From:   Thomas David Rivers <[email protected]>
To:     [email protected], 
Date:   01/31/2013 03:42 PM
Subject:        Re: FW: mainframe "selling" points -- Start up Costs
Sent by:        IBM Mainframe Discussion List <[email protected]>



Steve Thompson wrote:

>
>Using your own home systems, how long does it take you to develop 
>something in c/C++ .net, Java, etc. and be able to sell it?
>
>For a one "man" startup, $200K is a lot of money. BTDT. And the business 
I 
>had was NOT in IT.
>
>Regards,
>Steve Thompson
>
> 
>

<SNIPPAGE>

 Note, your issues aren't limited to mainframe software
 development... consider opening a restuarant... you have
 to acquire the kitchen equiptment, lease/purchase the space,
 do significant advertising, etc... before you sell the first
 plate of food.   Every start-up enterprise requires a non-trivial
 initial investment. 
<SNIPPAGE>

Software development is the only industry that I know of that has such a 
long startup time. Ok, maybe building your own plane takes longer. 

But since you ask, in an indirect way, I got into the business of 
dismantling old timber framed barns for re-erection. We had to buy 
commercial vehicles (which is why I have a CDL: A to this day.), get a DOT 
number, etc. Our cash flow was affected by the weather (ever try to start 
a diesel engine at -12F?). But, we had revenue within 30 days of start up.

You won't do that with software. At least not in my experience. But when I 
see someone trying to get 10,000 (pick the small animal of your choice) to 
pull a plow instead of two good draft horses (yes I have plowed with 
horses, once. I love a good tractor), I tend to mention the problem. 

Regards,
Steve Thompson

Opinions expressed by this poster may not reflect those of poster's 
employer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions,
send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN

Reply via email to