RE:Consultancy company
On Jan 18, 4:28pm, Leo Lapworth wrote: Ok, it's all a pipedream.. but what a nice one. It sounds like an excellent idea. In fact, I've even got as far as writing a (fledgling) business plan for such a venture based around Template Toolkit-ish web development, support and consultancy. It's something that Simon Matthews and I have been talking about for a couple of years, but never really quite got around to taking the plunge. I was about to jump but work related improvments of the last few weeks have pushed it back onto the back burner. Now, what would it take to convince you that there are nicer places to work than central London? Guildford, for example, is quite wonderful and only a train ride away from the smoke... :-)= On the matter of funding, I have a friend who works for Goldman Sachs who offered to put me in touch with VC somewhere in the range of 2 - 10m. No favours, no guarantees, but at least a foot in the door and the offer of waving a business plan under the noses of the right kind of people. Of course, you might argue that GS != Right Kind of People :-) But like others, I'm not convinced that VC is the way to go unless you really have to. Having said that, if you want to start big and grow big quickly, I can't see a way to do that without significant moolah up front. Maybe that means "really have to"? One consideration worth playing on is that good Perl people are hard to come by. As a scarce resource, we might be able to convince backers that a solid collection of guru and demi-guru level Perl people represents a mighty design/development/consultancy force which could quickly corner a large chunk of the market. I'd love to come to the meeting and hear the ideas, but I've done my trip to London for this month :-) A Pipe dreamer. -- Andy Wardley [EMAIL PROTECTED] Signature regenerating. Please remain seated. [EMAIL PROTECTED] For a good time: http://www.kfs.org/~abw/
RE: RE:Consultancy company was [Job] BOFH wanted was: Re: Red Hat worm discovered
From: Paul Makepeace [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] From: "David Cantrell" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Is a million considered a lot in the UK still? Not by people who can add up. OK, same here then. Having said that, it's amazing how much people can stretch a few $currency_unit if they *don't* have investment :-) But then so's a 24hr stretch of uninterrupted electricity Yeah, it's always amazed me just how crap the north American power system seems to be. Even in cities. This is a different issue, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/power.crisis/ The US has much more to worry about than the UK, like high water tables, vicious weather and earthquakes. The smart money goes on hosting in Texas (San Antonio) not California though -- relatively earthquake/tornado/storm/etc-free! On the upside, the US doesn't have BT "engineers" to deal with... No, the US has PacBell engineers and countless tin-pot, unregulated ISPs who offer you DSL service, take your deposit money and then promptly go bust FSCKRS Oh, and none of these people ever talk to each other. mail to DSL provider: Where's my DSL? Reply: problems with PacBell. We'll get back to you 2 weeks later: mail to DSL provider (COVAD): Where's my DSL? Reply: Please contact your ISP. mail to ISP:Where's my DSL eh? It's been four weeks since you mailed me to expect a visit from PacBell 'within the next few days'. Reply: SILENCE Call ISP to shout at automated call-handler: WHERE's MY DSL!! Reply: Sorry, due to the number of enquiries, we're unable to take your call at present. please call back. mail to DSL provider: I can't get through to my ISP, either by phone or email, will you please cancel the order Reply: Please contact your ISP. Oh, well, that's a $50 deposit blown away. rant over...idleness resumed. andy
RE:Consultancy company was [Job] BOFH wanted was: Re: Red Hat worm discovered
People (no particular order): == = Pimp = = Accountant = == == = = BOFH = = Security Guru = == = === === = Perl Gurus' = = Perl Trainee Gurus = === === Out source to other similar companies for: - design - mass HTMLing Money: Base salary and split proffit according to which category your in. Open source / clients: Create projects for open source community (sell to clients with support). When not assigned to a specific money making project or client create next project to OS and make money from. Create client base with support contracts. Long term@ pimp out to only the best companies. Location A big pub in central London. Top floors: development Ground floor Pub: with comedy stand and terminal points for laptops Basement: disco / conference room, big flat screens etc.. I've got a contact who says he can get hold of a million or so VC if this was an actually business plan, but then you have to pay them back with interest and stuff. Ok, it's all a pipedream.. but what a nice one. Leo
RE:Consultancy company was [Job] BOFH wanted was: Re: Red Hatworm discovered
