I don't really follow your first two sentences. I am interested in starting a company that I remain in control of, or at least share ownership with the other people doing the work, rather than having random people with money telling me what to do. I am not familiar with MLM, but the 4 hour workweek struck me as finding a way to do as little as possible so you could become a globetrotting rich kid.
As to your final point, it is a valid one. Splitting ones attention between a customer focused consultancy and a startup could well be too much. Ideally each person involved is simply bringing their current employer in to the fold, rather than going out and finding new customers they have no relationship with. I felt this was something I could have done with most of my previous corporate jobs, but it probably isn't universally applicable.
The 4hww reference is in regards to your plan outsourcing yourself from your day job. As well as the 50/50 split of working on your own time, and developing a business.
The MLM is in reference to: founders convince other consultants to contribute their bench time.
Obviously I know you are not trying to run a mult-level-marketing outfit, but I feel the implementation is similar.
I think your plan trivializes a lot of things. Mainly:
- Outsource yourself from your day job
- Start a startup
- Teaming up with like-minded people as motivated as you.
- Sharing profits "simply".
These are not trivial.
Also your main point is that you don't want you business to be dictated by outside investors. But why is the assumption that anyone investing money would be a detriment while anyone investing domain-knowledge and side-profits is an asset? (as per your consultancy network).
I don't see how giving equity to people more like you is any better or worse than giving equity to outside investors. Equity is equity and if your main concern is not giving up control of your business, you should not be dealing in any equity whatsoever.
To me, you are trying to solve a purely business problem, but you are trying to do it in a way that involves the product development/tech side. Though, I have no idea if that is good or bad.
I am on board with exactly what you are saying. I want my own business to be my business. But this is why I'm a DHH disciple. Sure its not 1,2,3 easy, but the 37 signals way is COMMON SENSE, when it comes to business. So it sounds like your goals are more business then they are tech; in that case, start with the business side of things, and see how that fits into your tech ideas, not the other way around.
(just subjective advice - honestly meant as constructive criticism: best of luck)
The goal of the post was not to trivialize the difficulty of accomplishing any of these steps, simply to outline what I saw as necessary ingredients. If you think any of them are insurmountable I would love to hear why.
To be clear, I don't really have a problem with the VC approach. I just see most of the success stories in that realm as people who become fantastically rich but lose control of their companies along the way. I am hoping to build something that is long term, sustainable and leaves me in control of the thing I created. I was not trying to imply that I prefer one type of person to have equity over another, rather I hoped to share equity among the people who contributed. The argument against VC money was wholly separate from the argument for paying contributors with equity. The latter is because cash will be tight and because I believe it is better to give people a stake in their future rather than just a paycheck and a task list.
Finally, the idea that I am solving a business problem over a technical one here is right on. I haven't really mentioned a startup idea. Previously, I spent a year trying to get a company off the ground by myself (and failed miserably). I learned that, for me, it would be better to work with others towards this goal while leveraging their experience, talent and outside perspectives. VCs can provide this as well, but at what price? This is simply meant to be another path towards the goal of a startup, with different sacrifices along the way.
As to your final point, it is a valid one. Splitting ones attention between a customer focused consultancy and a startup could well be too much. Ideally each person involved is simply bringing their current employer in to the fold, rather than going out and finding new customers they have no relationship with. I felt this was something I could have done with most of my previous corporate jobs, but it probably isn't universally applicable.