Re:Ask HN: How to get an income while working towards an MVP...
by brudgers on Tuesday January 05, 2021 @01:24PM
(#25648905)
If they are not paying you, they are not customers. If a proposed project might solve an important problem, potential customers will speculatively pay for its development...it's an investment in the same way as paying for an in-house development attempt.
Moreover, they won't care about your website or blog posts. They will care about trying to solve their problem.
"But what if they don't want to pay until it is built?"
Two things. First they don't trust you. Second they don't want to pay. If you build an MVP, that doesn't mean they will trust you. And it does not mean they will want to pay you.
Asking for money is the best way to validate your idea. It is possible that an MVP will make all the difference. But often it won't because people are polite and they are paid to talk to people like you as part of their job because sometimes moonshots pay off.
The core problem is that you are undercapitalized. This is not just your problem. It is a problem for any business that invests in your technology. And the primary investment is not money but time and energy to incorporate it into their processes. Broke (financially) doesn't sell. Good luck.
Moreover, they won't care about your website or blog posts. They will care about trying to solve their problem.
"But what if they don't want to pay until it is built?"
Two things. First they don't trust you. Second they don't want to pay. If you build an MVP, that doesn't mean they will trust you. And it does not mean they will want to pay you.
Asking for money is the best way to validate your idea. It is possible that an MVP will make all the difference. But often it won't because people are polite and they are paid to talk to people like you as part of their job because sometimes moonshots pay off.
The core problem is that you are undercapitalized. This is not just your problem. It is a problem for any business that invests in your technology. And the primary investment is not money but time and energy to incorporate it into their processes. Broke (financially) doesn't sell. Good luck.