Eric Sink's articles are always an interesting read. Eric's company created SourceGear Vault, a source control system that is worlds better than the MS alternatives out there right now.
I blogged his article from last year, Make More Mistakes, awhile ago from Robert Scoble's blog.
I really like this comment. It embodies my attitude right now, so he must have read the same books I am now reading.
Sometimes you have to ignore the naysayers. If you know the odds are in your favor, you can go back and take the same risk again, even if people think you're crazy.
Craziness reminds me of quite a few entrepreneurs I have worked with and for. His lessons learned are great. Here's a few:
Be careful about fixed-bid projects.
Be careful about using bleeding-edge technologies.
Small ISVs should do software and stay out of real estate.
Investors don't like low-margin business models.
A market with no competition ain't.
The negative connotations of the word "middleman" are often deserved.
All contracts must be reviewed by an attorney. No exceptions.
Cash is supposed to flow from your customers to you, never the other way around.
Small ISVs should build apps, not platforms.
His new Hazards of Hiring article linked above is even better.
1. Hire After the Need, Not Before
2. Realize That Hiring Is All About Probabilities
3. Know the Law
4. Make Sure To Get a Variety of Opinions
5. Look for Self-Awareness
6. Hire Developers, Not Programmers
7. Education Is Good
8. But Too Much Education Is a Yellow Light
9. Look At the Code
10. The Very Best
Sorry for scraping so much of your articles Eric. Imitiation is the best form of flattery I guess. (or copyright infringement depending on how you look at it)
