[geeklog-devel] Geeklog Service offering
Blaine Lang
langmail at sympatico.ca
Fri Jan 10 18:09:50 EST 2003
Tony, you would be our first choice for this role. But I did not want to
assume you had the time and wanted to express an interest.. Better there be
options at least :)
I did not want to position Nextide as being an umbrella arm or busines
entity to wrap this under. Not anything that involved. Mearly as as an
extension of the warm body - contact point for customers. I can elaborate
more on Nextide any my role wiithin Nexitide and the overlap with efarmboy
if desired.
I saw Nextide could offer more support resources (3 vs just by myself) and
possibly phone contact point and dispatch for the premuium level customers.
Also as Nextide, I am able to offer more of my time as it won't only be best
effort and my partners would be involved.
I see this as complementary to our current Nextide Business plan as I have
been trying to get comercial consulting business with Geeklog.
Blaine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tony Bibbs" <tony at tonybibbs.com>
To: <geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net>
Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 5:42 PM
Subject: Re: [geeklog-devel] Geeklog Service offering
> Not to add confusion but, as Tom mentioned, I could do this as well.
>
> Blaine, I think maybe we could both help get the ball rolling. However,
> I'm not sure I'm understanding your vision on the role Nextide would play,
> specifically, what they bring to the table and how the fit in to all this.
>
> I'm only asking because I see this group (GL Developers) being able to
> handle the 'work' aspects...so is Nextide just a 'umbrella' to operate
> under for financial stuff in the short term or do you seem some sort of
> long term interest?
>
> --Tony
>
> On Fri, 10 Jan 2003,
> Blaine Lang wrote:
>
> > I agree with the points and comment so far. There appears to be
agreement on
> > the basic approach and I we do need a volunteer to step forward and be
that
> > front person.
> >
> > I may want to put my name forward (wait did I say that outload) .. for
this
> > role. We need to develop the scope and expectations further .. establish
> > some milestones and descison points for how we will handle planned
growth in
> > demand.
> >
> > I'd like to talk it over further with my partners at Nextide but I can
see
> > ourselves (Nextide with me being the prime) stepping up to be that front
> > contact.
> > - what anyone have concerns with this idea?
> >
> > I do have questions around the service expectations but agree we need to
see
> > the demand. Laying out a few "What if" scenarios and client types will
be
> > important to help set expectations. I can put together this list of
> > scenarios as a start and then forward it here for comment and markup -
agree
> > ?
> >
> > Blaine
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Tom Willett" <tomw at pigstye.net>
> > To: <geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net>
> > Sent: Friday, January 10, 2003 4:20 PM
> > Subject: Re: [geeklog-devel] Geeklog Service offering
> >
> >
> > > The first thing you need to do is get commitments from people for
> > > participation and agreement on a plan of action. This would include
what
> > > initial services to offer and how the jobs will be parceled out. It
is
> > not
> > > fair to have someone say -- I will be a part, contact me when we start
> > > making money.
> > >
> > > Next, in this group I imagine it will be easier to get someone to
> > volunteer
> > > to do programing or installations, but someone also needs to take
charge
> > of
> > > the business aspects and be responsible for that. (I am not
volunteering,
> > > my plate is full right now). There needs to be a central point of
> > > coordination and seeing that things get done. If someone sends a
support
> > > request to the list, someone needs to make sure it gets answered. In
> > other
> > > words, someone needs to step up and take charge. I am assuming Tony
that
> > > will be you. And you will find much to your chagrin that you spend
more
> > > time on business than programming. The ideal business leader will
know
> > > programming (so he can put up with and lead when the programmers get
in
> > > premadonna mode) but enjoy the business aspects. Wait I just
described
> > Bill
> > > Gates.
> > >
> > > My 2 cents.
> > >
> > > On Fri, 10 Jan 2003 12:42:51 -0600 (CST), Tony Bibbs wrote
> > > > Right, so in the interest of what you said, what is the smallest
piece
> > of
> > > > work we can do quickly that will start us down this road?
