On Starting a Software Business • Hacker News Board

Re: On Starting a Software Business

#151

Post by ethbro » Tue, Jun 27, 2017, 1:46 PM UTC

semperdark wrote: post #146

beager wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like you may have an opportunity to offload some of that power-user/consultant content to contractors who just integrate your platform in their gigs. Or, operate a linearly-scaling in-house consultancy and have your platform be a means to optimize revenue per employee. The CRUD application is definitely not the hard part, but it can be the long part.

Spot on. We've had success with in-house consulting for medium-to-large development projects, and we're in talks with a few MSPs now to help them offer managed custom applications to their customers. In terms of long-term scaling, getting more contractors on board is our biggest priority.

What's the best email to send inquiries to? Enterprise@? Possibly relevant to my interests on the supply side.

Or reach out to ethbro . coAtGma il.

Re: On Starting a Software Business

#152

Post by ethbro » Tue, Jun 27, 2017, 2:02 PM UTC

croon wrote: post #135

nightski wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I mean there is some level of growth in the sales/marketing/accounting and non-engineering departments right? Engineering isn't the only thing in a business, sometimes it's not even the most important (as much as we might hate to hear that). I've been in extremely successful software companies that had a crap product but an amazing sales team (although I didn't stick around long).

Couldn't agree more. I've noticed this pattern in both business and in individual engineers. You either have a spectacular product that theoretically could sell itself with initial exposure, or you have the best marketing and a product that might as well be vapor. Usually it's the mediocre product that's somewhere in between that wins. In engineers I've noticed that some of the brightest I've worked with are unsociab…

Also the optimal mix varies according to company age.

Younger company with unknown decent product? More heavily spending on sales.

Older company with industry recommendations from previous clients? Spend less on fewer, more technical sales people.

Older company with no recommendations from previous clients? You're doing something wrong, and sales isn't the place you should be spending your money.

I feel like normally this logic is inverted at the C-level though. Sales are low and product isn't getting traction? Hire more sales and marketing folks and put off those engineering hires.

Re: On Starting a Software Business

#153

Post by pikachuaintcool » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 9:42 PM UTC

ericd wrote: post #120

pikachuaintcool wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly I wouldn't take my opinion seriously, I have very little experience in industry and my opinion might be misinformed. But if you really care, I'm talking from an ethical perspective. Imagine if Facebook or Google or Twitter were successfully bootstrapped, think about how much better off everyone would be. If all you care about is making money then VC money probably would work I guess. But it makes me sad.

That's a big if, at least in Twitter's case.

Elaborate?

Re: On Starting a Software Business

#154

Post by semperdark » Sat, Jul 01, 2017, 9:27 AM UTC

ethbro wrote: post #151

semperdark wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spot on. We've had success with in-house consulting for medium-to-large development projects, and we're in talks with a few MSPs now to help them offer managed custom applications to their customers. In terms of long-term scaling, getting more contractors on board is our biggest priority.

What's the best email to send inquiries to? Enterprise@? Possibly relevant to my interests on the supply side. Or reach out to ethbro . coAtGma il.

Hi there, I just noticed that I had a new reply. I've sent you an email.