Blakestr

TLDR: 1 - How frank should I be regarding the ability to realistically estimate costs for VR software development, particularly as an independent developer?

2 - Is my response effective?

"Before we can finalize our review, the team would like to know a bit more information about your project. Do you intend to release this as open sourced?

The amount requested was not captured on the application. Is there a specific amount needed for your project? If it is above $25k we ask that you provide a high level breakdown of how the funds would be used. We have found it useful to use a phased approach."

My Reply: In regards to open source, from the beginning I have planned to allow users to build their own scenarios, then upload them to a cloud, where other users can rate and download them. This will allow the Fire & EMS to take the most challenging calls of their careers and recreate them in VR. Usually they are charged a premium for this type of customization. For example, Chiefs will frequently ask how much it will cost to customize the pump panel to match their trucks. (the color/names/location of valves) They are amazed when I show them how Unreal, through features like Blueprint, can make customized experiences much more affordable. (and in my case, included with the software). Additionally, I currently have a free “Escape From Fire” module for school aged children to learn how to escape a fire. I have no intention of charging for it. For convenience, here is a link to that module.

As a nontraditional, independent developer, I think it’s too early to estimate the total cost of development. Rather, I need a year to be able to work on this full-time and 6 months to promote the simulator so it can be self-sufficient (I've spent 3 years on this part-time). The budget I've requested includes a year of my current salary at the fire department and other incidentals like hardware or conferences.

I've been developing in the Unreal engine (VR) part time for the past three years. I'm at the point where my startup needs to have something to transition to where other developers can jump on board and work on it.

When it was me just learning, it didn't matter if no one else could decipher my code/blueprints. I didn't need to have a design/spec because I knew what needed to be done. But now I'm building a very complex framework that even I have trouble keeping up with. Having something that can function as a work log and plan that is organized better than my specs simply written down on excel/word.

This is an area I'm completely ignorant in, so please risk redundancy --I've googled this a bit but I'd rather have someone weigh in and not just trust some SEO-delivered recommendation. I don't have enough money for an enterprise solution but most of the products I see I could afford a single seat license.

I've watched what I could find on YC's take on this - I have a potential cofounder who :

- Has deep domain experience - Balances the startup's roles: He sales/marketing/networking vs me as technical/designer - Both share same profession & passion to solving this problem.

I'm fine with giving equal or near-equal equity (though I'm still looking at the 1 year cliff/4 year vesting concepts).

Mainly, what I have is a fear of commitment. I've been working on this solo for so long and that has been a mistake of mine. However, I can't make one mistake push me into making another and choose a bad co-founder.

Are there any other resources you recommend me check out? Risk redundancy and share with me something that might have slipped through the cracks.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US9804672?oq=US9804672B2

Total layman when it comes to IP - I came across this ridiculously broad patent describing Human-computer user interaction. Trivia - If anyone remembers that huge mechanical monstrosity the Novint Falcon, it's describing some aspects of that. It appears Facebook acquired this patent as well, and this dates back to 2010.

The patent is very long and describes 50 - 100 examples of how this applicable, for example there is a wall of text describing how "Throwing" could be achieved.

As the patent goes on, it is literally listing nearly every interaction possible in any game/simulation.

My question is, how enforceable is this patent? My layman's instincts tell me that unless you are achieving desired effect using the hardware described, which in this case, seems to be the novint falcon, then you should be good. Then again, patent trolls are a thing. But my understand is that you can't patent an "end" only the "means" to the end. And if simulating all these interactions is the end, the only thing Facebook could sue on is if you copied their specific hardware solution.

Feel free to point out my ignorant reading of this, perhaps I focused on the forest and missed the trees.