Wow! Really? I am honored. While I should probably jump at the chance to take a job offer, one that I didn’t apply for mind you, I should probably think about this for a minute. Let’s see….

1. It is from a hotmail account. Not really all that professional, Paulette.
2. The Subject is “Application ID2C586 1″. Not really an attention grabbing or relevant subject line.
3. The To: is to “trayc.foutz@gmail.com”. Not my email address. That’s weird that I got it. Was I BCC’d on my own job offer?
4. I am addressed as “Candidate”. I would think if you were going to offer me a job paying me (hopefully) a boat load of money, you would at least know my name.
5. Keller Investment Services — um, who are they?
6. Oh, they want me to be a “partner” to “invest” in “mutually beneficial opportunities”. I see. In other words, they WANT MY MONEY! Hey, what kind of job is this?
7. My strong background and experience? So a technologist like myself is the right type of person to be an Advisor Assistant, huh?
7. Application Process? I thought I already had the job. What is this a big tease? And who is this “tim.ki.bauer@gmx.com” person anyway?
8. Sarah Walter? I thought your name was Paulette Villafane? Very confusing. Or she is having an identity crisis.

So, after much consideration and thought, I think I might have to decline this job offer (or application for job offer or whatever it is). It was a close call Paulette/Sarah, but I just don’t think we are compatible.

My company website is now publicly online.

Twin Roots, a software and technical consulting, contracting and development company has been active for about a year now. And while I have had an initial website up for the last month or so (basically so that I didn’t have to have the GoDaddy start page as the website), I have never really publicized it.

However, I have found what I consider a pretty good theme for my website and am happy enough with it publicly announce it here. I am using a *free* theme from Six Shooter Media (credits maintained on the web site, of course). I just liked the theme. It is simple yet different enough to where I think it can stand out quite nicely. I see an easy maintenance path for the site, being able to highlight current developments, work or products very easily.

I know a free theme is sometimes frowned upon for a business website. And it could be down the line that I have an original site created. But for my first go around, I feel this will do quite nicely.

I invite you to visit the site and comment on it, either through my email address provided there or right here on my personal blog.

Some items I am looking at adding in the near future are:

• A company blog
• Maybe a quick comment section to talk about items such as the site or its content

I am happy that I can get a presence for Twin Roots finally out there.

It has been a long time since my last post. What to say about why that is – well, mainly I was taking care of some personal work and also finishing up a consulting gig.

It has been a successful first “out of a corporation” year for me. I have made some money and made some great contacts.

So where do I stand right now?

I am in a state of flux. I am between consulting/contracting opportunities and I have not made much headway on any micro-ISV product (mainly because of the consulting work, but also for some other reasons).

I have some decisions to make.

Here are my current options:

• Flesh out 1 or more of 5 possible product ideas, if for anything to get me back in the programming “spirit”
• Do some side, primarily non-programming work that has been offered to me, more for the experience and satisfaction than any monetary reason.
• Work on some technical articles or books that I have been floating around. as possibilities I have some possible leads for publications, but some other things have to fall into place, which I am working on.
• Look for some more consulting work – I may have a possibility in January, but I am not sure I can 100% count on that.
• Go back to school to earn my Masters in Computer Science or MBA or, at the very least, take some courses to get the brain juices flowing
• Look for a full-time job

Now, the options above are not necessarily exclusive, but I do need to prioritize and make a decision. And make a decision is exactly what I am going to do now…..

……well, after I watch my Buffalo Bills hopefully beat the Browns tonight!

Go Bills!

UPDATE: The Bills lose on another “wide right” field goal. Bills fans know those are the two most dreaded words a Bills fan can hear

It has been a while since I have given a progress report of where things stand for me professionally. Back when I worked for Intel, I was mandated to give monthly status report. I am feeling nostalgic today.

Here is  quick bulleted list.

