Re: [NYCR:Microcontrollers] Wanted Tech Cofounder

[Yosef Skolnick]

Why cofounder, why not hire someone to build a prototype and then try to get fundung.

On Tue, Apr 5, 2016, 3:07 PM Eduardo Matos <invent...@gmail.com> wrote:

What else would you like to know? If you have any questions feel free to ask.

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[Gabriela Gutierrez]

😅

On Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 6:45 PM, HelloK omputer <hellok...@gmail.com> wrote:

I don't want to know anything. I was just interested why there wasn't much in the pitch. Going through emailing you and signing another NDA is enough of a barrier for me to say no thanks to the rest of the story.

[Todd Blatt]

I'll do 3d modeling and 3d printing for you if you need that

Todd Blatt
tbl...@gmail.com
@tblatt on twitter
443-599-9196

www.custom3dstuff.com

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[josh jordan]

Its normal for inventors to want NDAs signed.  I've signed many.  There are 2 reasons not to be worried about legal trouble from them.  First, I never intend to do my own product so it would be impossible for me to steal an idea.  Second, these things are expensive to litigate, you will really have to anger someone for them to sue you.

I think this foam sword is a reasonable idea that someone new out of college can handle.  Finding a tech cofounder is a good way forward.

-Josh

[Matt Joyce]

they can inhibit you in future employment endeavours.  as your future employer may ask... are you under NDA?  etc.

[josh jordan]

You can't be a freelancer, or run a hardware design business, or cofound a tech company without signing NDAs.  The patent system is stupid too but we have to navigate it.

On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 11:34 AM, HelloK omputer <hellok...@gmail.com> wrote:

they're a terrible thing to rely on as a business, and a pain in the ass to be signing week after week without any actual MONEY to come as a result. 

let's face it, next to none of the stuff that goes on in NYC startup scene makes any cash, so why take on endless NDAs and legal baggage for no cash?

I won't sign another unless I'm head over heels about the company/idea/founder. 

[Gabriela Gutierrez]

Right but in this particular case the email was:

"Have idea, can't execute, need someone to do all the work for me, but I won't tell you what it is until you sign a NDA because my idea is so precious that you will obviously steal it."

I mean, COME ON.

[josh jordan]

I'm willing to hear out anyone serious about any idea.  These are motiviated people who often have a budget but don't know exactly what to ask for.  This is part of our job to guide clients into knowing what their options are and what the options cost.  Clients always have unrealistic expectations when they begin their process but they learn along the way.

Personally, the foam sword idea is a good idea.  It has a market.  This guy is probably involved in the groups that use them.  Thats 2 things this idea has going for it, a market and a field expert.  All he needs is the right cofounder and I would wager that he makes money at this project.

Could also find an investor who believes in you and in the idea to bring it to a design agency.  In the mean time, it is important to get estimates so that potential investors know what it will cost.

Maybe for this group, omit your secret sauce recipe but provide enough details about the foam sword to start getting realistic estimates and architecture options.

-Josh

[Dan Ujvari]

Hopefully you guys can see these two images.  If you can't, the first image is a worldwide ranking of startup communities based on a number of different metrics; Performance, Funding, Talent, Market Reach, and Experience.  Those metrics are defined in the second image.  I received this particular information publically, on the web, and I believe it can be shared.  It matches somewhat well with other research which cannot be shared.

The top 20 are ranked, but I'll recite the top 5, in order.  

1) Silicon Valley

2) New York City

3) Los Angeles

4) Boston 

5) Tel Aviv

So... seriously... if you can't find a vibrant startup community in MetroNY... if you think it's just a wannabe scene around here... you are simply not looking.  

And yeah, Arduino, Edison, Rasberry Pi, and all those maker/starter kits are being used for proof of concepts... just like those same kits are being used for proof of concepts in the major multi-billion dollar companies I regularly visit. :-/  Major companies and startups alike are significantly reducing the number of custom prototype boards they need to buy.  If these "maker" boards get it done, of course they will be used.  

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 11:57 AM, HelloK omputer <hellok...@gmail.com> wrote:

"All he needs is the right cofounder and I would wager that he makes money at this project."

^^ Possibly, but unlikely. Technical cofounders have a big opportunity cost to cover. A lack of engineering employment alternatives is not a good reason to stay in this city and try your luck on making far less money than you should as an engineer. Outliers are extremely rare, and excluded.

