Bootstrapping A Product Company Dorai Thodla iMorph, Inc. www.thodla.com/about

Current Startup: iMorph Why? Some one bought our previous company and I did not want to work there The startup Itch Trying to find a cool way to spend my life How? Lucky to have some seed money to start Trying various experiments – a small team, outsourced development, living across two continents (again) Bootstrapped What? InfoMinder – a tool for tracking information on the web InfoFeeds – an enterprise RSS aggregator and Alert Engine Information Portals (for NASA, Opencourse.org an NSF funded project) Talks, Seminars, Workshops Product Strategy Consulting Learning Wikis/Portals (Research) Some interesting tech explorations and pro bono work HyperScope with Doug Engelbart Innovation Center at NTTF Started several social networks on Ning Helping Entrepreneurs Teaching

Why?

Some one bought our previous company and I did not want to work there

The startup Itch

Trying to find a cool way to spend my life

How?

Lucky to have some seed money to start

Trying various experiments – a small team, outsourced development, living across two continents (again)

Bootstrapped

What?

InfoMinder – a tool for tracking information on the web

InfoFeeds – an enterprise RSS aggregator and Alert Engine

Information Portals (for NASA, Opencourse.org an NSF funded project)

Talks, Seminars, Workshops

Product Strategy Consulting

Learning Wikis/Portals (Research)

Some interesting tech explorations and pro bono work

HyperScope with Doug Engelbart

Innovation Center at NTTF

Started several social networks on Ning

Helping Entrepreneurs

Teaching

Reflections This internet business is very different Different value propositions, different business models Scratching your own itch is good, but… Lots of things to Learn Social Media Marketing, Subscription Models, Leveraging Trends, Staying Informed The New Watering Holes Blogs, Participate in Social Networks, Twitter

This internet business is very different

Different value propositions, different business models

Scratching your own itch is good, but…

Lots of things to Learn

Social Media Marketing, Subscription Models, Leveraging Trends, Staying Informed

The New Watering Holes

Blogs, Participate in Social Networks, Twitter

More Reflections Role Models Shape Philosophy People: Dan Bricklin, Mitch Kapor Companies: Peter Norton Computing Having fun is as important as making money Small is Beautiful Imagination is more important than knowledge (stole this from Einstein) Being an Entrepreneur is a Life-style decision (not easy to go back) Life is full of small pleasures Entrepreneurship is a journey, not a destination

Role Models Shape Philosophy

People: Dan Bricklin, Mitch Kapor

Companies: Peter Norton Computing

Having fun is as important as making money

Small is Beautiful

Imagination is more important than knowledge (stole this from Einstein)

Being an Entrepreneur is a Life-style decision (not easy to go back)

Life is full of small pleasures

Entrepreneurship is a journey, not a destination

Lots of Opportunities Web 2.0, Web 3.0 … Multi-core Scalable Apps Social Networking for Specific Domains Data Integration, Pipelines Information Visualization Special Portals (Sharepoint, Drupal) Social Applications? Mobile Applications? Education/Learning? New problems New opportunities?

Web 2.0, Web 3.0 …

Multi-core

Scalable Apps

Social Networking for Specific Domains

Data Integration, Pipelines

Information Visualization

Special Portals (Sharepoint, Drupal)

Social Applications?

Mobile Applications?

Education/Learning?

New problems

New opportunities?

Questions! Questions! Funded or Bootstrapped? Local or Global? Products or Services? Give it Away or Charge for it? Breadth or Depth? Low-end or high-end? Use a platform? Or Be a platform? Tools or Applications? Improve Existing Product or Build New Product? Incremental Innovation or Radical Innovation? Established categories or New Categories? Do I scratch my own itch or find a few people with itches? Small or Big? Direct Sales or through internet? Java or dotnet?

Funded or Bootstrapped?

Local or Global?

Products or Services?

Give it Away or Charge for it?

Breadth or Depth?

Low-end or high-end?

Use a platform? Or Be a platform?

Tools or Applications?

Improve Existing Product or Build New Product?

Incremental Innovation or Radical Innovation?

Established categories or New Categories?

Do I scratch my own itch or find a few people with itches?

Small or Big?

Direct Sales or through internet?

Java or dotnet?

And More Questions What is the business model? How does the world know we exist? How do we keep up with information? How do we validate an idea? How do we know what it is worth? How do we know that there is a market? How do we get your first customer? How can we be different? What if I am a marketing guy? What if I am a techie with no marketing expertise? How can we ride a wave? How do I catch one?

What is the business model?

How does the world know we exist?

How do we keep up with information?

How do we validate an idea?

How do we know what it is worth?

How do we know that there is a market?

How do we get your first customer?

How can we be different?

What if I am a marketing guy?

What if I am a techie with no marketing expertise?

How can we ride a wave? How do I catch one?

Is A Startup On Your List? Are you a student? Currently employed? An Entrepreneur?

Questions? www.thodla.com/about [email_address] www.twitter.com/dorait www.delicious.com/dorait