Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 22, 2021

Take advantage of software tools to automate routine business functions, like taking and delivering orders. Use free e-commerce software and services like PayPal before building an expensive customized solution. Don’t hide behind a website with no address, picture, or direct contact information. Automate to the max.

Technical Review 312

Technical Review Software Review Internet Revenue 312

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 12, 2019

For example, I come from a software background, and back in the early PC days, it could easily cost half a million dollars for a team of professionals to produce a commercial product. Now, with powerful high-level tools and open source software, winning smartphone apps can be built by a good hacker for a few thousand dollars.

Cost 264

Cost Founder Software Review Startup 264

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 30, 2020

Use open-source e-commerce and website software, including web-chat software and PayPal, rather than building expensive customized solutions. Every new business has unexpected pivots and adjustments, and outsourcing is easier to manage. Take advantage of low-cost modern tools and automation.

Merger 386

Merger Acquisition Software Review Social Media 386

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 13, 2012

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. Yes, the software patent process is a mess. I say this with conviction even after I survived the process, and have a software patent pending. Software technology changes rapidly.

Software 233

Software Intellectual Property Algorithm Startup 233

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

Software and hardware development architects and designers. All the learning from parenting pays big dividends here. On the other hand, there are some roles in a startup where Boomers are probably not the best candidates: Constantly-on-the-road sales territory management roles. Marketing and sales to Gen-Y customers.

Advisory Board 368

Advisory Board Dividend Angel Investor Cofounder 368

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2019

You will need to invest more in training your own team, and increase your capital budget for new hardware and software. I’ll outsource software development, since I don’t understand it.” When you sign up remote workers, you’ll start to rely heavily on collaborative tools, Internet bandwidth, and new data security tools.

Entrepreneur 303

Entrepreneur Philippines Bandwidth Cofounder 303

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2022

If both of you are experts at software development, even though one loves design and the other loves coding, that still won’t get the marketing done. This is a critical element of a good relationship, but a tough one. This is probably the best place to apply your “gut” feeling. Brings complementary skills and experience.

Partner 385

Partner Software Review CTO Hire Cofounder 385

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 17, 2023

Microsoft spent a huge amount of time and money with software developers for applications, and with hardware manufacturers to support multiple PC platforms. You need to convince a thousand partners that they can become winners, if they join you as believers. That’s real viral marketing.

Startup 205

Startup Viral Software Developers Software Development 205

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 31, 2020

Microsoft spent a huge amount of time and money with software developers for applications, and with hardware manufacturers to support multiple PC platforms. You need to convince a thousand partners that they can become winners, if they join you as believers. That’s real viral marketing.

Entrepreneur 423

Entrepreneur Viral Software Developers Software Development 423

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 7, 2011

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. Yes, the software patent process is a mess. I say this with conviction even after I survived the process, and have a software patent pending. Software technology changes rapidly.

Software 228

Software Intellectual Property Algorithm Valuation 228

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. Match your office, facilities and computer equipment to the size of the staff you have today, and intend to have in the next six months.

Burn Rate 258

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Management Salary 258

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 13, 2023

With remote workers, you need to learn how to effectively use the new software technologies, such as Zoom and Slack , to get the engagement and commitment you need. The challenge in integrating all these elements of human-centered leadership, especially in hybrid work environments, is to embrace flexibility, both in mindset and practice.

Leadership 280

Leadership Agile Demand Search 280

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 8, 2014

If you have a software development background like mine, Im sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. If your software or your manufacturing process is your secret sauce, you need to keep the work in-house. The same applies to manufacturing and almost any process these days.

Intellectual Property 238

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Offshore 238

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

Apple pulled ahead of other mobile phones in its early days largely because it cultivated an ecosystem of software developers who created iPhone apps to meet every consumer niche and need. Simple metrics and your personal knowledge of the industry can’t keep up with all the relevant competitive forces.

Software Review 355

Software Review Algorithm Global IPO 355

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

Software apps that once required a 10-person team can now be done with the Lean Development methodology by two people in a couple of months. The good news is that the cost for new startups is at an all-time low. In the early days (25 years ago), most new e-commerce sites cost a million dollars to set up.

Intellectual Property 341

Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 341

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 14, 2022

I see lots of new software put together on a shoestring as a “proof of concept” – but then gets rolled out to customers “asis” due to lack of time or money to “harden” the product. Sometimes the problem cause is that startups forget the technical standards and quality processes that every Internet rollout must follow to reduce the risk.

Technical Review 342

Technical Review Customer Social Network Software Review 342

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 14, 2019

We slowly realized that Microsoft’s value went far beyond his technical contributions, due to his connections with key software developers and relationships with hardware manufacturers who could make the PC revolution universal. For example, I grew up in IBM when Bill Gates was helping us deliver the first IBM PC.

Technical Review 218

Technical Review Software Review Cofounder Social Network 218

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 21, 2021

I was with IBM in the early PC days when Bill worked with us to provide PC DOS and other software. Of course there are people who are great at getting things done, but haven’t had an original idea in their life. Great entrepreneurs, like Bill Gates, are great at both.

Technical Review 333

Technical Review Startup Software Review Retention 333

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2012

Since my background includes software development, I often get the question about when to build a solution in-house, versus outsourcing it to a local company, near-shore service, or off-shore organization in China, India, or Eastern Europe. If your software is your solution and “secret sauce,” don’t entrust it to outsiders of any kind.

