I've started a software company and want to keep it just me and no employees. In this day and age with the popularity of SaaS and uptime needed is it still a realistic goal of starting and keep running a micro ISV?
Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
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Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#2I am currently running as a single founder, no employee, μISV.
It's possible, but here's what I have found:
- Partner with resellers who take a commission on sales -- then they can deal with all of the customer management.
- Set realistic goals for uptime, machines go down (it's not if but when), distributed setups are possible and encouraged for larger customers, but they cost more.
p.s. Wanna get a slack channel for solo founders going?
EDIT: I've created a slack group - Email me if you would like an invite!
Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#3I am currently running as a single founder, no employee, μISV. It's possible, but here's what I have found: - Partner with resellers who take a commission on sales -- then they can deal with all of the customer management. - Set realistic goals for uptime, machines go down (it's not if but when), distributed setups are possible and encouraged for larger customers, but they cost more. p.s. Wanna get a slack channel fo…
I'd love to get a slack channel for solo founders. Just forewarning I have never used Slack before but I'd be down to learn.
What kind of software do you sell? Is it desktop, mobile, web?
Also, is your price point rather high? I would imagine something like a $120 product may not benefit from a reseller as it is small deal for them
Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#4For us peasants not trying to sell anything : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_ISV
Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#5I haven't done this, but if I was going to, I would target an existing platform that big companies depend on (salesforce, slack, more niche CRM's, etc.) and create a super focused niche plugin that 1) Is not core value prop of the platform, 2) Has little chance of being duplicated by the platform, 3) Has no competition, 4) Solves a real problem companies have.
For example, do research that shows that 7% of companies in industry XYZ use certain CRM. Analyze that industry and see what common use cases and pain points are. Somehow figure out what the CRM is missing for that industry. Validate the idea before building it by reaching out to said companies.
There would be a lot more to it, but basically a plugin for established software a company already uses is much easier and less risk to sell when you are a small shop.
Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#6I am currently running as a single founder, no employee, μISV. It's possible, but here's what I have found: - Partner with resellers who take a commission on sales -- then they can deal with all of the customer management. - Set realistic goals for uptime, machines go down (it's not if but when), distributed setups are possible and encouraged for larger customers, but they cost more. p.s. Wanna get a slack channel fo…
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Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#7I haven't done this, but if I was going to, I would target an existing platform that big companies depend on (salesforce, slack, more niche CRM's, etc.) and create a super focused niche plugin that 1) Is not core value prop of the platform, 2) Has little chance of being duplicated by the platform, 3) Has no competition, 4) Solves a real problem companies have. For example, do research that shows that 7% of companies…
I did exactly that ~10 years ago and made pretty good money with it at $50/install.
My plugin allowed you to put in your hotel when you traveled. Then it showed a list of your current & past customers' offices that were within X miles. Now you can fire off those "btw, I'll be in town in 2 weeks, we should talk about X" emails well in advance.
If I had to do it now, I'd tie into Tripit or Google Calendar to get the most accurate info, pull the data from your CRM, and send you an email with some "last contact" info & links to email them.
Oh.. and I'd make it a monthly charge instead of a one-time purchase.
Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#8I do. As advised by others comments, I sell a plugin on a platform that takes 20-30%. It's great because they handle the invoicing to big companies, which removes the hassle of being a referenced provider.
I'm ok on the sysadmin side (backups, Ansible, etc) and uptime. I'm subpaar on the support side, because I can't develop features fast enough and I have a problems prioritizing things that my various customers need and, at the same time, I panic at the idea of telling them that "I don't know" whether I'll deliver their tiny feature in 1 week or in 8 months. Anyway, it's all problems you can solve by being more efficient or professional, just keep in mind that support/bugfixing will creep up as you add features, up to 80% of your time, at which point you'll either have enough money to hire, or notice that the business model doesn't bring enough money.
There is definitely room for us, micro ISV: Do it as long as you like it / enjoy the lifestyle.
Also, "don't talk to corp dev" (cf Paul Graham's essay) unless you want to sell, in which case use an acquisition broker marketplace (cf patio11's essays).
Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#9I am currently running as a single founder, no employee, μISV. It's possible, but here's what I have found: - Partner with resellers who take a commission on sales -- then they can deal with all of the customer management. - Set realistic goals for uptime, machines go down (it's not if but when), distributed setups are possible and encouraged for larger customers, but they cost more. p.s. Wanna get a slack channel fo…
I'd love to get a slack channel for solo founders. Just forewarning I have never used Slack before but I'd be down to learn. What kind of software do you sell? Is it desktop, mobile, web? Also, is your price point rather high? I would imagine something like a $120 product may not benefit from a reseller as it is small deal for them
If you can use this forum, you can use slack.
Re: Ask HN: Is the concept of a one-person software shop still viable?
#10I haven't done this, but if I was going to, I would target an existing platform that big companies depend on (salesforce, slack, more niche CRM's, etc.) and create a super focused niche plugin that 1) Is not core value prop of the platform, 2) Has little chance of being duplicated by the platform, 3) Has no competition, 4) Solves a real problem companies have. For example, do research that shows that 7% of companies…
I did exactly that ~10 years ago and made pretty good money with it at $50/install. My plugin allowed you to put in your hotel when you traveled. Then it showed a list of your current & past customers' offices that were within X miles. Now you can fire off those "btw, I'll be in town in 2 weeks, we should talk about X" emails well in advance. If I had to do it now, I'd tie into Tripit or Google Calendar to get the mo…
Absolutely about the recurring revenue. Make it monthly or annual with a steep discount, but auto-renew. When I make mobile apps with advertisements, removing the ads is a yearly fee, not a one-time payment. Otherwise, they get lifetime benefits which does not accurately compensate me for my time, and I need to keep making new sales in perpetuity.