I am in the process of developing a community project and have been looking into ways to monetise it, ideas have been knocking in and out of my head and suddenly an idea struck me that should be fairly easy to implement and could revolutionise the way in which people use a particular part of the web. I can build the site around it and virally get the traffic there no problem, my only real problem is that I don't want to spend the next two years of my life learning programming only for this idea to be implemented by someone else. Money is also a bit of an issue as I don't have that much of a lump sum to pay out up front for someone to develop it, plus I don't think I could accurately appraise the value of such software. Anyone got any ideas as to how to get a programmer involved on potential earnings only? I'm thinking that programmers are not much into marketing and hence wouldn't be able to maximise the potential of it, so a joint venture sounds like the best option but I'm unsure because their job will be done in a month but mine will be ongoing. MMR wouldbe the best option but affordability is an issue. If the idea is pitched at them maybe they will see the potential and help with the project to raise their own profile. I'm stuck!
You say you're "Looking for a programmer - Huge opportunity" yet you're not willing to put your credit card number into paypal and pay for something to get done. In my experience projects like these usually fail, and any poor sucker who did the coding for free loses out. If you really believe in your project you should pay for a quality programmer to put it together. If that means getting a real job to pay the bills, so be it. etc.
Yeah I have a job and in all honesty I prefer the idea of owning the product myself so I think a few months of saving is necessary and purchasing it outright. I'm not even sure I want to charge for it as I think it looks like one of those products which could change the system (think Hotmail, Google or Youtube, all revolutionary, all free) Pricing up the product is my biggest concern though, I have absolutely no idea where to start. Would I have to make a non-disclosure form? If I posted on a board for a programmer, how would I adequately describe the task without telling 2-300 other programmers this idea? And how would I price it up? Thank's for your input but you didn't actually answer anything
Don't lose the opportunity by trying to sell your product. If it is a great idea then get it built, get it out there, and the money will follow. Users are always skeptical about new sites/services, especially "revolutionary" ones. Anyone with internet marketing experience will tell you that there is a massive difference between charging users even a small amount ($1) and FREE (google: predictably irrational). As for your question. Get a standard NDA (google for one) if you like, but with any idea 4 - 10 people have the same idea at the same time. There will always be someone else who has the same idea as you, the only thing that differentiates you from the others will be how well you execute. You must grow fast, you must have bugs fixed quickly, and you must engage your users. On a smaller budget I would be using something like elance, with a larger budget I would contact a software consultant that has experience in the field. There is a big difference between end product quality from most offshore developers who do something cheaply, and from someone who is passionate about your project. Again, I can't emphasize enough that you wont be the only one with this idea. Don't get hung up on things that slow down getting your product out there. Someone will copy you, and lots of people like me have large budgets to copy what look like good ideas and promote the heck out of them. Good luck.
Now this is much more helpful, thank's for the input, actually I have been looking at protecting the idea before someone else uses it, would also further protect it once it was in production, then again through beta and then again through the rollout. The idea behind the free product is that they can get something they can't get anywhere else for absolutely nothing, virally this would be perfect, once I have them using the product and spreading it, I can monetise it and the site in different ways so that I am getting income from it but not by actually selling it. This is the way that most huge sites become huge sites. I think maybe getting a true software developer to do this would be the best option. Thank's for the clear advice.
if you are truly worried about NDA and such stay local and use referrals, there must be at least a few people who program for a living around you and many would often take projects as part time job. but there will be no way for you to begin the project without disclosing your ideas so best to get someone you can trust or at least sue.
Do not use a standard non-disclosure clause because without meeting the person face to face and having them sign it in front of you, it means nothing. If you are serious about this project (and by your statements it certainly seems so), then I recommend meeting with a real attorney and asking them to draft a real and specific disclosure form. Most attorneys will not require any knowledge more than what you have told us to do this, so don't hand it to them. Secondly, do not hire a freelancer if you want to develop a really big project. It's more much more effective going to a programming firm or company. They may be a bit more expensive, but they are much more reliable and accountable and I've found them to be way more professional. The closer, the better, as you should meet with these programmers in person to better communicate your ideas and so you can follow up on the progress of the project. I hope this helps.
First and foremost, thank you all for your advice, it's been very informative and worthwhile. On a side note, if I was to purchase the product outright then the developer wouldn't be needing a "developed by ......" line in there would he? In purchasing it outright I could market it as my own development, is this correct?