Ideally full time. We work with a few really awesome contractors now. But these devs need features and bugs spec'd out. We're hoping to find someone to share the workload with.
39 karma · joined June 13, 2009
Technical Project Manager
Location - Guelph, Ontario
http://zsw.ca
Overview/Qualifications
Project management, development monitoring, outsourcing
Comfortable in a casual, hands-on, be-yourself environment
Enjoy working in a small group
Familiar with the Linux environment (eg cli, vim, git)
Familiarity with any of python, php, javascript, css, magento or web2py is a plus
Willingness to take ownership and responsibility of projects and tasks
Possess exceptional organizational skills
A bit of an extrovert
A generalist/jack of all tradesAll that said I'd recommend to anyone new to subscribe to the 'Latest News' RSS feed: http://www.archlinux.org/feeds/news/
A person can't fit quite as much on the screen but I find the extra spacing makes it much easier to read (eg emails).
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For me personally, I believe there has to be a willingness from the founders to put the customers' needs first. If I truly believe I'm working with my equals, then their opposing views are just as important as my own.
Assuming there are four founders and there is a conflict then I'd suggest the founders get in the same room and talk about the problem first. Make sure everyone agrees on what the exact problem is. Assuming there is still a conflict then brainstorm on possible solutions. At this point if there is still a conflict and the vote is 2-2 then I'd suggest flipping a coin. Trying one of the solutions is more valuable than both ideas combined. The insights the founders will receive from attempting the solution should make it obvious which solution is best.
Lastly if conflicts are cropping up on a consistent basis, if the general mood of the group is negative, if people are going off on their own and/or if there is a strong belief in the group that not everyone has the customer needs as the primary focus, then quit. Use a shot-gun[1] clause to resolve the issue of how to buy out a partner and move on. It is easier said than done.
While developing my first company physical fitness was a low priority. I told myself there wasn't time, I had to devote every minute to the startup. Worse I ate convenient foods (pizza, subs, fast food) to help save time. I put on body fat so fast that I got stretch marks on the side of my stomach. I'm not sure what my body fat percentage was back then but my body weight was 215lbs and I'm 6'0"/180cm tall.
To loose some weight, I started to get active, and I noticed benefits in my work. My mood was better, I could think clearer, and I had more energy. I began a weight program and started playing Ultimate Frisbee regularly.
My friend and I are in the midst of starting another company (http://igeejo.com) and I hope to build the cardio and weights right into our schedules. Getting the group out for a game of Ultimate, assuming there are no pressing needs for the startup of course, has a lot of upsides. It's great for team building, a great cardio workout, and a chance to socialize a bit with other friends and significant others.
Like anything in life, I think it has to be sustainable. I think setting aside 3 hours per week will pay huge dividends in the future.
No one wants to be excluded. On the same breath, when I started out I had many preconceived notions about the best way to run a company based on what I thought was common sense. Only by trying things and tracking the results was I able to see that the right approach wasn't always intuitive. I understand things now that I couldn't have known without the actual experience of starting the company and taking it through to the exit. I'd prefer to start the next venture with people already at that stage, if possible.
All that said, we're really most interested in people who are good friends; who have worked closely together and understand each other very well.
re: not something VCs are interested in - we didn't require VC money. I do not think VC money is always necessary in starting a company. If anything I believe it adds a layer of complexity which could hurt founders especially with their first go at it.
re: laid back - I guess this is relative. I do know things were much more stressful and frantic in 2001. I also know we are more focused today and complete far more in 10 hours now than we did back then.
I think creating a written plan for any goal of a startup is a must. It allows everyone involved to review the plan and point out any holes in your thinking. It also presents a complete communication of your ideas. Just winging it, for example, using a conscious stream of thought to explain all the details of a proposed plan is difficult for both the speaker and the listener.
The problem with business plans is they tend to focus on demonstrating how the startup intends to make money. Revenue should never be the goal of a startup. Revenue is a by-product. It's a measuring stick which co-founders can use an indicator of whether or not they are succeeding in solving the end-user's problem. The overall goal of a startup should always be to solve a specific end-user problem.
Just before our exit, we ran our company from a condo. Here are some pictures under 'Environment'[2]. One major upside for us working in residential space was the cost. Electricity, rent/condo fees, parking, and internet fees are all less expensive than commercial rates. As well owning residential space is far less expensive than owning commercial space.
[1] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=972838 [2] http://www.igeejo.com/blog/default/photos
Just before our exit, we ran our company from a condo. Here are some pictures under 'Environment'[1]. One major upside for us working in residential space was the cost. Electricity, rent/condo fees, parking, and internet fees are all less expensive than commercial rates. As well owning residential space is far less expensive than owning commercial space.
I use linux on two poweredge860 without any problem.