• I am still consulting, but, unless I am told otherwise, my current work is ending fairly soon here (maybe in the next couple of weeks).
• I told you about a month ago that I figured out the product I was going to develop to start my micro-isv. My progress on that front has been limited. However, I am fleshing out a new idea that would make that product a subset of this new, what becomes an overarching, idea. I won’t say much now other than say I am looking for a couple of partners and it includes, but goes beyond, software development into the world of internet media and other information dissemination mediums.
• I am exploring the options for a webhost. I believe I have narrowed my choice down to 1, but I have an outstanding question to their sales department before I can say for sure. The hard part was to choose to go with a Linux based host over Windows because Windows is what I know.
• When I choose my new webhost, I believe I am going to move this blog from its current home (WordPress.com) to the new webhost via WordPress.org. The reason for this is two fold – (1) Consolidation of all blogs and websites at one place (2) A learning experience about WordPress.org and the migration process. I have never self-hosted a blog before.
• I have gone totally Mac. Well, that is a little disingenuous, I suppose. I am running Mac OS X Leopard as my primarily operating system and running Windows Vista via VMWare Fusion (primarily because my current consulting gig requires it). This configuration is just awesome!! I love it!!! I am beginning to love Mac OS X as much as Windows. Also, I just bought a 20″ Apple Cinema Display on Ebay that I expect to get today or tomorrow.

It has been a 1.5 months since I posted my ideas to start my Micro-ISV. After moving across the country, continuing on my consulting efforts, and some personal research and reflection, I am reconsidering whether I should move forward with any of these ideas.

With respect to the RSS Reader, I do believe I have an interesting idea that would “uniquify” the product; but, I also am beginning to believe it might be better to just contribute that idea to something like Dare and company’s RSS Bandit rather than go with a full-fledged development project.

I was most jazzed about the Fantasy Football web site, but that excitement has fizzled lately — maybe because the football season is almost over; maybe because of the reality of differentiation; I am not 100% sure, but my initial glee about the prospect is not there anymore.

The “Bag-O-Tools” idea is still on the table.

I am now doing a re-analysis of the direction I want to go with my company (i.e. do I need a “born-again” moment?) To give you a glimpse into my mind, here is my current thinking:

My Company = Consulting Company?

My consulting effort has been going really well, with real money and possible future prospects. I have been complemented for my good work. So, do I become a consultant/contractor instead of a Micro-ISV? But, the phrase “possible future prospects” can be a bit unnerving — the well can dry up at anytime and without notice. So a backup plan is a must. Also, the possibility of constant travel may prove a bit prohibitive depending on how things go with my family.

Do I Want a Partner(s)?

I waiver on this quite a bit. On the one hand, it is very intriguing to know that I could control *all* aspects of my business. On the other hand, I know what a lonely road that could be. I don’t necessarily mind giving up some control for the chance to share in the production of something successful — in fact, running the business aspect of the business (vs. the technical aspect) intrigues me quite a bit. Also, I am still 100% convinced that the right partner, in general, is better than going solo — if, for nothing else, to keep motivation high and have a listening ear for the business.

What Is My Niche?

This is the hardest hurdle to get over, obviously, for any successful Micro-ISV. But, this is arguably the most important hurdle. My initial ideas do not carve a specific niche, per se. I knew that going in, but now I am thinking that maybe I should try to carve a niche to complement my initial business goals. What product(s) could I develop that uniquely solves a problem for a certain group of people. On the other hand, it could very well be my niche is in the consulting business. It could very well be my niche is in technical editing, or managing a project or an effort. I am not ready to say what it is yet.

So as my current consulting effort ends (sometime before April 1st), I really need to do a lot of soul searching to figure out what comes next for me. I do hope I at least have the opportunity to make a decision to make about another enjoyable consulting or contracting after this one ends.

In the spirit of the new year, and inspired by the various State of the State/Union addresses that have occurred or will occur, I have decided to provide you a “State of the Joel” address.

The State of Joel is a calm after the storm.