[snip the first bit... all great] Location A big pub in central London. Top floors: development Ground floor Pub: with comedy stand and terminal points for laptops Purleese wireless is the only way to go. :-) Basement: disco / conference room, big flat screens etc.. I've got a contact who says he can get hold of a million or so VC if this was an actually business plan, but then you have to pay them back with interest and stuff. Ok, it's all a pipedream.. but what a nice one. So who's any good at business plans... (I have a book but) Neil. -- Neil C. Ford [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.binky.ourshack.org
Re: RE:Consultancy company was [Job] BOFH wanted was: Re: Red Hat worm discovered
From: "Leo Lapworth" [EMAIL PROTECTED] I've got a contact who says he can get hold of a million or so VC if this was an actually business plan, but then you have to pay them back with interest and stuff. That's not VC then, that's a "loan". VC is where you heave up a huge chunk of cash in return for a chunk of company and hope said company doesn't end up being laughed at and taunted on fuckedcompany.com Is a million considered a lot in the UK still? It's considered a lot over here right now :-) But then so's a 24hr stretch of uninterrupted electricity :-( Anyway, the longer you leave obtaining angel, seed and VC cash and the more you can generate a demonstrably working revenue model the better. Consider VC a last resort -- aim rather for alliances and partnerships, or a straight out acquisition. Paul
RE:Consultancy company was [Job] BOFH wanted was: Re: Red Hat worm discovered
On Thu, 18 Jan 2001, you wrote: People (no particular order): == = Pimp = = Accountant = == == = = BOFH = = Security Guru = == = === === = Perl Gurus' = = Perl Trainee Gurus = === === ooh .. if you have room for an almost acceptable Perl programmer with a total inability to turn up on time, and an even worse habit of working too long, let me know... I'll be in for a bit of that. If its any consolation I'm not as crap now as I was 6 months ago .. and a whole lot less crap than I was a year ago ... and I know a Security Guru who would probably be up for it as well .. and hes a proper one too, I believe his wardrobe has all three shades of hat :) -- Robin Szemeti The box said "requires windows 95 or better" So I installed Linux!
Re: RE:Consultancy company was [Job] BOFH wanted was: Re: Red Hat worm discovered
From: "David Cantrell" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Is a million considered a lot in the UK still? Not by people who can add up. OK, same here then. Having said that, it's amazing how much people can stretch a few $currency_unit if they *don't* have investment :-) But then so's a 24hr stretch of uninterrupted electricity Yeah, it's always amazed me just how crap the north American power system seems to be. Even in cities. This is a different issue, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/power.crisis/ The US has much more to worry about than the UK, like high water tables, vicious weather and earthquakes. The smart money goes on hosting in Texas (San Antonio) not California though -- relatively earthquake/tornado/storm/etc-free! On the upside, the US doesn't have BT "engineers" to deal with... Paul
Re: RE:Consultancy company was [Job] BOFH wanted was: Re: Red Hat worm discovered
On Thu, Jan 18, 2001 at 12:11:23PM -0800, Paul Makepeace wrote: From: "David Cantrell" [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yeah, it's always amazed me just how crap the north American power system seems to be. Even in cities. This is a different issue, http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/power.crisis/ I know :-) Although actually, I feel it is at least a bit related. It seems that CA tried to copy the de-regulation which was implemented in various parts of Europe (including the UK) but that they decided to tamper with a system which demonstrably worked (if it ain't broke don't fix it!), but worse, they tried to shoe-horn it into a completely different environment. The UK has for many years had a fair amount of spare generating capacity, and there are new power stations being built. CA did not have any spare generating capacity of note, and has not built any new power stations. Duh. The US has much more to worry about than the UK, like high water tables, vicious weather and earthquakes. And the UK doesn't have high water tables (in some places and not in others, just like anywhere else) or vicious weather (again, in some places not in others, just like anywhere else). But it strikes me as being absurd that I hear EVERY YEAR of the power going out for large areas of major cities in .us, something which just doesn't happen in Europe. The smart money goes on hosting in Texas (San Antonio) not California though -- relatively earthquake/tornado/storm/etc-free! On the upside, the US doesn't have BT "engineers" to deal with... Nah, you just have their cousins in the baby bells :-) Actually, I've had no problems with BT engineers in the three years I've lived here. My voice line came in just fine and has never stopped working. Same with the ISDN, and the ADSL line. Telewest, on the other hand - I wouldn't trust them to run the hundred yard dash, let alone my comms. -- David Cantrell | [EMAIL PROTECTED] | http://www.cantrell.org.uk/david/ Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced
