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Starting a Software Business in Today's Economy?

Posted by Cliff on from the survival-tips-in-shark-filled-waters dept.

Ryfar asks: "I'm a programmer with 3 years of experience in C, C++, and Java. With the current low economic trends in the software sector, the small software company I've been working for since I graduated is going out of business. Since it's so hard to get a job at another software company with so little experience, I'm considering the option of striking out on my own with a friend with similar development experience and creating a small software consulting company. Naturally, until we were profitable to the point that we could hire other people to work with us we would be both the programmers and the marketers/salesmen. The question is, Where should we start looking for business? How do we capture the hearts and confidence of potential customers when we don't have PhD's from MIT? Could those here with applicable experience on this subject share with the rest of us?"

6 of 377 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Start a business in today's economy? by david+duncan+scott · · Score: 2, Funny

    Which two letters? I was thinking "H" and "R", because there seem to be a number of people over there doing quite well with "HRH" in front of their names, but I wasn't sure if you counted that as two letters or three. "MD" seems to be pretty good too.

    --

    This next song is very sad. Please clap along. -- Robin Zander

  2. Re:Marketing and programming at the same time by danish · · Score: 4, Funny
    It is just like with dating, potential dates crawl out of the woodwork when you are already taken...

    Okay, this guy is submitting a question to freaking Ask Slashdot. Let's try to use analogies that these people can understand.

    Slashdot weenie? Already taken? Jeez!

  3. Re:i have a small software business by zulux · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thank you! I never knew that there was an Eye Doctor market, and I've been wondering what market is ripe for our company to move into. Don't worry, we'll let you have 1% of the market - if you're nice to us. Oh.. the BSA want's to talk to you.

    -Bill

    PS: Don't you dare GPL your software, that make Steve mad!

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

  4. The number 1 rule of starting your own business. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Don't start a business just to buy yourself a job.

  5. Re:get your MCSE by xtremex · · Score: 4, Funny

    Move to India, become a citizen of India, and then come back to the US on a H1B visa! I GUARANTEE you'll get a job..

    --
    If you're not a Liberal in your 20's, then you have no heart.If you're still a Liberal in your 30's you have no brain.
  6. Re:Start a business in today's economy? by RevDobbs · · Score: 2, Funny
    FYI letters = words scrabbled on paper.
    I've never played Scrabble on paper; I imagine it would be hard to read the letters drawn over the "triple word bonus" square, for example. How would you "draw" your letters, with a pencil? "Hey, look, I drew Z, Q, J, and K again!" (worth 10, 10, 8, and 5 points respectivly).