Comments on: Code Makes Money While You Sleep http://theoradical.net/2010/01/code-makes-money-while-you-sleep/ an obession with first principles Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:46:00 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: jobelenus http://theoradical.net/2010/01/code-makes-money-while-you-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-93 jobelenus Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:33:06 +0000 http://theoradical.net/?p=664#comment-93 I don't think softwareHouse extends consultingHouse. I often believe Managers do think this, however. "If I just get enough clients to buy-in and we make enough money, we will finally have a product we can sell". And sure from the marketing end you might have a bundle of things to wrap up and sell. But from a software perspective it is in no way a true product. I think the, often unspoken, aims of a consulting house are to make the sale and keep the revolving door of clients go. While the aims of a software house are to solve a business problem once, and only once. After all, code can be run a million times with zero cost.<br><br>And, don't be confused these are two archetypes of software companies. No company conforms perfectly to either. Companies exhibit tendencies. But when you're looking at symptoms/problems you are facing it is helpful to know where they might come from.<br><br>Good to hear from you Bibby! Your photo should be you on a beach!. I don't think softwareHouse extends consultingHouse. I often believe Managers do think this, however. “If I just get enough clients to buy-in and we make enough money, we will finally have a product we can sell”. And sure from the marketing end you might have a bundle of things to wrap up and sell. But from a software perspective it is in no way a true product. I think the, often unspoken, aims of a consulting house are to make the sale and keep the revolving door of clients go. While the aims of a software house are to solve a business problem once, and only once. After all, code can be run a million times with zero cost.

And, don't be confused these are two archetypes of software companies. No company conforms perfectly to either. Companies exhibit tendencies. But when you're looking at symptoms/problems you are facing it is helpful to know where they might come from.

Good to hear from you Bibby! Your photo should be you on a beach!.

]]> By: jobelenus http://theoradical.net/2010/01/code-makes-money-while-you-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-157 jobelenus Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:33:06 +0000 http://theoradical.net/?p=664#comment-157 I don't think softwareHouse extends consultingHouse. I often believe Managers do think this, however. "If I just get enough clients to buy-in and we make enough money, we will finally have a product we can sell". And sure from the marketing end you might have a bundle of things to wrap up and sell. But from a software perspective it is in no way a true product. I think the, often unspoken, aims of a consulting house are to make the sale and keep the revolving door of clients go. While the aims of a software house are to solve a business problem once, and only once. After all, code can be run a million times with zero cost.<br><br>And, don't be confused these are two archetypes of software companies. No company conforms perfectly to either. Companies exhibit tendencies. But when you're looking at symptoms/problems you are facing it is helpful to know where they might come from.<br><br>Good to hear from you Bibby! Your photo should be you on a beach!. I don't think softwareHouse extends consultingHouse. I often believe Managers do think this, however. “If I just get enough clients to buy-in and we make enough money, we will finally have a product we can sell”. And sure from the marketing end you might have a bundle of things to wrap up and sell. But from a software perspective it is in no way a true product. I think the, often unspoken, aims of a consulting house are to make the sale and keep the revolving door of clients go. While the aims of a software house are to solve a business problem once, and only once. After all, code can be run a million times with zero cost.

And, don't be confused these are two archetypes of software companies. No company conforms perfectly to either. Companies exhibit tendencies. But when you're looking at symptoms/problems you are facing it is helpful to know where they might come from.

Good to hear from you Bibby! Your photo should be you on a beach!.

]]> By: bibby http://theoradical.net/2010/01/code-makes-money-while-you-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-92 bibby Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:01:34 +0000 http://theoradical.net/?p=664#comment-92 Interesting, and hard to argue with. But does softwareHouse extend<br>consultingHouse? It sounds like the only difference between these two<br>entities is the fact that the software house writes the solution<br>themselves (versus subcontracting, I guess).<br><br>I can't think of a "consulting" firm that's had any real influence on<br>code I've written - it's all been spec'd by the front of the house.<br>But I'm compelled to agree that I think the real needs of the client<br>aren't always being uncovered. Sometimes the first thing a client<br>wants to do with their new product is hack it up to do the other<br>things on their wishlist that I wasn't aware of at the time.<br><br>On the one-hand, it keeps me working, and that means money.<br>But I'd much, MUCH rather make that money sleeping. Interesting, and hard to argue with. But does softwareHouse extend
consultingHouse? It sounds like the only difference between these two
entities is the fact that the software house writes the solution
themselves (versus subcontracting, I guess).

I can't think of a “consulting” firm that's had any real influence on
code I've written – it's all been spec'd by the front of the house.
But I'm compelled to agree that I think the real needs of the client
aren't always being uncovered. Sometimes the first thing a client
wants to do with their new product is hack it up to do the other
things on their wishlist that I wasn't aware of at the time.

On the one-hand, it keeps me working, and that means money.
But I'd much, MUCH rather make that money sleeping.

]]> By: bibby http://theoradical.net/2010/01/code-makes-money-while-you-sleep/comment-page-1/#comment-156 bibby Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:01:34 +0000 http://theoradical.net/?p=664#comment-156 Interesting, and hard to argue with. But does softwareHouse extend<br>consultingHouse? It sounds like the only difference between these two<br>entities is the fact that the software house writes the solution<br>themselves (versus subcontracting, I guess).<br><br>I can't think of a "consulting" firm that's had any real influence on<br>code I've written - it's all been spec'd by the front of the house.<br>But I'm compelled to agree that I think the real needs of the client<br>aren't always being uncovered. Sometimes the first thing a client<br>wants to do with their new product is hack it up to do the other<br>things on their wishlist that I wasn't aware of at the time.<br><br>On the one-hand, it keeps me working, and that means money.<br>But I'd much, MUCH rather make that money sleeping. Interesting, and hard to argue with. But does softwareHouse extend
consultingHouse? It sounds like the only difference between these two
entities is the fact that the software house writes the solution
themselves (versus subcontracting, I guess).

I can't think of a “consulting” firm that's had any real influence on
code I've written – it's all been spec'd by the front of the house.
But I'm compelled to agree that I think the real needs of the client
aren't always being uncovered. Sometimes the first thing a client
wants to do with their new product is hack it up to do the other
things on their wishlist that I wasn't aware of at the time.

On the one-hand, it keeps me working, and that means money.
But I'd much, MUCH rather make that money sleeping.

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