As developers we are logical, methodical and intelligent creatures. We learn the advanced development practices from the best books, greatest minds in our peer group and our own experiences. Then some of us decide to start companies building our own products and we realize that our earlier beliefs are sometimes at odds with what's best for our startup, and that there are issues we have to deal with that we didn't even know existed. In this talk Alan shares his experiences transitioning from a developer with more than 15 years of experience to running a startup company.

2. From Developer to
Startup CEO
Things I’ve learned on the journey.
Alan Mendelevič
@ailon

3. A little bit of history…

4. About me… as a developer
• Started on a ZX Spectrum in late 80s
• Graduated from Vilnius University with BSCS
in 1997
• Developed in everything from Pascal to VB to
C++ to PHP, but mostly C#
• Was an expert in JavaScript before it was hip
(in 2002-2004), but lost the edge later on

5. About me… as a part-time entrepreneur
• Developed my first “product” (a game for ZX
Spectrum) as a teenager. Stolen by a “friend”.
• Had a developer article directory site called
ArticleCentral.com (1999-2002). Sold for not
much.
• Created SPAW Editor (one of the first and most
popular web WYSIWYG HTML editors) (2003-
2008). Didn’t go all-in and lost
• Led .NET branch of amCharts (2008-2011). Didn’t
get near the traction of the Flash (now JavaScript)
branch.

6. About me… as AdDuplex CEO
• Launched AdDuplex (the product) in January 2011
• Established UAB AdDuplex (the company) in
November 2011
• Participated in Startup Sauna accelerator in
Helsinki, Finland (Spring 2012)
• Participated in various startup events (Startup
Sauna Silicon Valley trip, Startup Lithuania
Roadshow, TechCrunch Disrupt Berlin, DLD Tel
Aviv, etc.)
• Raised seed funding (€400,000) in 2013

7. What is AdDuplex?
Our mission is
helping indie developers achieve success

8. Developer success factors
Marketing/User acquisition Monetization

9. Empowering developers to
help each other grow.
• free advertising for your apps
• utilize 100% of your ad space
• 10,000+ apps, more than 1 billion ad
impressions a month
www.adduplex.com
The largest cross-promotion
network for Windows Phone
and Windows Store apps

10. NEW. RISING. BEST.
Expose your Windows app or game to the
widest community of Windows 10 users
and enthusiasts.
If an app or game release is not on
AppRaisin – it didn't happen.
http://appraisin.com

11. Crowdsource ideas
for new features
CrowdSource.CrowdFund.CrowdMarket
Let your loyal fans help you grow your business.
Crowdfund the
development of these ideas
Crowd-promote
their availability
A P P S T R E TC H . C O M

12. From Developer
to Devpreneur

13. Developer’s Work Cycle
Task Deliverables Money
Employee/Contract developer
Task Deliverables Money
Entrepreneur developer
SALE
SALE

14. As a technical person you
have a huge advantage
over wanterpreneurs

15. IMHO
FTE-to-entrepreneur is easier
than freelancer-to-entrepreneur

16. Having passive income
source(s) is the best
Recommended reading:
The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris

17. You will have to build
(and probably fund) a
prototype or, preferably,
an MVP yourself

18. Release date is a feature
• Your runway is limited
• You are probably not the only one with a similar idea

19. Use what you know.

20. Embrace technical debt

21. Implementation
on crutches
Refactoring
Perfect implementation
time
W1
W2
The cost of opportunity
Cx Cy
Cz
Opportunity Cost

22. No one cares
how clean
your code is

23. Getting ideas and inspiration
The Daily Practice
“Every day I write down ideas. I write down
so many ideas that it hurts my head to
come up with one more. Then I try to write
down five more.
…
The “idea muscle” atrophies within days
if you don’t use it. Just like walking. If you
don’t use your legs for a week, they atrophy.
You need to exercise the idea muscle. It
takes about 3-6 months to build up once it
atrophies. Trust me on this.”
http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2011/02/how-to-be-the-luckiest-guy-on-the-planet-in-4-easy-steps/

25. Recommended reading
The Lean Startup
by Eric Ries
Zero to One
by Peter Thiel
&
VS

26. Networking
The other kind…

27. The Sad Truth:
You will have
to talk to
people

28. I’m an introvert.
What about you?

29. Some networking tricks for
introverts

30. The hardest trick:
start way before you
actually need it

31. “Facebook is the people you went to high
school with. Twitter is the people you wish
you went to high school with.”
probably by
Adrian Parsons @adrianparsons
Software Engineer @etsy. Hacker. Optimist.
https://twitter.com/adrianparsons/status/12919404808
Twitter

32. Conferences and other events

33. Know the
reason you are
going there
Hint: it’s not for the content

34. Create a list of people you want
to meet there.
Leave happy if you’ve talked to
30%-50%.

35. Engage them on Twitter
beforehand
Gives you a very easy “ice breaker” when you meet in person

36. Never
eat
alone

37. Always wear a
Whatzit
Leil Lowndes
How to Talk to Anyone

38. “Dress code”
• Wear company branded apparel
• Add your Twitter handle

39. Recommended reading
• Networking for People Who Hate
Networking: A Field Guide for
Introverts, the Overwhelmed, and
the Underconnected
by Devora Zack
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in
a World That Can't Stop Talking
by Susan Cain
• How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little
Tricks for Big Success in
Relationships
by Leil Lowndes

40. Convert your
network into
business
opportunities,
funding, etc.

41. Serendipity*
A lot of our business deals came out of getting to know someone at some
event with no specific agenda set in advance.

42. *Be careful not
to become a
conference ho
Mark Suster

43. Polish your
“elevator pitch”

44. “Stage pitch” is
very different from
speaking at
conferences

45. The most important
public speaking
advice I ever got
Find a memory when you felt
really appreciated by someone
(preferably not your family).
Think about it every time before
going on stage.

46. Startup Accelerators
are a good way for
techies to get a
business crash course
Make sure to understand what
you are getting into, though.

47. Few words
on
funding

48. Do you really need or want it?
Recommended reading:
Start Small, Stay Small: A Developer's Guide to Launching a
Startup
by Rob Walling

49. No one will
fund your
PowerPoint
deck

50. Fundraising takes a while
Maybe you should spend that time on your product instead?

51. The best time
to raise
money is
when you
don’t need it

52. Cash constraints are
good for you

53. Once you get
funded you get a
boss… again.

54. “Invest in Lines, Not Dots”
Mark Suster
GP at Upfront Ventures

55. Know how much money
you want to raise

56. Know how you
are going to
spend it

57. Know how you are going to
make money

58. Look for your first investment
close to home
Or a place you are willing to relocate to

59. Get a good lawyer, but do
your homework
Understand industry jargon and “standard” terms

60. Must-read:
“Venture Deals”
by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson

61. Hiring: the other side of the table

62. Don’t hire until you have to

63. Once you get to a team of
~5, your next hire should be
an office manager.
Otherwise you’ll become one.

64. Hire for culture
fit more than
competency

65. IMHO
Stock options don’t really work
in our neck of the woods
Show me the money!

66. One more use for your
network

67. Sponsor and
attend local
user groups,
meetups, etc.

68. Get a Premium
LinkedIn account

69. Recommended reading
Who: The A Method for Hiring
by Geoff Smart and Randy Street.

70. So, do you still
want to launch
a startup?

71. Building your own
company is hard, but
fun and rewarding.
Even if you don’t make a billion in the end.

72. Thank you!
Alan Mendelevich
alan@adduplex.com
@ailon