I recently asked an IP attorney how people get startups off the ground when the idea can't possibly pay for itself in the idea phase.

Her answer? Go get a job at McDonald's. She didn't actually mean to get a job at McDonalds - what she meant is, find other income that won't cut into your personal expenses to fund the idea to execute it properly.

If there isn't money to pay a coder, there's probably also not money to pay your IP lawyer - and how will you get a patent without an IP lawyer? Even LegalZoom charges you to do an application.

The main reason startups fail is that they burn through all their cash faster than they thought they would, or are undercapitalized in the first place.

It's very enticing (and quite maddening) to have an idea that you just "know" is going to be a success but not have the money to pay professionals to do it for you. But, that's exactly what must be done - pay professionals.

Or, take a free course online from Stanford or MIT on how to use Swift (the iPhone coding language) - or take the gaming classes on Udemy and hope for the best.

Because, in the final analysis, you're not just coding an app, you're starting a business. A business that will need marketing and copywriting and social media support - and if you come back asking for someone to do that for free, there are plenty of answered questions here from marketing professionals telling you that you can't ask that, either.

Failure to launch isn't just a movie about a guy who won't leave home. It's also an unfortunate scenario for a lot of would-be business owners - one that I hope for your sake that you can avoid.