Moreover, it might not be the most efficient strategy. Two
Why it failed: In light of your experience working on startups, what advice would programmers share with non-programmers? I'm a "business/marketing/sales" type who worked with three others (two programmers) to launch an app two years ago. We didn't make millions (or thousands) but I'd never cal
twelvedigits
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: What are your failures?
If you're anything like me you will have several, so maybe just list the one you were most enthusiastic about which didn't work out the way you thought, and what you see now that you didn't then. I'll start. I had a site called becomeatypist.com which taught people to type. I started it because I saw that thousands of people monthly were searching for 'learn to type'. This was back in the day when I was pretty much in a minority (compared to now) who knew about this thing called a keyword search tool - the original one from Goto/Overture before even Google had theirs. This is almost too embarrasing to list, but a large portion of my homepage was an image. Go ahead, laugh. Ironically, I'm almost the polar opposite with my knowledge of seo now, but at the time I was only thinking of usability from a user's perspective, which I thought was the only thing I should worry about focusing on. Be
Why it failed: If you're anything like me you will have several, so maybe just list the one you were most enthusiastic about which didn't work out the way you thought, and what you see now that you didn't then. I'll start. I had a site called becomeatypist.com which taught people to type. I sta
jeromec
- startupShut down2009
Tell HN: I didn't get a job due to a failed startup on my resume
My startup went down the pan due to lack of money (what's new?) I was always told the expereince you get from a failed startup is a good thing. Well, a certain large software company doesn't seem to think so. Apparently, "as an entrepeneur you are obviously a free spirit, not the kind of person that settles well in a normal job, we would never hire people with a failed startup on their resume". Thanks HN. You lied to me about the true cost of a failed startup.
Why it failed: My startup went down the pan due to lack of money (what's new?) I was always told the expereince you get from a failed startup is a good thing. Well, a certain large software company doesn't seem to think so. Apparently, "as an entrepeneur you are obviously a free spirit, not the
zubar
- startupShut down2009
HN Meta: A Eulogy of Sorts.
What a sad day. I've always thought that this community was something different. I love coming here; the intelligence; the discussion; the connectedness. I don't personally know a single one of you, but I've admired many of you in your ability to form smart and reasoned arguments about many things. Today however, you've shown me something else. Today I learned that you're not much more than any other community, despite your qualities. Today I learned that the same thing that destroyed reddit will likely destroy you - that as the site grows, the community fragments, cliques form, and conflict begins. In this race to assert opinion, good people withdraw and are replaced by those of lessor quality. The whole thing slides downhill like some sort of slow moving train wreck. It seems that despite the best intentions, communities naturally self destruct. I was hoping that pg would be able to cr
Why it failed: What a sad day. I've always thought that this community was something different. I love coming here; the intelligence; the discussion; the connectedness. I don't personally know a single one of you, but I've admired many of you in your ability to form smart and reasoned arguments
run4yourlives
- startupShut down2009
Ask HN: what unwanted domain names are you sitting on?
While thinking of ever more imaginative ways to punish domain squatters following yet another abandoned hunt for a domain-cum-product name, I finally became aware of the irony that I am sitting on a few decent domain names that I'm not using. Then, I wondered, if one of the parked domains I've come across recently is held just by someone like me, not maliciously or out for profit, but just as a by-product of a non-startup startup, an abandoned weekend hackery project or whatever really. So, rather than set up www.domainnameswap.com (partly because the name is parked ;o) ), how about a thread where we have a rummage down the back of the sofa and throw in any parked domains we'd be willing to give/swap away. If there's a match up, the relevant poster is contactable via their HN profile. [Note: this idea may tank, but it's got to be worth a try. My fingers are being worn shorter with each f
Why it failed: While thinking of ever more imaginative ways to punish domain squatters following yet another abandoned hunt for a domain-cum-product name, I finally became aware of the irony that I am sitting on a few decent domain names that I'm not using. Then, I wondered, if one of the parke
stevejalim