Entrepreneurship for Software Engineers

You might be an entrepreneur if…

You can visualize solutions without a requirements doc

UX/UI is important to you, even if it’s not your job

You code in C# or Java, because your job requires it, but you learned RoR or Python to see what it could do

You care about what customers want

The Paul Graham Test

You take work a little too seriously You are genuinely smart You get s*&t done People can stand to be around you

You are willing to say, “I don’t know.”

You get frustrated…

When your employer responds slowly to customer needs

If there is a better way to build it (quickly)

Impact ≠ Reward People around you “punch a clock”

…and you’re doing something about it

You contribute to open source projects

You participate in meet-ups, hackerspaces, blog, or contribute to discussion groups

You’re helping a start-up on the side You’ve built a functional prototype

But do you have a company?

Is your product a feature, product, or business?

Is it a product or services business?

Do you have a customer?

Does your technology solve a current or future need?

Is it a big or small market?* What do you know about the

customer, the competition, technology and market trends?

Do you offer a “complete solution”?**

There is only one way to find out

Build a minimally viable product (MVP)

Architect in a way that allows for rapid prototyping, iteration and flexibility

Get customer feedback through interaction

Do it with the least possible $$$

Build MVP and get some validation first Your funding strategy depends on answers to the

questions: Feature, product or company? Small or big addressable market

Success requires lots of help (read: $$$) Marketing team, advisors, investors and

employees To get big fast requires giving up control

(usually)

Fundraising

Read: http://www.paulgraham.com/start.html Read:

http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/entrepreneur-dna/

Visit www.jumpstartnetwork.org for more information on available resources and to apply

Talk to Kendall Wouters (kwouters@ybi.org)

If that sounds fun to you…

Or, Go Work For A Start-up

What Start-ups Are Looking For

Core Values

Technical Skills

Adaptive Excellen

ce

What Start-ups Are Looking For

Core Values Match

Technical Skills Match

Has Adaptive Excellence

What Are Core Values?

Set of shared principles that unite a team

Reinforced each time someone is hired, rewarded or fired

Non-negotiable, do not change, even when strategies change

You either have them or you don’t

What is Culture?

Where core values = how you do things

What Start-ups Are Looking For

Core Values Match

Technical Skills Match

Has Adaptive Excellence

“Less than 2% of the population has what it takes to

succeed in a high-growth technology business”

- Adeo Ressi, The Founder Institute

It Sounds Hard, Because It Is

Will You Get Paid?

Probably less than you make now, but hopefully not for long

Equity participation Non-monetary benefits:

Impact Autonomy Mastery

What You Can Expect

Long hours Uncertainty and dynamic/fluid

strategy No rule book Accountability - nowhere to hide Start-ups are risky, but…

Visit http://bit.ly/jHnNEF for a list of open jobs at NEO technology start-ups

Connect with entrepreneurs and help them in your spare time (try before you buy)

Email Robert.hatta@jumpstartinc.org

If that sounds fun to you…