Ask HN: How does a stealth startup get someone to redesign it confidentially?

4 points by stop 15 years ago | 12 comments

Our startup needs a redesign. It has been put together entirely by programmers and looks like shit. The problem is, we don't intend to hire anyone else and we are concerned that if we get a designer from outside to redesign the site, it could result in destroying our cover.

I know there is a huge potential debate here about whether startups should be in stealth mode at all. All I can say here is that it's not a decision that's under my control, is not going to change, and has no bearing on the fact that I need to redesign the site while maintaining the confidentiality of the idea behind it. So feel free to start another debate on stealth startups if you like but I would still appreciate if someone could try to answer this question I'm dealing with regarding carrying out a stealthy redesign. Thanks.

sambeau 15 years ago |

Every product commercially released requires confidential design to take place. It is normal for designers to work like this.

Even super-secret companies like Apple require videos, adverts, web-pages, photo-shoots etc. The iPad2 probably already has all of these.

Find yourself a good designer. Ask them to keep it quiet. If need be, get them to sign an NDA.

One request. Please release them from the NDA as soon as it is no longer necessary so that the designer can add the work to their portfolio. More than half of the things I have designed have never seen the light of day and yet are still NDA'd. It's very frustrating as it includes some of my best work.

rexreed 15 years ago |

Three words: trust, Non-disclosures, and contracts. And work with a US firm or firm in another jurisdiction where you know that the force of law (and the power of the lawsuit) is much stronger if they violate any of the above three.

Of course, you know that it's very hard to truly protect an idea. This is why trust matters the most.

Oh, and don't be cheap. Expect to pay a premium for keeping things quiet. If you play lowball cheapskate, don't be surprised if the other party at some point finds it more economically advantageous to run with your idea in ways you can't / won't.

So, pay well and trust few. Then cross your fingers.

And you're right when you say this will spawn conversation about stealthiness for startups. I have rarely seen stealth matter. But you probably already know this.

sagacity 15 years ago |

> it's not a decision that's under my control, is not going to change

Kind of guessing here, but this leads me to believe you have investors. If so, have you asked them about this? Seasoned tech investors usually have contacts to facilitate such things. (I'm sure you'll get some useful, actionable input here too.)

maxbrown 15 years ago |

Alright... when you say it "looks like shit" do you mean it really needs a complete overhaul from a top, professional designer, or do you think it could be touched up and look pretty good? I'm no top designer, but I do contract web design - I'd be up for signing an NDA, looking over it and giving you my input.

splatcollision 15 years ago |

Hire a professional designer. If the design is so important to your startup that it's holding back your launch, and you don't trust freelancers or outsourcers, then you need to hire for it. My portfolio is in my profile ;)

highlander 15 years ago |

Do you have a good professional network? You could ask them to recommend someone trustworthy.

FWIW I agree you should put them under an NDA but don't rely on that stopping quiet/silent leakage.

solost 15 years ago |

We have done work for companies like yours as well as YC companies. If you need help my contact information is in my profile, send me an email.

petervandijck 15 years ago |

Just ask the designer for confidentiality.

ig1 15 years ago |

Use an NDA that's what they're meant for.

dclaysmith 15 years ago |

Crowdspring (and maybe 99designs) requires the designers sign NDAs if the project is above a certain dollar value I believe.

maxbrown 15 years ago | |

Ok, but then you're sharing your idea with hundreds of people... do you want the fun (impossible) task of finding out which one of them leaked your plans?

bmelton 15 years ago |

The advice given pretty much covers it, but the one caveat I'll mention is to try and find a designer whose style you like first.

If you get a bunch of people competing for the work, you can somewhat safeguard yourselves with NDAs, but the more people you bring in, the more likely it'll slip or you'll piss somebody off or they'll think the NDA is over when they don't win the work, or what have you.

While you're perfectly covered legally, your secrecy might well have been blown, and no amount of legal action is going to save that.