Having said that, I haven't immersed myself in the west coast scene enough to get a sense of what they're up to. I've met far too many "founders" on this side of the country though.

I stopped developing Kickstarter projects here because the NYC "startup scene" is really more of a hopeful maker scene. I do love the maker scene, and we all know that they're doing some great things, when they're not just cutting and pasting Arduino code. Even the latter is a good exercise to do once or twice before moving onto a system with more of an industry standard base - like Linux on rPi or any unwrapped microcontroller.

NYC with its buzzwords and endless "eventually I wanna..." is not exactly a place where I'm super hopeful about any particular NDA, especially if it's the only thing preventing the idea from being taken. An idea is not a company, and good companies rely partly on their expertise as inherent protection. If the idea is very easy to clone, don't bother (see Pressy).

> On May 11, 2016, at 12:36 PM, josh jordan <josh.ou...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> All he needs is the right cofounder and I would wager that he makes money at this project.

[Matt Joyce]

Bloomberg  ( started in NYC )

Makerbot

Adafruit

Grados Labs ( started in NYC )

Littlebits

Canary.is

Long Island has notable startup successes as well

such as fucking grumman.

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 5:49 PM, HelloK omputer <hellok...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dan, 

We've all heard about your "unsharable" data over and over and over..

Posting generic startup slides is a waste of effort. No amount Trade show slides and free Atmel butterfly boards are going to convince me that NYC is a hardware world. The same few stale incubators have been tossing around the same few tiresome startups for years now. 

NYC may someday be better positioned to succeed in tangible tech, but it's going to need more schools, and investors that are familiar with producing hardware-based technology as opposed to trading it.

For now let's play a little game: Name 5 NYC hardware-based startups that earn their founders more than an engineering salary.

On May 12, 2016, at 4:23 PM, Dan Ujvari <maika...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hopefully you guys can see these two images.  If you can't, the first image is a worldwide ranking of startup communities based on a number of different metrics; Performance, Funding, Talent, Market Reach, and Experience.  Those metrics are defined in the second image.  I received this particular information publically, on the web, and I believe it can be shared.  It matches somewhat well with other research which cannot be shared.

The top 20 are ranked, but I'll recite the top 5, in order.  

1) Silicon Valley

2) New York City

3) Los Angeles

4) Boston 

5) Tel Aviv

So... seriously... if you can't find a vibrant startup community in MetroNY... if you think it's just a wannabe scene around here... you are simply not looking.  

And yeah, Arduino, Edison, Rasberry Pi, and all those maker/starter kits are being used for proof of concepts... just like those same kits are being used for proof of concepts in the major multi-billion dollar companies I regularly visit. :-/  Major companies and startups alike are significantly reducing the number of custom prototype boards they need to buy.  If these "maker" boards get it done, of course they will be used.  

<image.png>

<image.png>

[Matt Joyce]

hellokomputer has been banned.  he was repeatedly asked not to be such a jerk on the list.  he never could quite get the hang of it.  so be it.

cheers,

    matt

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 6:34 PM, HelloK omputer <hellok...@gmail.com> wrote:

Grados Labs? Do you mean Grado Labs, the company starred in the 50s!?! Sweet Jesus, how is this a startup? Are you actually 85 years old, senile, and think it's 1955 all over again? 

Bloomberg is a hardware startup?!? The company that started in the 80s before the telecom bubble burst?!?

This is the most hilarious answer anyone could have given.  Don't forget to take your medication. 

But anyway.. you got 4 decent sized startups. Try for another, then ask yourself if 5 successful hardware startups constitutes an amazing hardware startup environment.

This message board is such a joke it's unbelievable. 

[Paul]

Thank you. 

[Gone mobile]

[c f]

Thank you Matt.

[James Marquardt]

helloKomputer gets banned for calling out on the list….albeit being a little bit of a jerk about it, but dropping an un-needed F-bomb to emphasize a point is acceptable?

 

I am no fan of helloKomputer, but his responses were somewhat accurate in certain respects.

