MicroISV/Startup Bootcamp
MicroISV/Startup Bootcamp is for experienced developers who are ready to fire their bosses and start their own software or web companies. Taught by Bob Walsh, author of Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality and co-moderator of the popular Joel on Software Business of Software forum, this class will be digging deep into all those things besides coding you need to come to grips with to successfully sell Mac and Windows commercial software or launch a profitable software as a Service Application.
Class activities will alternate between lecture, Q & A, and group activities, such as explaining the value of your product in 20 seconds. Because of the nature of the class and your involvement in it, all participants will need to agree to a Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to the first session.
This is not a theory class, nor will it cover the arcane arts of securing Venture Capital or Angel Investor funding.
Upon completion of MicroISV/Startup Bootcamp, the student will:
- be able to define his/her initial product
- develop and connect with a market that wants that product
- be able to avoid some of the revenue pitfalls along the way
- have completed the first draft of his/her microISV/startup business plan
Upcoming Classes
| Date | Instructor | Price | Status | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20 - 22 | Bob Walsh |
$1900 | Register Now | Atlanta, Georgia |
Syllabus
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Who am I - who are you? |
| Class Roadmap | Expectations – what’s real, what’s not |
| Defining your Value | Start at the beginning: define your hook Define your hook exercise |
| The Business Side | Deciding what kind of business entity you are Taxes/Bookkeeping: a basic intro |
| Your domain name | Company name or product name? Business Web Hosting Considerations |
| The ins and outs of Payment Processing | An opinionated history of payment processing for microISVs |
| Positioning your product or service | What problems do you solve? Who has these problems? How do you connect to these people? |
| Tech support as marketing | A comprehensive trusted system Dealing with difficult customers Building evangelists one issue at a time |
| Your startup/microISV Business Plan – the important bits | Your monetization plan Revenue Models License Purchase Advertising Supported Subscription based Other models |
| Operating Budget | Getting real about revenue and expenses |
| SWOT analysis | Recognizing your strengths; confronting your weaknesses, identifying your competition. |
| Productivity for startups/MicroISVs | Email is not your friend Keeping informed Your Decision Log GTD in your microISV/startup |
| Variations on delivering applications | Open Source integration Information sites |
| Your conversation plan | Blogging Why you need a product blog Defining your product’s blog and resisting the urge to write your own Social networking Why twitter matters Your customers’ social networks Leveraging what you do |
| Getting from where you are to where you want to go | Yes you do need a life Family, friends, and coworkers Look before you leap – but leap! |
What's Included
Class price includes all class materials, a luxury room, three delicious meals a day, a stylish Big Nerd Ranch t-shirt, and ground transportation to and from the airport. Plan to arrive the afternoon or evening before your class begins and depart on the last day of your class after 4 PM.