Intellectual Property 222

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Non-Compete Vietnam 222

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 30, 2022

Keep your eyes and mind open to free sources of innovation in every ecosystem, including open-source software, university cooperative programs, and the many incubators and accelerators supported by volunteers and communities. Be sure to hire and cultivate new talent with the right mindset. Capitalize on free communal initiatives around you.

Technical Review 252

Technical Review Silicon Valley Software Review Metrics 252

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 13, 2022

Today, Silicon Valley is the consumer and enterprise software capital of the world. For your own startup location positioning, I recommend his four key questions that every entrepreneur should contemplate before resigning themselves to failure, or deciding where to move to improve their odds of success: What’s your city’s advantage?

Las Vegas 309

Las Vegas Silicon Valley Arizona Montana 309

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 26, 2021

Gates was a software developer genius, but Ballmer upheld the marketing and business side. Idea people must surround themselves with people who build momentum and get things done, including production, marketing, finance, and sales. Paul Allen was the idea visionary. You set goals and targets, and build a plan from these.

Entrepreneur 341

Entrepreneur Angel Investor Partner Software Developers 341

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 5, 2019

Take advantage of software tools to automate routine business functions, like taking and delivering orders. Use free e-commerce software and services like PayPal before building an expensive customized solution. Don’t hide behind a website with no address, picture, or direct contact information. Automate to the max.

Technical Review 243

Technical Review Software Review Internet Revenue 243

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 28, 2021

With my software background at IBM, I’m well aware that technical early adopters value more and more features, and are able to deal with complexity. Typical consumers, on the other hand, value simplicity and usability, and are turned off by features they don’t use.

Technical Review 329

Technical Review Merger Software Review Acquisition 329

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 24, 2022

Leaders and investors need to know if you have and are tapping into your key sources of relevant data, including web analytics, sales management data, and customer relationship management (CRM) software. We want to make sure you can break down the silos and manage to results.

Acquisition 250

Acquisition Cost Customer Sales Cycle 250

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2022

With the latest advances in software technology, it’s no longer cost-prohibitive for business entrepreneurs, who can’t yet afford a human resources department, to take advantage of analytics tools. Almost any startup can start with Excel, and move to open-source data analysis tools, including Python or RStudio.

Analytics 303

Analytics Hiring Open Source Employee 303

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2011

Since my background includes software development, I often get the question about when to build a solution in-house, versus outsourcing it to a local company, near-shore service, or off-shore organization in China, India, or Eastern Europe. If your software is your solution and “secret sauce,” don’t entrust it to outsiders of any kind.

Intellectual Property 225

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Non-Compete Vietnam 225

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2016

If you have a software development background like mine, I’m sure you often get questions about when to outsource, versus building the solution in-house. If your software or your manufacturing process is your “secret sauce,” you need to keep the work in-house. The same applies to manufacturing and almost any process these days.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Non-disclosure Agreement Software Review Technical Review 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 4, 2022

Software apps that once required a 10-person team can now be done with the Lean Development methodology by two people in a couple of months. The good news is that the cost for new startups is at an all-time low. In the early days (20 years ago), most new e-commerce sites cost a million dollars to set up.

Intellectual Property 261

Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator Bootstrapping 261

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 19, 2020

For example, a software development startup raising $250,000 from angel investors better be able to operate on $25,000 per month. Match your office, facilities and computer equipment to the size of the staff you have today, and intend to have in the next six months.

Burn Rate 310

Burn Rate Hockey Stick Salary Angel Investor 310

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2020

Software and hardware development architects and designers. All the learning from parenting pays big dividends here. On the other hand, there are some roles in a startup where Boomers are probably not the best candidates: Constantly-on-the-road sales territory management roles. Marketing and sales to Gen-Y customers.

Advisory Board 312

Advisory Board Startup Dividend Angel Investor 312

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 10, 2021

A while back I received a discouraging note from an entrepreneur with a patent and a medical software application who couldn’t find a dime of investment, and was grousing that seed funding just wasn’t available anymore.

Software Review 307

Software Review Due Diligence Elevator Pitch Early Stage 307

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2018

You will need to invest more in training your own team, and increase your capital budget for new hardware and software. I’ll outsource software development, since I don’t understand it.” When you sign up remote workers, you’ll start to rely heavily on collaborative tools, Internet bandwidth, and new data security tools.

Philippines 181

Philippines Bandwidth Cofounder Affiliate 181

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 14, 2014

The next step in complexity is building a software product that you can offer as a service to your customers, or a mobile smartphone app. Any credible software developer should be willing to tackle this kind of tool for a couple of thousand dollars. Then there are full-featured software sites like Facebook.

Startup 252

Startup eCommerce Hosting Bootstrapping 252

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 21, 2011

Of course, you both need to have compatible smart phones with the software already downloaded. Here is the old standby low-end hardware-based solution, a simple business card scanner for $150, with software to synchronize the data with Outlook, Windows mobile devices and smartphones. Commercial software. CardScan Personal.

Technical Review 209

Technical Review Technology Software Review Social Network 209

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2010

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. Yet the software patent process is a mess. I say this with conviction even after I survived the process, and have a software patent pending. Software technology changes rapidly.

Software 125

Software Intellectual Property Valuation Algorithm 125

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Software apps that once required a 10-person team can now be done with the Lean Development methodology by two people in a couple of months. The good news is that the cost for new startups is at an all-time low. In the early days (25 years ago), most new e-commerce sites cost a million dollars to set up.

Finance 320

Finance Intellectual Property Technical Review Incubator 320