 

I do have to throw my opinion on the list regarding Canary.  They do not belong on it.  I was at a meetup where the CEO was a keynote speaker and he explained that the idea and prototype were developed in England where he was living and his apartment had been broken into.  He did the kickstarter type funding here in the USA, moved to China and had the final unit designed and set up manufacturing there, he then came back here and started marketing it to WalMart and the other chain stores.  Nowhere in his elaborate success presentation did he say that the unit was designed in NYC, or anywhere in the USA for that matter.

 

Regards,

Jim

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[Matt Joyce]

It's not the point he was making I took issue with, it was the manner. Especially after his third warning.

No reason not to keep it civil.

-Matt

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Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.

[Ali Al-Ebrahim]

RE Canary, that's interesting. The event you are referencing is the NY Hardware Meetup at Microsoft HQ, right?

I was there and I believe that's where we had met (I was looking to work with you as a contractor for a "community security camera" project with 2 4k cameras, etc.

I missed the majority of the Canary team's presentation,  but the CTO (I believe it was CTO, not CEO) came to speak with a pretty low fidelity prototype. From the prototype, it did seem like the team was involved with the hardware / design.

Hnmm...

I hope youre well!

[James Marquardt]

Whatever.  It’s your group and as the saying goes – “He who owns the Spaldeen makes the rules”

 

But your use of the F-bomb was still unnecessary, but WTF. ;-)

Version: 2016.0.7597 / Virus Database: 4568/12217 - Release Date: 05/12/16

[James Marquardt]

Yup, that’s the one!

 

The guy who did the presentation said the canary was his idea and he came up with it while he was living in England and his apartment had been broken into.  I believe he did say that he had help from a friend creating the prototype from a webcam and a few other simple parts.  The ‘team’ ended up being the Chinese group he worked with in China.

 

As far as your project goes, how is it coming along? 

 

JIm

Version: 2016.0.7597 / Virus Database: 4568/12217 - Release Date: 05/12/16

[Matt Joyce]

legit points jim.  and you pointed them out well.  I'd gladly acquiesce where canary is concerned, I know nothing about them.

[Matt Joyce]

FYI there are several mods on this list, though I am probably the most active, which isn't saying much. 

I don't care if you curse or worship satan, it's all cool by me.  But it literally costs you nothing to be nice ( within reason ) to each other.  So you know, do that.  Disagree all the time for all the reasons, and feel free to express yourselves as freely as you so desire, hopefully in an artful manner ( entertainment purposes ).  But, don't be a jerk to each other.  I mean, diverse perspectives are great.  Disagreements are the very lifeblood of knowledge.  I want people to feel okay and enthused by disagreements and diverse perspectives.  But a part of that is being able to accept that other folks have differing opinions and backgrounds and being open to that.  Coming into a conversation with a superiority complex isn't that.  Attacking someone on their lack of experience isn't that.  Be excellent to each other.  You don't have to agree, or even heed each other.  But this is an open(ish) venue.  And like dealing with the folks in an airport, you gotta learn to grin and bear it or you won't survive.

Feel free to be yourselves, and have your opinions.  Totally decry me, or anyone else on here based on the merits of our statements / opinions / what have you.  But, don't be a jerk about it.  There's no need.  

-Matt

[H. Vidal, Jr.]

Why is it 'fucking grumman' ?

curious.

h

[Michael Cooper]

Well since you asked, one off-topic answer (not necessarily the OP's) is that Bethpage and surrounding towns are now floating on an expanding subterranean sea of PCBs and other toxic stuff leaching into aquifers, thanks to Grumman. 

[H. Vidal, Jr.]

Heinous. Most bogus. Price of peace and all that, I suppose.

Shame. That place built the moon landers back in the day.
And many other cool gadgets. Shame.

[Dave Oberholtzer]

To me, it sounded like "Oh, and in case you forgot, there is this incredibly obvious case"

-- dave

-------- Original message --------
From: "H. Vidal, Jr." <hvi...@tesseract-tech.com>
Date:05/13/2016 7:31 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: nycresistormi...@googlegroups.com
Cc:
Subject: Re: [NYCR:Microcontrollers] Wanted Tech Cofounder

[Matt Joyce]

They landed gear on the moon... As a startup. Under Apollo.

[Chris Stratton]

Grumman was founded in 1929 and made many WWII carrier aircraft, they
were hardly a "startup" in the Apollo era.

[Dave Oberholtzer]

So, Matt answered the question "Why [he used] the F-bomb".  Can we put this one to bed now?  It's been a long day.

