Over the past 5 months I have been building a startup called Baja In. I wanted to throw out a few different things I have learned over the past 5 months. Some of the tips can be useful for others thinking of running their own start-up and perhaps someone reading will have some additional advice to add.

1. Solve a real problem or create something that doesn’t exist

I am not a big fan of building a better widget. I tried that method before and realized it goes nowhere. This time around I am building something that does not exist yet. This is a little different than solving a real problem like world hunger or more efficient power lines. I am building something new that fits with people’s need to be social and play games.

2. Find a good partner

My partner and I are completely different in a lot of ways and in some ways very similar. Startups are hit and miss to begin with so it is very important to find a partner who balances the relationship and brings additional value to the partnership. My partner brings decades of business experience to the table that has not only saved us from common pitfalls but saves a fortune in legal and other services usually required for a start-up.

3. Lack of money forces innovation

As with most start-ups we did not begin with a million dollar budget on day 1. Most first-time entrepreneurs get hung up on needing a lot of capital at the beginning to get the ball rolling. This isn’t the case. Where you lack in finances, you can be sure to find innovative ways of finding a solution. For example: spending a few hours researching 3rd party solutions to your problem can save you thousands of customized development. Of course, 3rd party solutions aren’t usually the end-all-be-all down the road but they can sure help you get your prototype working.

4. Beg, borrow and trade

Starting a business usually involves using the services of lawyers, accountants, developers and so on. You’d be surprised how many different services you have that they might need. See if you can get a discount for swapping some services or perhaps an across the board swap if you can. Although this form of trade can take more of your precious time away, it can save a bundle. Most start-ups have more human resources than financial resources. Think back to #2.

5. Find true believers

It is important to weed out the people who don’t believe in your idea vs. those who do. I had to find a partner, developers, investors and so on. A lot of people will hear out your idea and some will see the potential money in it, but if they are not a true believer they can add hindrance. You can find yourself wasting your time trying to convince the non-believers when you could be spending that time actually talking to those who are interested.

6. Things usually take longer than you think

One of my biggest problems is thinking that development can happen overnight and in reality I am usually wrong. If you think it will take a week to develop, it will probably take 2. It is important to clearly define the next phase of development and make sure the people doing the development sign it off as being doable. It is an important rule to never plan out more than 2 weeks of development at a time.

7. Work with self-starters

Not everyone is cut out for working at a start-up. Apart from the possibility of complete failure, people requiring constant supervision can drain you. I am fortunate enough to be working with one of the most talented developers I know. He brings his own great ideas to the table, he’s passionate about the idea and the project, and he doesn’t need any of my supervision.

Conclusion

This is a short and simple list with a ton of room to grow, and it probably will over the next few months. I will be sharing much more about this journey as it moves forward. If you are part of a startup I’d love to hear more about what you are involved in. Send me some links and let me know what useful tips you have discovered yourself.

Here is a video I did in response to @terryjaymes asking for people’s inspirational stories or tips. I came up with two of my top tips. Make sure to click through to my site HERE if you do not see the above video.

Follow this link if you would like to see my post on how I contacted Warren Buffett.

Also, be sure to follow me on Twitter at @therealjosh

I’ve decided to write a book. Can you believe that? I’d like to run a social experiment for the rest of this year and then turn my experience into a book.

In fact, the title of this post will likely be the title of my book.

We now live in a digital age that translates into a society where everyone is linked by 1-degree of separation. I’d like to find out if in fact our online friends would translate into the kind of friends you’d invite to your wedding or funeral.

For the next 6 months I am going to try and befriend as many people as possible, then cultivate those relationships into genuine friendships. At the end of that time I will go and visit my new friends for a couple of days each.

I assembled a list of things that friends do for each other and will try to accomplish as many of those as possible with my new friends. All the while I will share my experiences and determine what type of friend each person is and whether or not I would classify them as a “real” friend. Such as:

• borrow car, house, boat or plane
• drive/travel great distances for the sake of it
• argue and make up
• go to weddings/funerals
• talk about anything including uncomfortable subjects
• drive to or from hospitals, jails or anything in between

So where do I start this project?

Facebook sounds like the most logical place to me being it revolves around friends and friendship. So I created a Facebook fan page for Will you be my friend? If you think we’d possibly be good friends, let’s start by becoming Facebook friends. From there we can continue the conversation via my Twitter page, this blog, over email or the phone.

At the end of 6 months I will coordinate visiting the top 20-25 friends wherever they may live. If you know a sponsor, I’m accepting

I am not sure what to expect or exactly how this entire project is going to go, but I am sure interested in this new phenomenon and whether or not great, lasting friendships can be built online just as well as offline. I have sure met some really cool people via the Internet and when I met them in person there was a stronger connection than “just” the first time meeting someone.

What do you think about online friendship? Have you meet some online friends that turned out to be just as normal as your high school/college friend? Do you think the Internet makes friendship easier? Do you feel Internet friends lack things compared to your other friendships? Will you be my friend?