Ask HN: Can I compete?

And then I started to meet people the exact opposite of who I was. I realized they are just like me, and there is nothing to be afraid of.

If you're motivated and half way intelligent you'll be fine. Things probably won't turn out how you expected, but you'll be okay.

It's really up to you. With most things, it's really about the execution and first-mover advantage is increasingly becoming even less important.

As for competition, that's generally a good thing. It simply means that you might be on to something if other people are pursuing the same opportunity.

I'm working on project that would have been in direct competition with a YC funded company. Then they were bought by Twitter and dissolved a month before my launch date.

This all comes down to such trite sentences as: "Ideas are a dime a dozen", "Execution is everything", blah blah blah.

With regards to market position and all that stuff, thats where strategic thinking come in. Its how Apple unseated RIM. Google slammed Yahoo, Altavista and all those others. And lets not forget YouTube. None of these companies were the first in their field, but they are at the pinnacle today.

All that said, practically speaking, it would be an excellent idea to involve others - mentors, board members, financiers, and/or cofounders. Best course of action is to find a startup incubator nearby and get the feel for the people there.

By every metric bandied about on most start-up/entrepreneur websites involving initial position to make a good jump, I wouldn't appear to have a chance. I certainly don't fit the model of elite-school graduate with powerful social networks/resources installed from boot-up.

I don't even think about that stuff. It's information detailing other people. Not me. Not my thoughts. Not my ideas. Not my approach. Not my experience. Not my insight. Not my life.

Not a problem.

They say there's nothing you can say or do that hasn't been said or done before... but we've got more resources at our fingertips this instant than the entirety of all civilizations on Earth did just 20 years ago. We have the ability to grow our thoughts into real things like never before in history, and I mean to use them. You should too-- be exited, not pensive.

Be awesome-- your inspiration is not like others, and your implementation need not be the same either.

I think of articulating ideas in a software solution context as describing Mona Lisa's smile. Many people will use many different words. Some will sound better to some people than others, and others will sound good to everyone-- but there is no perfect answer for everyone. Just remember the most important thing: they are all describing the same thing! Of course there will be similarities between them. They're trying to solve the same problem(s). No worries.

All you can do is observe, watch others observe, and learn to describe your solution the best way you can-- using your vision and the world around you as a feedback mechanism to tweak and develop your approach.

You might have a superior element to your design that the current developers will not even ponder until they see you implement it.

TL;DR: JUST DO IT.

1 competitor is nothing to worry about. Like everyone has said competitors mean there is likely a market. That being said given they haven't launched nothing is proven.