We have completed our move from North Carolina to California. We met with some old friends who have helped us as we settled in (thank you very much — you know who you are). We have made our rental house into our new home. And things are starting to feel “normal”. Being back in California feels right, and visiting San Francisco yesterday just affirmed that even more. By the way, I highly don’t recommend flying across the country with two near-two year olds on a regular basis

My wife starts work next week, and I watch the kids for a week (see below as to why only a week). After that, we have a trusted person to watch the boys for 3 weeks. Then they go to part-time daycare starting in mid-February.

On my job front, I just finished one consulting job. That lasted around 3.5 months. I have another 3-6 week consulting job that starts in two weeks, related to the work I just finished. I like the consulting work that I am doing as it provides some new challenges and great flexibility.

I received an email last night from an old friend and colleague of mine asking me if I would like to partner on a business venture with him. I am in the midst of reviewing the idea. I have a lunch meeting tomorrow with another friend and colleague to talk about other venture possibilities as well. These startup ventures may never pan out, but it is very cool to even consider things like this.

I still have my initial business projects to focus on. However, I will continue to examine new ventures and consulting work as they come available and make appropriate decisions.

Oh yeah, and we bought a Panasonic 50″ Plasma TV as our Christmas gift to each other. I didn’t go 1080p — I figure the prices will come down in the next couple of years and we are sitting 13′ feet away and thus will not notice any noticeable difference. So I went 720p for a very good price at Costco. Watching the NFL Playoffs in HD is awesome — and I cannot go back! My next home entertainment decision is whether I should go get a Blu-Ray player now that it seems like it is leading the charge in the hi-def DVD war (although I have friends who work in HD-DVD land, the other competing format).

So, what do I see for 2008? I see this as a year of clarity, specifically with respect to the careers of me and my wife. I also see us buying a house.

The specifics of those ideas will be my the focus of my next post. There will be a couple of teasers in this post

But before I reveal the ideas that I have been keen on, I wanted to set some context about my goals that I want to accomplish as a result of developing these ideas.

I have 3 ideas that I would like to flesh out and develop by the end of 2008 / beginning of 2009, if not sooner. One is, for the most part, an informational website idea. Another is a desktop application. The third is still a bit fuzzy, but the idea lies around downloadable tools/utilities.

Of course, as with any commercial business, a main goal is to actually make some money. However, for my first foray into this “run my own business” process, it is not my only goal. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that making money isn’t my only top-tier goal.

My goals as I get my business off the ground are the following:

Tier-1 Goals

1. Develop products that I myself am excited about and would use
2. Determine the best business model(s) for me
3. Learn how to run a virtual business
4. Answering the “Is being a Micro-ISV right for me?” question
5. Make money

Tier-2 Goals

1. Ensure I remain technologically relevant
2. Get my name out there (not just through the products, but by participating in forums, etc.)
3. Balance contracting/consulting, other business opportunities with a Micro-ISV business
4. Determine if I need/want/can support a partner(s) or employees 
5. Answering the “Can a Micro-ISV succeed in markets that already exist?” question
6. Find the right Micro-ISV resources to utilize (e.g. is Microsoft’s Empower program worth it?)
7. Help other Micro-ISVs as appropriate and as best I can

There may be a few other goals that I am missing, but I think I have covered the major ones.

Let discuss some of the Tier-1 goals just a little bit.

Develop products that I myself am excited about and would use

I think this might be the most important goal. I believe if you don’t like the work you are doing, the product quality suffers. And when that suffers, it is like a domino effect to all other goals, including making money. Also, I believe if you develop a product that you will personally use, you tend to put more of your heart and soul in the product because, hey, you want to use good products too, don’t you?

Determine the best business model for me

Web-based applications with advertising and/or paid subscriptions? Desktop applications for sale? Open source / shareware applications? Donationware? Freeware? Which is the best route to go? Do I develop for both Windows and Mac? The three ideas that I am considering will each showcase a different business model.

