Running a Business

Rajesh R Subramanian11-Feb-11 4:40

Rajesh R Subramanian

11-Feb-11 4:40

VonHagNDaz wrote:
This is a small company, and their first attempt at software development, I don't want them to have to buy unnecessary tools, and I don't want to be halfway through a project before I realize I've missed a huge component.

Microsoft has something called as BizSpark[^] to help startup businesses flourish. They offer Visual Studio Ultimate with MSDN subscription under this plan at a MUCH subsidised rate. VS Ultimate with an MSDN subscription will give you nearly everything that you may need.

Of course there are terms and conditions, fees, etc., but you could apply for one of these subscriptions through the link I provided, and they'll help you out with the rest.

"Real men drive manual transmission" - Rajesh.

VonHagNDaz11-Feb-11 4:45

VonHagNDaz

11-Feb-11 4:45

Again, thank you.

[Insert Witty Sig Here]

Steve Maier11-Feb-11 4:46

11-Feb-11 4:46

Rajesh, you submitted the same thing before I could. I guess I have to give you a 5. Wink | ;-)

Steve Maier

Steve Maier11-Feb-11 4:45

11-Feb-11 4:45

If they are possibly looking to make some software to sell, then I would say to try to get into the BizSpark program, which is free and that gives full MSDN licenses. But the company must be making less than 1 million a year. Unfortunately Microsoft closed their Empower Program that allowed you to get 5 MSDN subscriptions for $400. It seems that the BizSpark or just purchasing a subscription might be the best thing.

The nice thing about the subscription now is that you will also get a license for TFS and TFS2010 is alot easier to setup. This means that a bug tracking and version control system could be setup easily for them as well by you making you look even more like a hero. Wink | ;-)

Steve Maier

Prasanta_Prince16-Apr-11 8:16

Prasanta_Prince

16-Apr-11 8:16

Its a good information.. Smile | :)

Bernhard Hiller13-Feb-11 21:58

Bernhard Hiller

13-Feb-11 21:58

Since the software is to be used "in house", you have to make sure that it can run on their computers/network. First, find out the operating systems (no .NET 4 on Windows 2000) and hardware used, the limitations of the network etc. Find out how the systems your software has to exchange data with work (lots of COM, PInvoke, C++ header files, simple file exchanges,...?). Then you will see which technologies should be used, whether to use .NET with or without COM interfaces, or rather prefer archaic C++, etc. And then you can decide which development environment to use. By the way, there are also the "Express" versions of Visual Studio.

From Junior to Senior to Running a Bussiness

AmitGajjar17-Dec-11 8:45

AmitGajjar

17-Dec-11 8:45

Hi,

nice question, choosing right technology is all depend on your project and requirements. sometimes client prefer the language. if your project will be deployed on multiple platform then choosing dotnet is not good option. there are monoproject which is totally free and opensource. you can go for that , all the dot net features are available with it and its also growing well.

hope this information will help you,

thanks
-amit.

josehidalgor24-Jan-11 5:12

josehidalgor

24-Jan-11 5:12

Hi
I've had over three years of experience working as DotNet programmer. Someday I will like to run my own bussiness my question is:

Since I dont have any mentoring or couching in my actual job, How can I get that experience? I read and code a lot in my free time but I will like to know how to get more experience by myself.

Regards

Steve Maier24-Jan-11 5:33

24-Jan-11 5:33

Running your own business is alot more than just coding. And I would have to say that coding is the easiest part of the business. You have websites, SEO, marketing, payments, possibly employees, etc that all have nothing or little to do with your core business.

I suggest that you find a small thing that you are passionate about or something that you have a need for a solution. You can then write the solution and then try to market it. It might work, and it might not. But this way you can give it a try even with the experience that you have now. My biggest selling iPhone app took me 3 hours to write and submit to the app store. This shows that the coding is not the main thing. A friend of mine actually contracted people to do the coding for him and then he sold the apps and started making enough to quit his manager job.

Give it a shot and start looking at what you are interested in. there is also a website for the business of running a software business here. Business of Software[^]

Steve Maier

josehidalgor24-Jan-11 10:18

josehidalgor

24-Jan-11 10:18

Thanks Steve, I think that you are right about coding to be the easiest part of the business. The Website is very interesting Ive been reading the information.

Im going to give it a shot and start looking, thanks

Steve Maier24-Jan-11 10:24

24-Jan-11 10:24

Good luck. I am working on my business and it does take up alot of time.

Steve Maier

miikkakangas10-Apr-11 20:18

miikkakangas

10-Apr-11 20:18

The thing to avoid is to blaze ahead with a great product, since
as a technical type youll likely make something that you
wish you had, rather than something that the average Joe wishes they
had, and you will go out of business with lack of sales since the
number of people who want the neat thing you wish you had (and
are willing to pay for it since they need it and cant make it
themselves) is actually very low.

Step 0:
Figure out who you want your customer to be

Step 1:
Ask yourself to list what pains the customer is in without your product.
Make sure you are answering a "top 3 pains of the customer" issue
if your product does not answer a top three pains issue
for the prospective customer your product is likely not
worth developing.

Step 2:
Figure out bottoms up how you will get it to market, NOT top down like
"the market is X big and I can capture Y percent of X",
Top down never works. If you have a bottoms up plan of
"tuesday I will give a copy to X, and upload it to Y, then etc etc"
then you have a chance.

Step 3:
make a working prototype

Step 4:
start a C corp, make sure it owns the program, copyrights, patents, etc

Step 5:
show your prototype to a VC if you need lots of money - they will take 20% of your shares
no matter how little or much money they give you so try to get as far ahead as possible on your own

Step 6:
hire a bunch of outsourced programmers to do the grunt work, you manage them and write only key code yourself, unless your project is very small

Step 7:
sell your corporate shares and retire young.