Ask HN: We are shutting down our startup, I get our code. What now?
- Write, sign and notarize an agreement that the code is either duplicated or transferred to you.- Decide who gets the data: users, you, someone.- Sanitize servers and services by trying to overwrite data with junk values before canceling.- Cancel monthly services and free services.- If it was good, don't let the team relationship go to waste. Talk with whoever's left / worked-with previously about doing something else.---- Then and only then ----- Do "consultingish" work or solve a problem you have to find a problem worth solving.- Sell something good people want before you invest too much time/money/mental health building something too much.- Keep it real: building "your amazing idea" without a feedback loop gathering critical data from paying/potential customers is #fail.- Someone though will have to step-up to be the sales/buzz builder or one will need to be found (hopefully, someone you've known for some time or a friend-of-a-friend). No useless "idea guys" allowed.- Sales/buzz person or someone will need to be the captain of the ship ultimately in-charge of everything.- Iterate fast, executing based on feedback and sales numbers. Prefer the best one you can get into if you can. (YC, hihi.;)- Everyone at the beginning gets equal equity vested over 3-5 years. First employees should get ~1% equity, more if it's an employee-owned co-op.- Don't pray for funding, sales/profit cures all.- Raise funding only if you could definitely grow faster with more money.- Skip accelerators unless you need a network and/or are relatively inexperienced.- When you get big enough, incorporate (California or Delaware C-corp). If it's s consultancy, LLP or LLC. https://clerky.com