Can I suggest that this is turning into a HN Matchmaking service

Perhaps a little codification might be good:

* A Maker puts their idea onto HS with "MatchMake HN: " * Any interested Investor then replies * Maker chooses Investor (possibly publically) * A month later a "Show HN" is published.

I would be interested seeing everyone's results

I'm now imagining building a marketplace site roughly like eLance/oDesk/whatever else, where the investor can put money in escrow and clients (freelancers) can "bid"--but it's the freelancers who are proposing the jobs in their entirety, not the investor.

I'm loving this entire thread. I wish HN had more brainstorming sessions like these.

Wouldn't it be funny if a MVP uses one of those freelance sites and spends the $5000 on a team in India to finish the project in two months and then has the $3000 to promote it? Subcontracting can be fun you know.

If nothing else, that is one of the best, most clever, most appropriate names I've ever seen.

Feature request -- What about a user being both maker and investor?

Why wait for hmexx, right?

if you are the maker of http://makermatch.herokuapp.com may I say nice one - great to see spaghetti hitting walls - may it stick :-)

Nope -- see the comment below my own, panther2k saw it and did it. Which is exactly what I was hoping would happen when I threw the idea (rephrasing your idea) out there--I have enough startups on my plate already :)

This would be of interest to me as well. Have just about finished recoding the game that I couldn't get in the MS store due to tester issues. Have been able to do this one with my own skills and some volunteer VAs. I want to do a bigger VN as a follow-up, and this time pay the VAs, and pay someone else to do the artwork so I can concentrate on the script and programming. Getting some dollars up front so I can start it now, and have someone else be point on marketing would be darn close to ideal. I'd probably want a 51 - 49 split so I have creative control, but otherwise...

There is a startup doing exactly that (crowd-sourced investments), can't remember the name. If I'm not mistaken the US law wouldn't allow that until very recently, even still the legal details aren't clear yet. AngelList also serves that purpose.

Founders Club?

yep, Founders Club does that but probably only for more advanced projects that have already recevived some angel/seed money from an established incubator/accelerator.

That is a good idea for a MVP right there. A HM matchmaking service. Using accounts at HN it matches MVPs with investors/cofounders.