Learn how to run a virtual business

Right now I am a one-man show (although I may have a partner for one of my ideas). I have to not only develop the products, but also market them, support them, maintain a good website, keep the financial books in order (assuming I make any money ), etc. Do I need to hire a website designer? An accountant? An attorney? This is my first time doing this and this first year or so will be a learning experience more than anything.

Answering the “Is Being A Micro-ISV Right For Me?” Question

I am going to use this opportunity to decide whether I am cut out to be a Micro-ISV; or whether I am better served to be a contractor/consultant — or — a corporate employee full time. Many factors go into answering this question, not just the product development work. For example, how does the Micro-ISV lifestyle affect my family relationship?

Make money

All three of my ideas have been implemented before in one form or another. So I will not be making any money because I am inventing a totally unique product. However, I want to see if I can make money by adding interesting, unique features to the products, along with providing ancillary value through pricing, support, etc. So, I am hoping that it is not just the product that people look at, but also the total business package.

I may go into some descriptions about my other goals (e.g. Tier-2) in a later post. Let me know if you are interested.

To summarize, I want to use this first year as learning experience, first and foremost, so that I can better prepare for my business future.

I am hoping this a worthwhile strategy for me. I guess we will see, huh?

Don’t regret because of fear. To work on something I enjoy, being responsible for my successes and failures as a result. Not having to work in an old, outdated corporate environment. Having work structured around my personal life and wants. Ensure work is a close second to family, but still second, never first. All is equal in the work environment. Living somewhere I am proud to call home.

May be kind of lame, but I think it encompasses a lot.

I think the first sentence is very telling. For example, it is scary quitting your “secure” corporate job and going out on your own. But, if you have a plan in place, the proper resources, and the desire, you shouldn’t fear it. Now, I am not telling everyone to quit their job (and quitting a job is not for everyone). Money and feeding yourself and family are still a big time necessity in this world. So you need a plan of attack and resources (e.g. savings, a working spouse, etc.). But if you have these things, and you have the right mentality, go for it. You would hate to regret it later on.

And “All is equal in the work environment” really means that there is no in-your-face notion of a hierarchy at work. For example, offices for the higher ups, 3×3 cubicles for the grunts. I understand that decision makers must exist, and in the end it is up to them to make the final call on things, but you don’t have to be so blunt about it.

I think the rest is pretty self-explanatory.

It won’t hurt me to revisit this from time to time to make sure I am still living by the messages contained in the manifesto.

What do you think?

I then posted this question on the Business of Software Forum soon after.

I am now changing my business planning a little bit.

Initially, I was very surprised at the responses about how one should go about planning to start a Micro-ISV business. I don’t believe anyone said using the 10 Steps To Open For Business was *the way* to go. I heard everything from the list was a “load of rubbish” to it not being a bad list, but you need to be careful of over-analysis.

The overriding theme was that, in this business, you need to find a pain point and bring a product to market as quickly as possible. None of the other stuff matters if you don’t do this.

I now understand the responses, and now tend to agree with them. And, after re-opening my Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality book by Bob Walsh, I am going to deviate from my plan to use the 10 steps and basically use the book as my guide, but start working on product as quickly as possible. The software business moves so quickly that I believe the person who mentioned over-analysis is right on. I already have a product idea (or two), I know where I want to be with my life, I am bootstrapping the business myself — it is time to “Just Do It!” (sorry again Nike), and I have joined that line of thinking.

My blogging is going to change gears a bit from my previous topics about leaving my former company to now starting my own business. After a lot of thinking, and a couple of possible opportunity requests, I have made the decision to go it alone (for now) and try to become a Micro-ISV. I will continue to contract as good opportunities arise (I am currently doing one now), preferably part-time, but my main focus over the next 6 months is going to be getting my Micro-ISV started.

My next post(s), which I expect to today, will be about the methodology I am following to start the business.