What is the best type and most effective type of UX Journey map that you have seen?

Have you tried attending local UX networking events and rubbing elbows? Websites like meetup.com are a good place to identify these events. Best of luck!

Start by calling SEO resellers. Ask them if they experience any challenges sharing reports with their clients. If they do, dig into what the problems are. Does your solution meet what they need? If so, tell them you are creating a solution they'd like and ask them if they want to buy it. Then you have two options: collect payment then and there for your uncreated product or add them to your list to contact when you launch. But first you need to validate that enough SEO resellers need the product you want to create. Start there.

Steve Blank has already covered this in depth in his book 4 Steps to the Epiphany, as well as a video here: http://startupweekend.wistia.com/medias/tao3s8hf7l My approach is based on his outline, with a twist. 1) I try and conduct the interviews at the customers office or place of work, at minimum on their devide (computer, mobile phone) so I can ask to see how they work. 2) I never try and sell them on a the solution, but work hard to truly understand if/where the problem is. 3) Always provide guidance to the conversation, but ask open ended questions. 4) Ask questions like "What do you do 3 minutes before, and after, you do that action (or use our product)? Other tips would be - Write down the words they use. Metaphors and taxonomies are VERY important to ensuring your product is approachable. - Use 3 simple slides: Problem, Current Solutions, Proposed Solution Hope that helps.

Are you performing a large-scale customer study? Or is this just a smaller focus group gig? The primary rationale for hiring a user research recruiter would be to obtain a valid, representative sample for statistical inference. If the number of participants is small -- too small to be statistically significant -- then you cross this concern off your list. Presumably, you know who your ideal users will be. After all, they must be your future customers, right? So if you can't track them down now, then future marketing will be pretty hopless. You can probably contact them on your own without an intermediary. Another reason for hiring a recruiter might be to inject a buffer layer for impartial selection. Otherwise, you and your colleagues may inadvertently bias the selection process toward people who know you or are already too favorable. My experience in this area is not vast -- although it sometimes comes into play for larger corporate naming initiatives. So I may be missing other arguments in favor of hiring research recruiters. I'd be glad to hear those from other people so that I can learn something too.

I think you've really answered your question pretty well! The common options are: 1) Deferred compensation. Find someone that will agree to take a note in lieu of payment, with an enticing arrangement to pay them for their work when you get revenue. 2) Partial cash, partial equity. Equity doesn't have to mean a share in the company today. It could take the form of options (with vesting over time), or vesting that is dependent on certain milestones (perhaps revenue) being met. 3) All equity - Again with the vesting possibilities in #2 above. Unless you have no other choice, you might want to avoid anything related to equity due to complexity, legal expense, and other reasons. A good option might be to see if you can find a good but inexperienced UX designer who needs to build a portfolio, and would see this as an opportunity to get a case study and build credibility, in exchange for a reduced compensation rate. Lastly, consider hiring a UX designer on a site like Odesk. Many offer services at low hourly rates, and some of them are probably really good.