While there are many core business practices shared among any type of startup, web-based companies have a unique set of opportunities and challenges.
Perhaps no one has studied these unique challenges more than Bob Walsh, author of 5 books, the most recent being The Web Startup Success Guide.
Bob has learned his field from the inside-out, creating and marketing his own “Micro ISV,” (Micro Independent Software Vendor) business for many years, and advising many others on theirs in his consulting service 47hats.com. He is also one of the moderators of the popular Business of Software forum on the Joel on Software blog.
I interviewed Bob for my podcast and discussed:
- Some of the unique challenges faced by web-based entrepreneurs
- Tools and approaches to making the start-up process easier
- Recommendations for those worried about colleagues stealing their great idea if they share it
- How to define the right problem to solve with your product so people are compelled to buy it
- How to use social media to connect with your community and promote your product
- Which tools you can use to get things done in your business
Listen to the 35 minute interview here.
The book is chock full of interviews and lessons from the brightest minds in web entrepreneurship including Joel Spolsky, Dharmesh Shah, David Allen and Guy Kawasaki.
Bob has been a friend and supporter of Escape from Cubicle Nation for a long time. He reminds me of the wealth of support and opportunity that comes when entrepreneurs of different backgrounds who serve the same market work together.
Good luck with your book and new startup launch Bob! (He is days away from launching www.startuptodo.com)
Check out the book here.
This interview is great! As someone who works for a company that is primarily web-based I found this very interesting. Thanks for posting this!
Really enjoyed the interview and look forward to ready Bob’s book.
.-= Randy Beckett´s last blog ..How to use Video to Drive Traffic to Your Site =-.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Pamela, and especially for the interview segment. As a relative newbie to website development and even newer to the wonderful world of blogging, it gets a little mindboggling when you try to sift through the ton of information out there in cyberland. I’ll have to check out Bob’s book.
P.S. – Just ordered your book and should have it in a day or two. Your sample chapter’s great.
.-= Jim Taggart´s last blog ..Where’s the Sacrifice? One Perspective on America’s Fiscal Mess =-.