Web 2.0 Startup Lessons - Varun Mathur - Co-founder / 'Chief Products Geek' of Zytran Corp. - Developed and launched a web-based RSS reader: Alertle - Some things which we did right / some things where we screwed up

- Varun Mathur

- Co-founder / 'Chief Products Geek' of Zytran Corp.

- Developed and launched a web-based RSS reader: Alertle

- Some things which we did right / some things where we screwed up

Background Undergrad student at UofT Computer Science - little prior startup experience - Height of the Web 2.0 / AJAX boom in 2005 - Wanted to develop a Web OS and developer tools - Started making a team from Dec 2005 onwards..

Undergrad student at UofT Computer Science - little prior startup experience

- Height of the Web 2.0 / AJAX boom in 2005

- Wanted to develop a Web OS and developer tools

- Started making a team from Dec 2005 onwards..

Built an amazing team - Went out and reached to random people and talked to them. - Sought people who were smarter than me. - Founding team: Me plus a Phd student from UofT CompSci who was a top 50 programmer in the world (left for Google); plus another 2 software engineers. - Recruited people in India after searching ~1000 blogs looking for code ninjas and geeks.

- Went out and reached to random people and talked to them.

- Sought people who were smarter than me.

- Founding team: Me plus a Phd student from UofT CompSci who was a top 50 programmer in the world (left for Google); plus another 2 software engineers.

- Recruited people in India after searching ~1000 blogs looking for code ninjas and geeks.

Were aiming too high - We wanted to create the next Microsoft, with our platform, dev tools, etc. - Our ideas in Jan '06 were very similar to the 'Facebook Platform' which emerged in May '07. - We figured we didn't have the resources, or the background to get funded, but we wanted to do something in any case. - Decided to focus on a niche - Alertle.

- We wanted to create the next Microsoft, with our platform, dev tools, etc.

- Our ideas in Jan '06 were very similar to the 'Facebook Platform' which emerged in May '07.

- We figured we didn't have the resources, or the background to get funded, but we wanted to do something in any case.

- Decided to focus on a niche - Alertle.

Alertle

Proud of what we built - Small 5 member team managed to develop and launch Alertle. - We loved it, and so did someone in Hungary who wrote: “ I just found your feed reader, and i think it’s revolutionary! I use Google Reader a long time ago, but I signed up to alertle right after the demo.”

- Small 5 member team managed to develop and launch Alertle.

- We loved it, and so did someone in Hungary who wrote:

“ I just found your feed reader, and i think it’s revolutionary! I use Google Reader a long time ago, but I signed up to alertle right after the demo.”

Got affected by "featuritis" - Were competing against Google (Reader) and wanted to ensure ours was 10x better atleast. - Got over-cautious and piled on features. Over-engineered the product. - This cost us valuable time in the market. We didn't release earlier, when we could have.

- Were competing against Google (Reader) and wanted to ensure ours was 10x better atleast.

- Got over-cautious and piled on features. Over-engineered the product.

- This cost us valuable time in the market. We didn't release earlier, when we could have.

Got a lot of PR - Just reached out and randomly contacted the top tech blogs, and they heard! - Alertle was on Lifehacker, ReadWriteWeb, Google Blogoscoped, Mashable, KillerStartups, ComputerWorld Canada, StartupNorth, Techvibes. - Got reviewed in over a dozen languages. Thrilling experience!

- Just reached out and randomly contacted the top tech blogs, and they heard!

- Alertle was on Lifehacker, ReadWriteWeb, Google Blogoscoped, Mashable, KillerStartups, ComputerWorld Canada, StartupNorth, Techvibes.

- Got reviewed in over a dozen languages. Thrilling experience!

We were very cheap Didn't have an office, didn't pay ourselves! We met at the Bahen Centre and worked out of our basements. - Spent a grand total of $15k in developing and launching Alertle. Completely bootstrapped. - Similar effort, through 'regular routes' would have cost close to $1 million.

Didn't have an office, didn't pay ourselves! We met at the Bahen Centre and worked out of our basements.

- Spent a grand total of $15k in developing and launching Alertle. Completely bootstrapped.

- Similar effort, through 'regular routes' would have cost close to $1 million.

But it also slowed us down - Learnt that it is possible to develop world-class web applications through online collaboration. But, it also severely slows down regular decision-making. - Got consumed with the product instead of on business issues.

- Learnt that it is possible to develop world-class web applications through online collaboration.

But, it also severely slows down regular decision-making.

- Got consumed with the product instead of on business issues.

Learnt that outsourcing works - It doesn't matter whether the developer is in Toronto or Bombay. - Its all about finding the right people. - Viewed ~1000 profiles through searching, forums; got ~250 resumes; hired 3-4 people, out of which 2 remained and worked with us everyday till 4am for over a yr! - Treated them as part of the team, not employees.

- It doesn't matter whether the developer is in Toronto or Bombay.

- Its all about finding the right people.

- Viewed ~1000 profiles through searching, forums; got ~250 resumes; hired 3-4 people, out of which 2 remained and worked with us everyday till 4am for over a yr!

- Treated them as part of the team, not employees.

Forgot we were not in the Valley - Big Hairy Audacious Ideas (BHAGs) are fine in Silicon Valley, where they get supported and explored. - Not in Toronto! "Consumer web industry" doesn't really exist here. - Should have read less of TechCrunch, and more of local blogs like StartupNorth and Techvibes!

- Big Hairy Audacious Ideas (BHAGs) are fine in Silicon Valley, where they get supported and explored.

- Not in Toronto! "Consumer web industry" doesn't really exist here.

- Should have read less of TechCrunch, and more of local blogs like StartupNorth and Techvibes!

Didn't have a business model - We were selling 'cool' and riding on hope; never really figured out how will we make money from it. - Should have developed a thorough business plan before diving into it. - We figured out the start , but not the exit ..

- We were selling 'cool' and riding on hope; never really figured out how will we make money from it.

- Should have developed a thorough business plan before diving into it.

- We figured out the start , but not the exit ..

Startups are like babies - need undivided attention! - It didn't help only half of the team was working full-time on the project. - Slowed us down and impacted decision-making. - Can't run a startup part-time - have to give it everything you've got.

- It didn't help only half of the team was working full-time on the project.

- Slowed us down and impacted decision-making.

- Can't run a startup part-time - have to give it everything you've got.

Rinse and Repeat - Great experience - learnt a lot + got a lot of opportunities. - Alertle ver 2.0 is ready - might get launched someday and an exit might still happen. - Getting started with another venture..

- Great experience - learnt a lot + got a lot of opportunities.

- Alertle ver 2.0 is ready - might get launched someday and an exit might still happen.

- Getting started with another venture..

If you have an idea.. "Jump off the cliff and start building the plane on your way down....you will be surprised with what you can do"

"Jump off the cliff and start building the plane on your way down....you will be surprised with what you can do"

Thank you - Would love to talk with you! Currently blogging about Toronto's startups and tech events on www.techvibes.com. - Email: varun@zytran.com - Blog: www.varunmathur.net - Twitter: varun_mathur

- Would love to talk with you! Currently blogging about Toronto's startups and tech events on www.techvibes.com.

- Email: varun@zytran.com

- Blog: www.varunmathur.net

- Twitter: varun_mathur