> > > >
> > > > --Tony
> > > >
> > > > On Fri, 10 Jan 2003, Tom Willett wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > I sometimes wonder why it seems that only Blaine and I respond to
> > things
> > > > > like this. At first I thought oh well we are just a couple of
vain
> > old
> > > men
> > > > > who like to impose our beliefs on others. ;) But then I
realized,
> > > hell, I
> > > > > have always been this way! So here goes again and after this I
will
> > > shut up.
> > > > >
> > > > > > Tony Bibbs wrote
> > > > > > Here are some initial thoughts I had on how to start his up.
First,
> > > there
> > > > > > is no really need to go all gung-ho until we prove there is a
market
> > > for
> > > > > > this sort of stuff. So our first goal should be to establish
the
> > fact
> > > > > > tehre is need for services around GL.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Agreed -- For my last startup I contacted a local State College
> > Business
> > > > > School and let one of the business classes take my initial
thoughts
> > and
> > > us
> > > > > it as a class project developing a business plan and doing a
marketing
> > > > > survey. I only came away from that experience with one good idea,
but
> > > that
> > > > > one idea saved me about $20,000 and untold headaches. I imagine
that
> > > any
> > > > > business school would jump on the chance to do the same for a
> > high-tech
> > > > > service oriented business like this.
> > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > > > To do that I propose we do something simple like set-up one bank
> > > account
> > > > > > in which all $$ will initially go into. Then we need to figure
out
> > > how
> > > > > > much revenue a month we think we need before we are convinced
there
> > is
> > > a
> > > > > > need for this and that we need to go to the next level. Let's
call
> > > that
> > > > > > magic number $X/month.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Until we reach our goal of $X/month, all money stays in the
account.
> > > When
> > > > > > we hit that goal we can then take what is in the account to pay
for
> > > things
> > > > > > we may need (drafts of contracts, lawyer time to set up a
> > corporation,
> > > > > > etc). I say we prime the pump and just dump it all back into
what
> > we
> > > are
> > > > > > trying to do. From that point on we can start dividing up
revenue in
> > a
> > > way
> > > > > > that rewards people based on time spent and goals accomplished
(i.e.
> > > more
> > > > > > like a 'real' business).
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Once again Agreed. It is painful to not reap the fruit of you
labor
> > at
> > > > > first but essential. You either have to do something like this to
> > fund
> > > a
> > > > > startup or borrow money or put in some of your own (yuk). And you
> > need
> > > to
> > > > > be realistic, do not expect it to happen in two or three months.
> > > > >
> > > > > And another painful thought, especially in this dot-com boom and
bust
> > > world,
> > > > > you better plan on not getting any money out of the company for at
> > least
> > > a
> > > > > year, probably more. So don't quit your day job. The only way
people
> > > got
> > > > > rich in the past dot-com bubble was by taking other peoples money.
> > > > >
> > > > > --
> > > > > Tom Willett
> > > > > tomw at pigstye.net
> > > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > > geeklog-devel mailing list
> > > > > geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net
> > > > > http://lists.geeklog.net/listinfo/geeklog-devel
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------|
> > > > Tony Bibbs | "I guess you have to remember that those who
don't
> > > |
> > > > tony at tonybibbs.com | hunt or fish often see those of us who do as
> > |
> > > > | harmlessly strange and sort of amusing. When
you
> > |
> > > > | think about it, that might be a fair
assessment."
> > |
> > > > | --Unknown
> > |
> > >
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------|
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > geeklog-devel mailing list
> > > > geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net
> > > > http://lists.geeklog.net/listinfo/geeklog-devel
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > Tom Willett
> > > tomw at pigstye.net
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > geeklog-devel mailing list
> > > geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net
> > > http://lists.geeklog.net/listinfo/geeklog-devel
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > geeklog-devel mailing list
> > geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net
> > http://lists.geeklog.net/listinfo/geeklog-devel
> >
>
> --
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------|
> Tony Bibbs | "I guess you have to remember that those who don't |
> tony at tonybibbs.com | hunt or fish often see those of us who do as |
> | harmlessly strange and sort of amusing. When you |
> | think about it, that might be a fair assessment." |
> | --Unknown |
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------|
>
>
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> geeklog-devel mailing list
> geeklog-devel at lists.geeklog.net
> http://lists.geeklog.net/listinfo/geeklog-devel
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