Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by Killah911 4799 days ago
Downside: you're meeting with a potential investor or client for your start-up and you've got to pull your laptop out.

Other possible downsides include, people coming up to you and bothering you with non-relevant "work" or "free work for equity" which you're not interested in.

There is also the exclusivity thing, where a potential client might perceive you as "too eager" for work, and you end up loosing a gig you might have gotten otherwise. (Granted, I'm reaching on this one).

I think it's a neat idea, but you have to be judicious when putting on any overt "label" on yourself or on the tools of your trade. I only bring this up due to my own experiences with stickers on my laptop. Getting them off is no easy task either (glue residue and such).
2 comments
jiggy2011 4799 days ago
It also has a bit of a "will code for food" vibe to it. And yep, you're gonna get "oh, you work in IT? Maybe you can tell me why my laptop won't connect to the wireless here..."
link
maresca 4799 days ago
Velcro would work.
link
Killah911 4799 days ago
Now that's a neat Idea, you could be a billboard when the time is right and take it down at other times... You might even get more creative and hook up your smartphone or tablet as a display on the other side with whatever wording you want.

Maybe a scrolling marquee app. Heck, you could advertise whatever you want on your display at that point.

If it then becomes a trend, one could pay people small amounts of money for becoming mobile billboards on location enabled devices.

link
astrodust 4799 days ago
Maybe you could make an app for laptops with a reverse-facing screen (http://blog.parts-people.com/2012/06/22/dual-display-laptops...).
link
drizzo4shizzo 4799 days ago
The velcro yes, but please, please no on the other idea.

Next time I can't find a table to eat lunch at Panera the guy entrenched at a 4-person table for hours with a laptop and single coffee cup is going to try and make me read ADS? This... would be unwise.

link
bonf 4799 days ago
I think you're on to something
link
astrodust 4799 days ago
There's also those window stickers that adhere to a lot of things but peel off easily.
link