Finding the right Product/Market fit is probably the most important differentiator between success and failure of a new software company or product. Yet even though this software product/market fit should be obvious, it is often glossed over in the excitement of a new enterprise. Why is this? In some cases, people don’t really want to […]
What the Heck is Customer Development?
The term “customer development” has been floating around for a number of years now, although it seems to have gotten more play in the last couple. Regardless, it’s one of the most common buzzwords added to the technology business vernacular in recent times. I lump it in the buzzword box with “agile”, “lean-(anything)”, “growth hacking”, […]
Market Research for Software Products
Software product market research is one of the most important activities in any software business. Whether you have a clean-sheet startup company or a multi-billion-dollar industry giant, this is crucial. It matters not whether you produce on-premise products, SaaS, Open Source, mobile software, etc. Building products that meet marketplace needs and that the target audience […]
Separating Technology Wheat from the Chaff
New ideas, technologies, and products come down the pike rapidly in software and hardware businesses. Many fail immediately and some muddle along before finally fizzling out. Some meet with modest success. Only a very select few turn into long-run, big-time hits. How can you tell which products will become hits out of a sea of […]
Health of the Tech Economy
I was reading an article recently about how the number of new tech startups in my local San Diego area has doubled, to 70 new companies, compared to the same quarter last year. More than half of those startups were in software, computer hardware or communications. The article included a number of other criteria useful […]
