Wow.. what a post ! Those startup bullies clearly seems like a new breed of people engineers needs to avoid.
Actually, I also had a mixed experience after a Startup Weekend: I went to my first Startup Weekend with hope of networking but it grew quickly in a great opportunity to create my first app startup.
Here’s my story
Someone smart I didn’t know pitched a cool problem with an hint of a solution, and ended up having me on this team. During the 72 hours streak I found the name, created the logo/branding, made iPhone mockups and built UX/UI. The team was very nice and thinking very hard , but was basically gathering around me while I was doing the hard work making this app a reality.
We won the 2d place and 3 months in a French Incubator.
3 days later, the pitcher called me about continuing working on the app. Since he had already a startup going, he promised me shares and a salary so I can work on it alone in the incubator. I was thrilled ! Being paid to create a startup, w/ shares, was the best option for me since I was married and had a little boy.
Working at the incubator on an iPhone app was a blast: I learned a lot of things, met great people, while building a great product from scratch. Sometimes the “co-founder” came-by a few hours to show his face, give me feedback, and reassure me on our first handshake deal.
After Two months I already built an iPhone beta, and was iterating on the UI/UX & design for the app. Around this time, we decided to meet to talk more seriously about the deal.
Here’s how it went
I spoke first, offering him 50/50 with no salary or less shares with a salary to complete for the percentage. This deal was obviously better for him, since he could have me work full-time on the project for free while he will be working half-time on his other project.
He laughed at my face, and told me that I don’t know anything about business by submitting a 50/50 deal…
He then told me that his potential investors (Which was his dad and his previous boss btw) were potentially investing a few hundred K€, so I can trade my salary for the shares, according to that totally fake number.
It made around 0,3% in total
I couldn’t believe he was doing that to me and really felt the pain of betrayal. I know I took risks by giving my total confidence to a stranger, but I was really feeling the bond between our minds, and I really thought he’ll be generous by seeing how much I added to his idea.
About a week later I decided to take my cash and go my own way, seeing that I couldn’t bear working for him under those terms, since I built the entire product.
It was 18 Months ago.
In September, he released the v1.0 of the app (It was in beta for 6 months), which is identical to the product I built almost on my own: branding, design, UI/UX and features. It’s so similar I recognize my code through the buttons animation! And seeing this old, made-in-a-rush design makes me think: I could make this product so much better !
While I was away, he did an impressive PR work, and ended-up raising 800K$ which was quite hard to swallow for me, even though I don’t really mind and run a good freelance business. Fortunately, his success is now bringing me really interesting app projects, and I truly value the time spent at the incubator.
I try very hard to get all the positive lessons from this period while pushing back the hard feelings.
This upsets me.
"CS Majors" (as described in this article) should first learn that life is not a checklist, but rather a random sequence of experiences & events.
Just be passionate in what you do, no matter the field you are in.
I advise you to wait for the 2d generation. Like the first iteration of the Macbook Air, it looks beautiful but terribly lacks functionnality (one port only & a weak processor being the most problematic things yet).
My advice: Buy a 13-Inch Pro Retina if you absolutely want the Retina Experience. Otherwise, go buy an Air.
Nice thread there since I'm pretty new in Web Dev+Design freelancing (2y part-time, 7m full-time), but I think I've got in touch with a hint of an answer few days ago.
Someone came to me 2 weeks ago with a clear idea of copying a website, because her business was in the same market. We finally met 3 days ago about her project, and she told me she has seen 5 freelancers and 2 agencies for her website, but she still wanted to speak with me because she wasn't decided yet.
The first thing I asked her was: "Can you explain me about your business ? And what process the customer is going through ?". Then we went through a pleasant hour-long brainstorming phase, until she realized her point was totally different from the existing website she wanted to copy, and that we ended up with a way better and more suited solution for her. She surpisingly said : "You're the only one that asked me those things, and I loved it!".
Then I asked her how it went with those 7 other clients and she told me nobody cared about her business, and how they only seemed to want to get the contract, at any price. Even though some of them looked professionals, she wasn't sold.
After this meeting, I understood that a freelancer shouldn't be positioned as an "expert" sitting at the opposite of his client, but as someone sitting alongside his client, as a friend caring about their goals. When you're the right person, your time is invaluable, and your price will be the right one.
In conclusion, there is a lot of bad freelancers out there. Just be nice, get close to your client by genuinely caring about their problem, be honest , and you will build a strong network that will like you, trust you, and pay you well.
The site is clear and beautiful, as needed for a new product.
But you ask us to review your startup and not your website right ? :)
So here's my thought on your product: Having "must have" content on one platform is a good idea. It then garantees new & quality content. But my question is about this very content: How will you filter the photos in order to keep a great content while filling up your user base? is there moderators or content-filtering algorithms? Because in case you haven't thought of that, the risk for your app is to besome an lesser instagram...
Great design work though !
(sorry for my poor english)