Going Solo on Your Web Idea

Have you ever had a great web idea that just begs to be built?

You muse about what it would take to build it, how much they will love it, and (OF COURSE) how much money you'll make off of it. What happens next is what might separate you from the exclusive club of successful entrepreneurs.

That club is made up of a lot of people with serious financial and social connections. For these people, they can pull together resources to make just about anything happen. I'm going to gather that you are not one of them, though. You are probably, like me, a busy working person with some useful core skills. And, since you don't have gobs of time, money and influence, you'll probably be doing it almost entirely solo. That's fine, because it's possible for the RIGHT IDEA.

You should ask yourself the following questions before you begin.


What is the smallest I can make this?

Since you're doing this on your own, how can you shrink this down to the absolute core of what is necessary to deliver a working product? I recently read a post call 3 People for Version 1 on 37 Signals, which definitely summed it up perfectly: "It’s better to make version 1 half a product than a half-assed product."

I could not possibly agree more with that point of view. You're going to have to accept that your first version is going to be less than you envision. It has to be most of the way there, and be appealing to use, but cannot draw all of your time to complete.

Set the goal for success for your first version with this in mind.


Do I have the skills?

If you don't have all of the skills necessary to build your idea, you will have to become an area expert fast. You'll be googling, reading books and asking questions to gain the expertise that you lack. Remember, all of that time spent acquiring new skills is time you have not spent on building your idea.

You may consider bringing in another person or two to help round out those skills. While this is usually a very good idea to do this for starting a small business, it might not work if the vision is yours alone and you have little extra time to coordinate work across other people. Managing the partnership may take more time than you have available. If you really aren't prepared to build a business out of it from the start, it may be best to stick to the solo approach in the beginning.


Do I have the time?

Now that you've distilled your grand idea down to it's essential core, you should figure out if you actually have the time to build it. For me, I have found I can scrounge up about 5 hours every week, and often more. It's all about getting time back.

Try to increase the size of that bucket by cutting out stuff that isn't really productive (TV, web browsing, dishes??). If you want to see this to success, you should try to be more efficient in general. Personally, I have nothing but great things to say about the book Getting Things Done by David Allen. GTD can help organize your work on your project as well, so give it a chance if you haven't already had a look.

One suggestion I feel I need to make here is to be very careful about allowing your project to impinge on productivity in your day job. I set some hard limits on even viewing my site during work hours. In some cases, even mentioning your side project can produce unintended side effects for your career and work relationships. Best to keep them separate in my view.


Do I have the means?

Your idea will cost some money. Whether it's something as simple as $30/month for a basic web hosting service (remember: think small in the beginning!), some books, or even advertising later, you're going to spend a little money. If you can't afford to pay out a few months ahead for the expenses, then you should consider raising a little money among friends and family to cover costs.


Is it Legal?

This is an excellent question! Some of the most profitable business ideas are not legal, surprisingly enough! For this, you're going to have to do your homework. I wouldn't suggest being a jerk about it, but you may be able to get a free consult with a lawyer specializing in small business. They can at least help you to know if you are on OK footing. If your idea gets anywhere, you will probably be coming back to them for paid advice.

The same goes for accountants and insurance. In some cases, you might need some kind of liability insurance to cover you. Terms of Service are often very legal sounding, but they don't protect you from getting sued.

In general, if you don't have access to these services for free (or very cheap), then you should at least pick up a book about incorporating a business in your state. You almost certainlyl don't need to incorporate right away, but you will need some groundwork to know what you need to do. You may want to call up your state's attorney general to find out what you need from the point of view of business licenses as well.


Answering these basic questions should help you to focus in on ideas that you can actually implement. I will be tracking similar ideas and offering tips that I have found to be successful. I will be looking at free marketing, finding what customers want, and related topics. I've managed to release Gimme Gimme I Want!, my current web project, in a few months under these conditions, so I know there's some value here for you.