A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

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How to find that first big customer

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

But this was 2002 when AdWords was affordable and I had no competitors, so you can’t repeat that — it doesn’t matter how I did it. product that barely worked, no sales organization (except tech support, which often works better anyway ), and I just hoped they’d run a credit card. I didn’t. I had a $39.95

Customer 231
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The wrong question: Is now the right time to start a company?

A Smart Bear: Startups and Marketing for Geeks

I started Smart Bear in a recession (2002) and it went great. When the economy is good and the product fits the market, sales are easy. The answer is always yes. But it’s the wrong question. I’ve been explaining for eight years why recessions are a great time to start a company. When the economy rushes back, you ride the wave.