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The Web Startup Success Guide

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If there’s a software startup company in your developer heart, this is the book that will make it happen.

The Web Startup Success Guide is your one-stop shop for all of the answers you need today to build a successful web startup in these challenging economic times. It covers everything from making the strategic platform decisions as to what kind of software to build, to understanding and winning the Angel and VC funding game, to the modern tools, apps and services that can cut months off development and marketing cycles, to how startups today are using Social Networks like Twitter and Facebook to create real excitement and connect to real customers.

Bob Walsh, author of the landmark Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality, digs deep into the definition, financing, community–building, platform options, and productivity challenges of building a successful and profitable web application today.

What you’ll learn

  • How to define the value your web app will deliver to its users
  • Evangelizing your startup via social media—from Twitter to Facebook, from YouTube to your own social network
  • Which web app pricing strategies work, and which don’t
  • What alternatives to traditional business structures will let you launch and run your startup without all the legal mumbo–jumbo
  • What services and web apps exist today to help your startup succeed
  • How to get meaningful online press for your web app

Plus, interviews with David Allen (Getting Things Done), Rafe Needleman (CNET), Marshall Kirkpatrick (ReadWriteWeb), Guy Kawasaki (Garage Technology Ventures), Dharmesh Shah (OnStartups, HubSpot), Joel Spolsky (Fog Creek Software), Eric Sink (SourceGear), Pamela Slim (Escape from Cubicle Nation), and 40 other people who can help your startup succeed.

Who this book is for

If you are a software developer (web, desktop, or mobile—it doesn’t matter) who wants to create successful, revenue–producing web businesses, The Web Startup Success Guide is for you. And if you’re just curious about how someone goes about creating an online business from the ground up, this book is an excellent choice.

Table of Contents

  1. INTRODUCTION: WHAT WAS IS NOT WHAT IS
  2. VALUE IS THE CORE OF YOUR STARTUP
  3. SO MANY PLATFORMS, SO MANY OPTIONS
  4. TOOLS AND GROUPS FOR STARTUPS
  5. MONEY: RAISE, MANAGE, MAKE
  6. SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUR STARTUP
  7. CLARITY MATTERS
  8. GETTING IT DONE
  9. SIX WISE PEOPLE
  10. WHAT’S NEXT?

Author(s): Robert Walsh
Series: Books for Professionals by Professionals
Edition: 1
Publisher: Apress
Year: 2009

