Programmers, can I get some input hurrr?

[Trivial]

I'm going to set-forth in the great world of entrepuernership. I had many "great" ideas, but lacked the technical skills to execute them. As I begin to develop more understanding of my ideas, and the practical implementation (both the idea itself and funding etc.), I have come to realize that everything I want to do is actually very do-able. I was stuck in the dilema of needing funding for any plan, but couldn't get any funding without the product first. Plus, they are "stealable" to an extent. As I learn about the world of Non-discolure agreements... I realize this is indeed a reality.

Anywho, this is by no means my "in-depth research"; but rather, it will help point me in the right direction. I'm trying to gauge what goes into building websites and programming features, integrating databases, etc. Well, I don't really care what goes into it on the technical level, but how it all comes together. For example, if I wanted to go create something like amazon but make the UX amazing, how much would that cost? I know that's an extremely speculative question. Like, would I just need 1 guy and it would take a couple months, and another guy for UX. Or would I need a team, and how long would it take to build from scratch? I would of course be expecting to pay medium-top dollar for highest quality services - I just don't know if "the best programmer in the world" is all that's needed, or tons and tons of them.

Like I said, I'm completely ignorant of how that works, so I need somebody who actually understands webdesign and programming to give me a better perspective on the matter.

 

[walfin]

If a development firm in my country were to build what you described, I estimate the cost at 8000-12000 USD. Of course, that is only a very rough estimate and may be totally off.

EDIT: By that I mean similar essential functionality to Amazon (book catalogue, with the usual jQuery effects, CMS, e-commerce/POS/inventory and a MySQL DB), not the same level of complexity and extra stuff like ec3.

Many developers also bill per hour, especially Ruby developers I think.

Mutual NDAs are not a problem. Most people have standard forms.

I suggest you create a landing page (I.e. non-functional mockup) with WordPress or something, then use it to pitch to a venture capitalist in your area. Of course, government grants may also be available if you are lucky.

 

[Analyzer]

Amazon is a pretty big web application. For their interface I am sure they have a whole department that is responsible for it including front end programmers and UX designers. There are two components of a website the front end and back end with many people specializing in either one. Some might do both, but they require different skill sets.

Do you have any web development, programming skills or are you just looking to start something with the help of others? You can still accomplish this but you might need some basic understanding of the web.

 

[Cognisant]

For example, if I wanted to go create something like amazon but make the UX amazing, how much would that cost?

The problem is the Amazon UX is only as good as it is because there's a number of factors to consider, such as compatibility (across different software/hardware) and the volume of data flow (the more data on a page the longer it takes to load, a real consideration for those with slower connections) so although it may seem straightforward to do what they're doing better than they're doing it I think it's highly unlikely that you could actually do so.

Of course you're probably thinking of something other than trying to beat Amazon at its own game, in which case I don't mean to discourage you.

 

[pernoctator]

Most popular web-centric businesses began with a terrible UX:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/6125914/How-20-popular-websites-looked-when-they-launched.html

I know those are mostly quite old, but many of them are pretty sub-par even compared to the standards of their time.

So as long as you have something functional and easy to find, you don't need an amazing UX. First put your money into making your actual service amazing, and getting a stable and fast server to put your database and a basic website on (possibly even using a free, one-size-fits-all framework that you can enter your own content into without hiring a developer). After you make a name for yourself, it will be easier to find talented programmers who want to help you upgrade the UX.