Can I suggest SCRUM and focus on identifying developers for the prototype. Don’t worry about all the other business stuff yet with positions, marketing strategy etc. It’s all time that should be dedicated to a later stage of developing a business. Think about the simple items of how to make money in product development but don’t worry about the larger business tasks yet. Get something built that works and can produce revenue. Create a vision and build a team around it that is 1st product focused. Demo – Sell – Build should be the mantra and finding the right dance partners for building the company. Watch this if you’re interested Bootstrapping lots of video >> http://www.youtube.com/user/bootstrapu#play/uploads/12/lrUopwYgLs4 .
Note: not able to embed video so here’s a link and Agile Development: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5k7a9YEoUI
messel 3:54 pm on June 25, 2009 Permalink
Thanks Jason that’s the kind of information that helps narrow down the problem set. We’ll still need research (state of the art semantic / meta data businesses, and other startups working on building profiles). So we’ll likely need help outside of coding soon enough. I sent out an email inquiring about Zemantas licensing and tools. Heard about them from you Jason as well as Fred Wilson when I grabbed it for my blog a while back.
JasonCronkhite 4:12 pm on June 25, 2009 Permalink
Sure, agreed. Product R&D is key … I think you need some top coders that understand semantic web development to focus on building a demo. I can sure help you on the business and marketing side when its appropriate as well as project management but, I’m not a developer. Involving someone like Dave Winer may good and since you have Fred Wilson’s ear he has lots of connections. Let’s get the discussion rolling … I’m interested.
Vlad 9:19 pm on June 25, 2009 Permalink
I agree that some of the larger business tasks migh be wasteful to think about right now but the core should be outlined and agreed upon by all the founders, otherwise there will be huge confusion.
By the core I mean the Vision, Mission, and basic goals. I would also include our roles – which we’ve begun to define below – the value proposition that the product will offer, to define who our customers are and who our suppliers are, etc. This things matter a lot since without them we have a bunch of blind mice running around.
JasonCronkhite 9:56 pm on June 25, 2009 Permalink
Vlad & Mark, I agree with you both. I am just saying don’t spend a significant amount of time on business planning at this stage. Think 50,000 foot … a 2 page Executive Summary and 10 page PowerPoint deck. Hit the high points and focus on getting that demo built so it can be taken to customers for feedback and potential revenue.
Vlad 4:13 pm on June 26, 2009 Permalink
That sounds right. 2-Page summary with the diagram and 10 page deck.
Vlad 4:18 pm on June 26, 2009 Permalink
I’m open to working on this over the weekend. Can we talk via skype tomorrow? What time would work?
messel 6:38 am on June 27, 2009 Permalink
I’m nose deep in the software learning stage at the moment Vlad. I can be found on skype as Mark Essel (or victusfate)
Tied up later helping fiance move some furniture and check out a potential wedding reception hall