[Introduction](https://docs.google.com/file/d/1feP0e1cR3oZMS17dZj-OSfEIWGZIPClQqE-3uhzHqArkae48mCVaJ2zI-LX4m6AyE0Mfc6WUNbXE9SKM/edit?usp=sharing) ============== What is a Startup? ------------------ The general consensus is that a startup is **a business built to grow extremely rapidly**. Rapid growth usually necessitates the use of a technology that invalidates the assumptions of politicians and businesses. ![Roadmap courtesy of Innovate Niagara](https://innovateniagara.com/Content/images/RoadMap.png) Startups in the past & present ------------------------------ Not only were **capital costs low**, at the beginning of each of these earlier startup eras, there was **no permitting process**. The initial pioneers in these startup eras thus had time to get underway before competitors and regulations alike started presenting **barriers to entry**. ![An initial Cambrian explosion of startups eventually results in a few pioneers that make it to the top and a combined set of capital/technological/regulatory barriers that discourage the entry of garage-based competitors.](http://i.imgur.com/b9pQdK7.png) Key Features of Internet Startups --------------------------------- 1. **Operational Scalability** The theoretical cost-per-transaction (for both buyer and seller) is thus far lower than any physical store. 2. **Market Size** It’s still not trivial to scale across borders or states, but the practically addressable market size has never been larger. 3. **Generality** Software is the most general product imaginable (every field uses s/w) and software engineering skills are highly portable. 4. **Low Capital Barriers** You have an incredibly powerful manufacturing device on your desk, a kind of virtual 3D printer before its time, whose price is now within reach of even the world’s poorest. 5. **Low Regulatory Barriers** Unlike virtually every physical arena, the internet is still mostly unregulated, especially for smaller businesses. 6. **Free and Open Source Software** The internet is built on open-source technologies, FOSS is a uniquely scalable means of charitable giving. 7. **[Long Tail](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_tail)** Not only is it possible to address markets of unprecedented size, it is now feasible to address markets of unprecedented specificity (e.g. via ads on FB). 8. **Failure Tolerance** The almost nonexistent penalty for failure permeates every layer of decision-making at an internet company (e.g. Move Fast and Break Things). Moreover, as computer power grows, we can now simulate more of the world on the computer before shipping the final product. 9. **Amenable to Titration** It's possible to build a hybrid business in which you engage with the physical world (e.g. Uber, AirBnB, Groupon). The advantage is that market demand is proven, price points are generally higher, and real-world impact is tangible. The disadvantage is that some or all of the above trends may no longer work to your benefit. The key is to titrate at the right level. Technological Trends Toward Mobility and Decentralization --------------------------------------------------------- A number of new technologies on the horizon point in the direction of continued decentralization and individual mobility. ![](http://i.imgur.com/VvMFUYz.png) What is Startup Engineering? ---------------------------- Startup engineering means getting something to **work well enough for people to buy**. Startup engineering is concerned primarily with **shipping a saleable product**. Technologies ------------ One of the primary things a startup engineer does is systems integration: keeping up on new technologies, doing quick evaluations, and then snapping the pieces together. The right tools can be like the difference between going to the library and hitting Google. When building a startup, in the early days you want to first **choose the best contemporary technology and then forget about technology** [1] to innovate on only one thing: your product. Outside of the core technology, you want to be as boring and vanilla as possible until you begin to make a serious profit from your first product. ![](http://i.imgur.com/vV6RRdJ.png) [1] At the inception of a company, or a new product, you will gain maximum advantage from selecting the best contemporary technology, one that is clearly rising but may have some rough edges. Today, that technology is arguably **a full-stack JS framework** based on node.js, making heavy use of AWS and Heroku. In 2-3 years it will likely be something different. But once you pick out the elements of your technology stack and begin developing your product, relatively little added value comes from radical shifts in technology (like changing frameworks), and **switching technologies can become an excuse** for not working on your product. Design, Marketing, and Sales ---------------------------- To ship a product a startup engineer needs **versatility**. If you are a founder, you will need to **handle things you've likely never thought about**. You’ll need to be able to produce a passable logo, design the first brochures, and do the initial sales calls - all while moving technology forward. You will greatly benefit from the ability to handle things, like the ability to **design, market, and sell the product you’re building**. Why Mobile HTML5 (for the Final Project)? ----------------------------------------- - **Mobile is the Future** Mobile clients are now vastly outselling PC clients. - **Responsive Design gives Desktop UI for free** Design for the mobile interface and limited screen real estate first, then add more bells and whistles (like larger images) for the desktop site. - **Location-Independence increases Scope** Mobile apps that increase people’s location-independence should significantly increase your perceived scope for mobile. - **Simplicity** Mobile apps force simplicity. - **Ubiquity** Your HTML5 app will be crossplatform and you will also have an API that you can use to build further apps. - **JS is the Future** Fast JS interpreters became available in the browser (v8), on the server (node.js), and even in databases (MongoDB); it's the Next Big Language.