The document discusses lessons learned from the author's experiences starting and running various businesses over the years. It describes 5 stories of companies the author founded and lessons from each experience. Some key lessons mentioned include seeing opportunities where others see problems, avoiding bad business partners, understanding that failure can lead to future opportunities, and ensuring the business model is sustainable. The author advocates fully committing to an idea, following your interests, and doing thorough market research.

1. Succeeding?
Failing?
Learning!
Alan Mendelevič
AdDuplex

2. “80 percent of success is showing up”
Woody Allen

3. Story #1
Wheel of fortune
(late 80s - early 90s)

4. Sinclair ZX Spectrum+

6. Lesson #1
See an opportunity where others
only see a problem

9. Lesson #2
Avoid crappy people

10. Story #2
ArticleCentral.com
(1999 – sold in 2002)

11. Lesson #3
Failure leads to next opportunity

13. My first and only exit
to date (2002)

15. 2004

16. Lesson #4
Timing is everything

17. Story #3
SPAW Editor
(2003 – 2008)

18. v.1.0 (2003)

19. Lesson #5
Sustainable business model is
important
(unless you have investor money to burn)

20. v.1.1 (2006)

21. Lesson #6
Go all-in
a.k.a.
consulting is your startup’s enemy
a.k.a.
don’t quit your 9-to-5 job to start a startup

22. v.2 (2007)

23. Lesson #4
Timing is everything
(too late this time)

24. Story #4
amCharts for WPF, Silverlight
and Windows Phone
(2008 - 2012)

26. Lesson #7
Scratch your own itch
a.k.a.
money can’t be your only motivation

27. Lesson #8
Success is not [necessarily]
transferable

28. Story #5
MVPonT & Twuel
(2010)

31. Lesson #9
Don’t get too excited with early
success

33. Lesson #10
Do your homework a.k.a. market
research

34. The cross-promotion network
for Windows Phone and
Windows Store apps
advertise before you monetize

35.  See an opportunity where others only see a problem
 Avoid crappy people
 Failure leads to next opportunity
 Timing is everything
 Sustainable business model is important
 Go all-in
 Scratch your own itch
 Success is not [necessarily] transferable
 Don’t get too excited with early success
 Do your homework a.k.a. market research

36. ”We have been watching AdDuplex for close to two
years and were really impressed with the progress
the team made”
Practica Capital partner Petras Mičiūnas

37. Looking for
• C# developers
• Front-end web developer
• Sales lead
Details: http://www.adduplex.com/jobs

38. “… life is a lesson, you learn it
when you're through”
Limp Bizkit (?)

39. Alan Mendelevič
alan@adduplex.com
@ailon
.NET web developers,
Windows Phone developer,
Front-end web developer,
Sales lead … join us!
http://www.adduplex.com/jobs

40. Image credits
• Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ -
http://www.old-computers.com
• ZX Spectrum+ Manual – Retronaut
http://www.retronaut.co/2011/08/zx-
spectrum-plus-user-guide/
• Integral/Acer -
http://englishrussia.com/2009/12/24/in-
belarus-weve-got-integral/