You are absolutely right that research is the key. I did spend about three months researching the various possibilities. I had a functional spec with weighted requirements. I went to trade shows, visited websites, and saw demo sites. My systems guy and I probably spent five hours validating our assumptions with the Oracle technical staff before I wrote the Big Check.
What I didn't count on was:
Oracle sales reps and technical reps outright lying. For example, in response to questions about whether I could implement iStore with my then-current infrastructure & incredibly limited resources, they said "Yes, no problem!" How long will it take? "Turnkey! Created for the small-business customer!" Gosh, no wonder they were the leader in a set of eight serious contenders!
Not realizing that the key to breaking through the vendor lies is to find at least two independent sources who have already done what you are trying to do.
One of my weaknesses here was to assume that Oracle did the sort of testing and validation before releasing a product that was SOP when I was a developer at IBM. Another one was to assume that, while Oracle might put a positive spin on everything, they wouldn't simply make things up.
Admittedly, it's an embarassing "ouch" to have made such a big and expensive mistake. I tell this tale with the hopes that it will help someone else. I had other dealing with Oracle later and found that this behavior was the rule rather than the exception.
Back in the spring of 1999, I had an e-commerce site that was showing promise but needed a more sophisticated shopping cart program. An Oracle rep promised me that if I spent $62K on their iStore e-commerce package, it would meet all my stringent requirements -- and I could install it myself with a little help from a CS student. And if I bought it at by the approaching end of the fiscal year, I'd save $80K, because the prices were going up.
I sent Oracle almost all of the money I'd saved to start the business. My delighted rep then asked me to speak to the Oracle quarterly meeting of top sales reps to help them get to know the small dot-com customers. He wanted his colleagues to be able to help other startups like he'd helped me. I was hoping to become an Oracle PosterGrrl -- and thus attract investors, partners, and customers.
I spent a couple days preparing a talk, flew to Boston, and told 400 reps and managers about my company and why I'd chosen Oracle's iStore. My favorite slide was one showing a bungalow and a half -- because I had just written Oracle a check worth 150% of my first house. And I had gotten a mortgage to pay for the house!
As I talked, I could see some of those shining faces showing more and more concern. Afterwards, an Oracle consulting rep told me I'd really need his team's help because no one had EVER installed the package they'd sold me without extensive help from their consulting branch. He estimated I needed another $100K. I had less than $10K left.
I flew home with the stunned feeling that Oracle had taken my money with the knowledge that this act would immediately drive me out of business.
A few weeks later, the prices did go up and the package I had bought completely disappeared from their website. Oracle wouldn't refund my money or apply it to other purchases when it became obvious I couldn't use iStore. And the last I'd heard, my accountant was still trying to get them to reimburse me for my hotel and meal expenses as promised. I wound up selling my company to get enough funding to continue.
So Larry Ellison, please feel free to send me a check for $62,259. And the rest of you, don't make the mistake I did in thinking that Oracle wants to help you grow so they can profit from a long-term relationship. They just want to devour your seed corn.
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What I didn't count on was:
One of my weaknesses here was to assume that Oracle did the sort of testing and validation before releasing a product that was SOP when I was a developer at IBM. Another one was to assume that, while Oracle might put a positive spin on everything, they wouldn't simply make things up.
Admittedly, it's an embarassing "ouch" to have made such a big and expensive mistake. I tell this tale with the hopes that it will help someone else. I had other dealing with Oracle later and found that this behavior was the rule rather than the exception.
I sent Oracle almost all of the money I'd saved to start the business. My delighted rep then asked me to speak to the Oracle quarterly meeting of top sales reps to help them get to know the small dot-com customers. He wanted his colleagues to be able to help other startups like he'd helped me. I was hoping to become an Oracle PosterGrrl -- and thus attract investors, partners, and customers.
I spent a couple days preparing a talk, flew to Boston, and told 400 reps and managers about my company and why I'd chosen Oracle's iStore. My favorite slide was one showing a bungalow and a half -- because I had just written Oracle a check worth 150% of my first house. And I had gotten a mortgage to pay for the house!
As I talked, I could see some of those shining faces showing more and more concern. Afterwards, an Oracle consulting rep told me I'd really need his team's help because no one had EVER installed the package they'd sold me without extensive help from their consulting branch. He estimated I needed another $100K. I had less than $10K left.
I flew home with the stunned feeling that Oracle had taken my money with the knowledge that this act would immediately drive me out of business.
A few weeks later, the prices did go up and the package I had bought completely disappeared from their website. Oracle wouldn't refund my money or apply it to other purchases when it became obvious I couldn't use iStore. And the last I'd heard, my accountant was still trying to get them to reimburse me for my hotel and meal expenses as promised. I wound up selling my company to get enough funding to continue.
So Larry Ellison, please feel free to send me a check for $62,259. And the rest of you, don't make the mistake I did in thinking that Oracle wants to help you grow so they can profit from a long-term relationship. They just want to devour your seed corn.