Post on 29-Nov-2014
description
Succeeding?
Failing?
Learning!
Alan Mendelevič
@ailon
“80 percent of success is showing up” Woody Allen
Story #1
Wheel of fortune (late 80s - early 90s)
Sinclair ZX Spectrum+
Lesson #1
See an opportunity where others
only see a problem
Lesson #2
Avoid crappy people
Story #2
ArticleCentral.com (1999 – sold in 2002)
Lesson #3
Failure leads to next opportunity
My first and only exit
to date (2002)
2004
Lesson #4
Timing is everything
Story #3
SPAW Editor (2003 – 2008 – still on life support)
v.1.0 (2003)
Lesson #5
Sustainable business model is
important (unless you have investor money to burn)
v.1.1 (2006)
Lesson #6
Go all-in a.k.a.
consulting is your startup’s enemy
a.k.a.
don’t quit your 9-to-5 job to start a startup
v.2 (2007)
Lesson #4
Timing is everything (too late this time)
Story #4
amCharts for WPF, Silverlight
and Windows Phone (2008 - present)
Lesson #7
Scratch your own itch a.k.a.
money can’t be your only motivation
Lesson #8
Success is not [necessarily]
transferable
Story #5
MVPonT & Twuel (2010)
Lesson #9
Don’t get too excited with early
success
Lesson #10
Do your homework a.k.a. market
research
Lessons learned
applied to AdDuplex
See an opportunity where others only see a problem
Avoid crappy people
Failure leads to next opportunity
Timing is everything
Sustainable business model is important
Go all-in
Scratch your own itch
Success is not [necessarily] transferable
Don’t get too excited with early success
Do your homework a.k.a. market research
Lessons learned
Lessons learned
in Silicon Valley
“… life is a lesson, you learn it
when you're through” Limp Bizkit (?)
Alan Mendelevič
@ailon
Image credits
• Sinclair ZX Spectrum+ - http://www.old-computers.com
• ZX Spectrum+ Manual – Retronaut http://www.retronaut.co/2011/08/zx-spectrum-plus-user-guide/
• Integral/Acer - http://englishrussia.com/2009/12/24/in-belarus-weve-got-integral/
• Silicon Valley - Christian Rondeau http://www.flickr.com/photos/christianrondeau/3471929554/