:-)

-- dave

-------- Original message --------
From: Chris Stratton <cs0...@gmail.com>
Date:05/13/2016 9:16 PM (GMT-05:00)
To: nycresistormi...@googlegroups.com
Cc: "H. Vidal, Jr." <hvi...@tesseract-tech.com>
Subject: Re: [NYCR:Microcontrollers] Wanted Tech Cofounder

[jpbar...@aol.com]

I think the best startup was the one that invented the stone axe, but I don't think they made any money.

Sent from AOL Mobile Mail

-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Stratton <cs0...@gmail.com>
To: nycresistormicrocontrollers <nycresistormi...@googlegroups.com>
Cc: H. Vidal, Jr. <hvi...@tesseract-tech.com>
Sent: Fri, May 13, 2016 09:16 PM
Subject: Re: [NYCR:Microcontrollers] Wanted Tech Cofounder

[Dan Ujvari]

HelloKomputer,

You seem confused, so let me explain it to you in some detail.

As most on this forum knows, I have worked for Atmel for some time.  Now I'm with Microchip, since they acquired Atmel recently.  You've tried to "out" me a couple of times, but oh...wait... I've never hidden it, never gave biased advice, and... most importantly... I've never hid my identity. :-/ 

I have been the sole technical resource in this area for over two decades and am the east coast cryptography expert as well as one of the few liaison's to the startup community in the world.  Atmel only had a few of us.  Having one in the metroNY marketplace was a no-brainer.

As a result of my position, I've been invited into just about every major corporation and quite a lot of startups.  My company has an NDA with just about all of them.  It's a matter-of-course these days, especially with startups.

As for providing a list of companies, the NDAs don't just stop me from discussing these company's designs.  They stop me from saying or implying we do business together at all.  Even that seemingly harmless information can provide adversaries with useful info. 

But even if I could give you a list of companies, why should I?  I would only be providing my competitors with a list of places to go.  Not the best of business moves. :-/  Even if I was not under NDA, this is a list I would never provide.

You imply you are a consultant.  Would you provide a list of every client you do work for?

As for research reports, yes, I have access to reports which my company has paid tens of thousands of dollars for, if not more.  I am not at liberty to share this data with anyone.  But I can assure you MetroNY is the #2 startup community on the planet using almost any non-subjective metric.

Kindest regards,

Dan

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 5:49 PM, HelloK omputer <hellok...@gmail.com> wrote:

Dan, 

We've all heard about your "unsharable" data over and over and over..

Posting generic startup slides is a waste of effort. No amount Trade show slides and free Atmel butterfly boards are going to convince me that NYC is a hardware world. The same few stale incubators have been tossing around the same few tiresome startups for years now. 

NYC may someday be better positioned to succeed in tangible tech, but it's going to need more schools, and investors that are familiar with producing hardware-based technology as opposed to trading it.

For now let's play a little game: Name 5 NYC hardware-based startups that earn their founders more than an engineering salary.

On May 12, 2016, at 4:23 PM, Dan Ujvari <maika...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hopefully you guys can see these two images.  If you can't, the first image is a worldwide ranking of startup communities based on a number of different metrics; Performance, Funding, Talent, Market Reach, and Experience.  Those metrics are defined in the second image.  I received this particular information publically, on the web, and I believe it can be shared.  It matches somewhat well with other research which cannot be shared.

The top 20 are ranked, but I'll recite the top 5, in order.  

1) Silicon Valley

2) New York City

3) Los Angeles

4) Boston 

5) Tel Aviv

So... seriously... if you can't find a vibrant startup community in MetroNY... if you think it's just a wannabe scene around here... you are simply not looking.  

And yeah, Arduino, Edison, Rasberry Pi, and all those maker/starter kits are being used for proof of concepts... just like those same kits are being used for proof of concepts in the major multi-billion dollar companies I regularly visit. :-/  Major companies and startups alike are significantly reducing the number of custom prototype boards they need to buy.  If these "maker" boards get it done, of course they will be used.  

<image.png>

<image.png>

[Matt Joyce]

Dan,  hellokomputer is gone.  Sorry for any aggregation he caused.

-Matt

[Matt Joyce]

err Aggravation as well.

[Dan Ujvari]

I hope it wasn't just because of me.  I don't mind a little aggravation now and then. ;-)