I'm a long time lurker on HN, but this is my first thread. I've always dreamed of starting some sort of startup since I was 11 years old. Of course life happens, and before I know it I'm a month away from my 30th birthday.
So finally deciding to go for it, I sat down and came up with a very engaging idea and roped my wife into co-founding with me and handling financial duties. We haven't incorporated yet, however I'm currently in the middle of a coding tear on 1.0 and I honestly couldn't be happier. Knowing that I'm potentially building my own destiny rather than defaulting to working for someone else the rest of my life is a big motivator.
Do I want to get rich? Well yeah, but even if I don't, being profitable will be just fine. In fact, I'm building my company in one of the worst areas for technology startups: DFW.
I have a day job that I'm very happy at, so this is just a nights/weekend thing until we can achieve critical mass. Despite my great job, I still feel the pull of the entrepreneur and am looking forward to launching a beta in a month or two.
It was either get a tattoo or start a business.
I do have some cautionary advice, though... I say everything here without knowing you, your wife or your idea.
First off, make sure that you read this article and follow it unless you have a good reason not to:
http://startuplawyer.com/startup-issues/if-i-launched-a-star...
Specifically, both you and your wife should have vesting shares. After all, there's a reason that most people do not start up with their loved ones - they say that the best family business is a sole proprietorship. This isn't a corner store and you and your wife might find your marriage taxed by this radical twist on your relationship.
Would you start up with your wife if you weren't married? If not, then my polite suggestion is that you hire your wife and give her lots of equity for her contributions. Taking on a business partner is an incredibly important decision, and if you wouldn't hire her otherwise then it's a potentially questionable decision now. I wouldn't belabour this point but you didn't explain her background.
The other thing is that it pays to startup with a good idea. I'm a big believer in MVPs and pivoting and trying things until it works... but the fact remains that most ideas are terrible and it's hard to tell when one of your ideas is terrible. Most people around you are inclined to tell you how great an idea it is, because they can see in your eyes that you want them to love it. This is an extremely dangerous confirmation bias because you can and will waste your valuable energy and enthusiasm.
In short: seek people that you can trust to give you honest feedback on your ideas. Steve Blank's 4 Steps to the Epiphany is worth the kudos it receives. And most important of all: make sure all founders have vesting shares.