Introduction
Startups are so energizing. I’ve been involved in a few of them over my years. I’ve worked with pre-funding startups, I’ve started some of my own, and I’ve joined some later stage startups, even some that transitioned from “startup culture” to “enterprise culture” emphasizing stability and code quality over pure velocity.
I prefer working in the faster-paced environment of startups, the lack of red tape is so refreshing. I’ve even taken part in some skunk works projects that took over a year to complete but felt like a startup in the moment.
With those experiences, I’ve learned a lot of helpful tips and techniques that after implementing them, have truly paid real dividends as the projects have progressed. I believe I can help startups succeed and I want to convince you that I can, too.
Understanding the Founder’s Vision
As I said, startups are energizing. That’s usually due to people who actually take the step to become founders are energizing. It takes courage to put yourself out there as a founder, and if you have taken the steps to become one, I want to hear your vision. You have a spark, a what if, a “I think I can make this way easier” that just clicked with you.
I want to hear what that is and work with you to make that a reality. Part of what I can do is help you get clarity on your vision. I listen and ask as many questions as I can to make that spark into something crystal clear. Then from there, help you create the path to make that into a real thing.
From Vibe Coding to Viable Company
A.I. is a powerful thing. I use it daily as a software engineer to help me with all sorts of tasks. It can really help non-technical people create an awesome product and hit the ground running on making something awesome.
But it’s not always perfect, you can be vibe coding, feeling like the product is 80% complete and then A.I. just can’t do what you need to push this wonderful idea over the finish line. That’s where I can help. With my use of A.I., I have gotten to know where the rough edges are that I will just have to complete myself. And I know where it can finish what I’m working on perfectly in seconds what would take me hours.
Did you vibe code something but want to make sure it can be turned into a company?
I can review the code that it has produced and point out areas that may turn into roadblocks down the road, because I’ve seen the roadblocks. Even before generative A.I. became popular and I had to code everything by hand I’ve run into and gotten through those roadblocks.
Many founders start by hacking something together to test their idea. I help evaluate whether that project has the foundation to scale into a sustainable business.
If you want me to take a look at something, reach out! I love being able to help people out.
Setting a Strong Technical Foundation
There are a lot of choices out there for a technical plan and roadmap for your startup. Every different option has strengths and weaknesses. Luckily, I’ve worked in a lot of them and gotten to know many of those strengths and weaknesses. My years of experience will help you feel confident in a technical direction.
Technical debt is a reality of the software industry, it’s just part of the way things work because it’s a field that’s always progressing. The key is to minimize it in the right ways.
Building the Right Product Roadmap
Even if you just need me to provide high level architecture and a technical roadmap, that would feed directly into my strengths. I can help take all your fragmented ideas, get the clarity on priority for what you need now and what can wait until later.
I can provide you with milestones, and what it will take to reach those. All the while getting feedback from actual users to make sure your ideas will have real improvements on your product that your users will actually need.
Becoming a Partner, Not Just a Consultant
I am not looking to take over your idea, potentially turning it into something different than your vision. I’m also not going to work in the “classic dev” way where you slide your requirements “under the door” and I work away in a cave until I’m done. I want to provide clarity to make sure your vision stays in tact.
I’m also happy to just be a sounding board. It can be difficult as a founder trying to build something to prove it to talk to anyone about it. That can feel isolating and make you wonder if your idea is even worth it. If you just want to talk it out or bounce ideas for how to make it work, let’s make that happen. I’m here to get excited about good ideas.
Conclusion
AI can be a powerful tool that can help anyone get very far into an app, but sometimes you want to make sure it’s leading you down the right path, or you’ve gotten stuck and it just can’t figure it out. Sometimes you built your first concept but don’t know how to add to it or improve what you have. That’s where my years of experience would be able to help you take that next step.
If it sounds like I may be able to help you, reach out. I’d be happy to meet up and talk through your project and let you know how I can help.
Jake Hayes
