We are an online marketplace for spas and salons to list their slower appointment times, typically at a discount. We partner with spas, and when a client books through our site, we take a cut of the transaction. Currently, we work with spas in Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, and Seattle.

The site is built in Django. Once an appointment is booked an email is automatically sent and we utilize Twilio for automated phone calls to the spas. There are between 5 - 10 transactions per week, but this needs to be pushed to the next level.

One of the biggest challenges is just getting eyeballs to the site. Currently we get 50 - 100 daily visitors, 1/3 of which is from paid traffic. We are looking to increase organic traffic. Ideas on this front will likely be the biggest driver of site success.

Why I'm a good cofounder for you:
I'm a business guy. I need a tech guy. But I'm not just a bum business guy. I've gone through Zed Shaw's Learn Python the Hard Way and Python Osmosis. I'm still not any good, but I really want to get to the point where I can contribute code as well. I will work hard to deliver as a business cofounder, while also learning the tech side.

I hustle. Hard. I went out and talked to hundreds of spas to get partnerships with them, I know the industry problems inside and out, and I have good connections with the businesses we work with. Further, I have managed contractors to build the site, to do some PR and marketing work, and to reach the spas. I raised money to finance the building of the site. I have a letter of intent for further investment once we hit higher revenue targets...access to more money.

What I'm looking for:

- Django and Python fluent

- SEO background

- Execute online marketing and email campaigns

- Grow our consumer side

- Location: Chicago preferred, but we can work it out with other locations

I'm not looking for a code monkey. I'm looking for a partner. I have a strong bias towards a local Chicago developer. Location, ultimately, isn't important because I will move to your city for the first couple of months to really get this thing going in the right direction. Working in the same room is very important to me.

Also, to be clear: I am NOT looking for someone who has a full-time job / freelance gigs, and wants to spend 10 hours a week on this with me as a cofounder. I'm fully committed to this and I want someone who is able to fully commit to it as well.

Why is this a great opportunity?:
- I am offering 1/3 equity in the company (terms to be discussed)
- The site is built, operational, and producing revenue
- A chance to take a project and help mold it into a success
- Proven to obtain funding and if necessary will secure more funding

Interested in talking more?? Contact me at andrew.dennis@spaciety.com and let's get the dialogue started.

If you are in the same situation or would like to have a fellow coder to work with, drop me an email: ndzomgafs@gmail.com

As a preface, I've had a lot of software developed, but I've never worked full-time on software with a co-founder/partner. Much of this is new to me, so I would definitely be open to comments or ideas about the way I'm performing this search from other members of HN, especially about the responsibilities I've listed below.

The Offer : In one sentence, I'm looking for someone to work with me to build a Software as a Service business based in Japan. I'm experienced at IT sales, running a business and managing people. I have a large network of contacts in Japan, and Webnet IT has a large 'built-in' active customer base that are interested in software that provides value to their operations. Webnet IT is still my main operation, however I plan to spend a large portion of my time on this project once I find the right technical partner.

Here are some basic guidelines that are important to me :

- Skill Sets. I am not a coder. I have plenty of experience on the IT infrastructure side, and I've been running an IT business for 7 years, but I have no coding skills beyond basic scripts, basic PHP/MySQL and HTML. I'm hoping to find someone who is passionate about coding, and has either the experience in creating SaaS systems, or the periphery experience and the ambition and ability to create this level of application.

- The Idea. I have a number of ideas based on software I've developed and our customers requirements, but I'm open to discussion. I see this as something we'd generate and agree on together.

- Personality and Capability. I imagine we'll be spending a lot of time working together, and as a result, personality and attitude (and a sense of humour!) are paramount. This goes both ways - you need to be comfortable and happy working with me. I don't really mind about your background. I don't place too much stock in degrees and certificates. I'd be much more interested to hear about your personal software projects, your personal wins and your work experiences.

- Compensation. I'm open to ideas on compensation structures. If we get as far as discussing compensation, we can work out a fair and reasonable structure based on who you are, what you want, and what you can contribute. Naturally, "I want a large base and no revenue sharing or company percentages" is a very different conversation from "Give me a place to sleep and X% of the company".

- How we work together. I imagine that at the start, we'll discuss our ideas over Skype. I'll show you examples of the software I've designed and developed, you'll do the same for me. We'll put together a basic arrangement, and we'll do a couple of small projects to get an understanding of how we both work. When this goes well, we'll see if we can agree on a basic product road-map. If this goes well, we'll put together a plan to launch, detailing responsibilities and milestones. By this stage, we should have an agreement in place. Work begins. Within a few months, we'll need to be spending a good amount of time working together. As such, I'd like for you to be willing, happy and able to move to Japan. As we get busier and as we acquire customers, I'd be hiring more developers and support staff, most likely working under you.

Bio : Like any relationship, or perhaps even more so, the co-founder/partner type relationship is based on trust and understanding. As such, here is a brief biography to give you an understanding of who I am.

My name is Jason Winder, I'm Australian, I've been living in Japan for 8 years, and I run a business named Webnet IT that provides IT services to foreign companies in Japan.

Introduction : I was lucky enough to get a 2nd hand clunker computer when I was a kid. For the technically curious, it was a x8086 with a green TV as a monitor, two 5.25 floppy drives, no hard disk and about 128K memory. I grew up breaking, fixing and learning from this computer. From the experience gained from this PC over the years, I landed a job working for a large company out of high school. I then found work at a smaller company in Australia, then I moved to Japan. I worked for various IT companies for a couple of years, then I started my own company, Webnet IT.

Webnet IT : I didn't go to university, but I love learning. I started from a blank slate in regards to entrepreneurship. I've built up a consulting business by learning incrementally about business, sales and marketing. During this process, I designed software and systems that automate mundane tasks, and assist us doing things like generating quotes, invoices, sharing information with our customers, and many other things. Through this process, I've discovered I have a passion for developing software that helps people perform complex tasks both simply and efficiently. I'd like to build on this and develop useful software to sell to people.

Side note : My main PC these days is an Apple 15" MacBook Pro. I built my home PC myself, it's an Intel Core2Duo 3.06GHz running Windows 7 with 2x24" monitors.

You Would Be Responsible For

The technical and architectural infrastructure, Initially all coding, Eventually managing a small team of coders, Brainstorming ideas, and Creating a product roadmap with me.

I Would Be Responsible For

Sales and marketing, Funding, General hiring and Management, Accounting, Brainstorming ideas, and Creating a product roadmap with you.

I imagine these responsibilities will evolve over time, however I think it's important to do some initial general planning on expectations and responsibilities.

If this describes you and your situation, or if you have any comments or thoughts, I would be very happy to hear from you. Please contact me at jason@webnet-it.co.jp.

Thanks for your time reading this.

Jason

tl;dr
95%Biz/5%Tech guy looking for a Tech guy. btw Japan.