Language: English
Pages: 440

Contents at a Glance......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Foreword......Page 13
About the Author......Page 15
About the Technical Reviewer......Page 17
Acknowledgments......Page 19
Introduction......Page 21
Please Insert Chip into Brain......Page 23
What’s Changed Since Micro-iSV: From Vision to Reality......Page 24
A Ridiculously Short History of Software Startups......Page 25
So, What’s a Startup? And Why Would I Want to Be One?......Page 30
Startup Flavors—Take Your Pick......Page 31
When Is the Right Time to Jump?......Page 36
Neil Davidson, Business of Software Conference......Page 37
Don Dodge, Director, Business Development at Microsoft......Page 39
Recap......Page 45
Beginning at the Beginning Is Just a Beginning......Page 47
Wally’s Startup Law......Page 49
Implications of Wally’s Startup Law......Page 55
Have a Great Startup Idea? Hmm. Maybe Not.......Page 58
Where Do You Find Problems?......Page 63
Ten Startups Not to Do, and Why......Page 65
Recap......Page 68
Then and Now......Page 71
Everybody Wants to Be in the Platform Business......Page 72
Evaluating platforms: A checklist......Page 73
Software As a Service......Page 75
Saas enterprise reality check: Rick Chapman, Softletter......Page 78
Platform As a Service......Page 81
Loving Google App Engine......Page 84
Microsoft’s Azure Services and Mesh Platforms......Page 86
Social Networks As Platforms......Page 91
Mobile......Page 94
Andrey Butov, Antair Corporation......Page 98
Eric Chu, Google Mobile Platforms Program Manager......Page 101
Hybrid......Page 102
Jeff Haynie, CEO, Appcelerator......Page 105
Peldi Guilizzoni, Balsamiq Studios......Page 107
Open Source/CMS......Page 111
Mac Desktop and Windows Desktop......Page 113
Scott Morrison, Founder, Indev......Page 114
Gwen Hilyard, Cofounder, Brisworks......Page 118
Recap......Page 119
Back in the Day . . .......Page 121
Tools for Startups......Page 122
Subscription Startup Communities......Page 141
Rob Walling, The Micropreneur Academy......Page 142
Gene Landy, IT/Digital Legal Companion Author and Attorney......Page 149
Startup Organizations and Groups Online and Off......Page 150
Shaherose Charania, Women 2.0......Page 154
Large Vendor Programs for Startups......Page 161
Recap......Page 165
Follow the Money......Page 167
Raising the Money......Page 168
The Art of Raising Angel Capital, by Guy Kawasaki......Page 173
The Top Ten Lies of Entrepreneurs, by Guy Kawasaki......Page 183
Rebecca Lynn, Principal, Morgenthaler Ventures......Page 187
Jo Anne Miller, Partner, Milk Street Ventures......Page 191
Cindy Padnos, Managing Director, Illuminate Ventures......Page 195
Stephanie Hanbury-Brown, Founder and Managing Director, Golden Seeds......Page 200
Managing the Money......Page 205
Gene Landy, Attorney and Author of IT/Digital Legal Companion......Page 206
Mairtini Ni Dhomhnaill, Senior Vice President, Accretive Solutions......Page 210
Making Money......Page 219
Dave Collins, Founder, Shareware Promotions......Page 223
Recap......Page 229
It’s All About Attention......Page 231
The Big Idea......Page 233
Setting Up Your Social Media Basic Radar......Page 234
The Startup Company Blog......Page 241
Andy Wibbels, Six Apart......Page 248
Welcome to the Land of Twitter......Page 252
The New News Media......Page 254
Marshall Kirkpatrick, Lead Writer, ReadWriteWeb......Page 257
Al Harberg, President, DP Directory, Inc.......Page 261
Luke Armour, PR Coordinator, blogtalkradio.com......Page 266
Your Other Title: Chief Community Officer......Page 269
Recap......Page 287
If You’re Not Clear, You’re Not Selling......Page 289
The Unique Selling Proposition Pattern......Page 291
Case Study: Mint.com......Page 297
Case Study: RescueTime......Page 305
Recap......Page 317
This Might Hurt......Page 319
GTD in Summary......Page 320
David Allen, Author, Speaker......Page 324
Matt Cornell, Productivity Expert......Page 337
Online Productivity......Page 338
Developer Productivity......Page 343
Startup Founder Productivity......Page 355
Recap......Page 361
Some People You Ought to Listen To......Page 363
Dharmesh Shah, Founder, Chief Software Architect, HubSpot......Page 364
Eric Sink, Founder/Ceo, SourceGear......Page 375
Joel Spolsky, CEO and Cofounder, Fog Creek Software......Page 384
Pamela Slim, Author and Coach......Page 396
Lou Carbone, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Experience Engineering......Page 405
Guy Kawasaki, Author and Founder, Alltop......Page 414
Recap......Page 418
There Have Never Been More Opportunities for a Startup to Succeed......Page 421
The Quality of the Idea Behind Your Startup’s Product or Service Is Paramount......Page 422
Your Idea Has to Hold Real Appeal to at Least One Specific Market Segment......Page 423
If You Play by Everyone Else’s Rules, You Lose......Page 424
Social Networks Are Key to Your Success......Page 425
Have a Plan to Get Through the Bootstrap Valley of Death......Page 426
One Final Bit of Advice......Page 427
Index......Page 429