One of the least well-understood activities in growing a hardware or software business is the building of distribution channels. This looks very easy to the uninitiated. But in reality, it’s extremely difficult. Many subtleties are far from obvious and some aspects that are necessary for success are downright counter-intuitive. Building a distribution channel strategy for […]
International Expansion: Should a Tech Company Partner or Invest?
This is an age-old question facing software and hardware companies. In this article, we’ll examine the pros and cons of each common choice for your international expansion, including the specific conditions that should drive your decision process. These two basic options confront a tech company considering a foray outside of their home market: Set up […]
Starting a Software Company in a Difficult Fundraising Environment
Some would say that it’s never an easy time to raise funds for a startup software company. In general, I’d agree. Except for a few brief moments, such as the pre-Internet Bubble in the late 90’s where money was being thrown around like air, fundraising is HARD. There are a few lucky folks that don’t […]
Growing from a Startup to a Mid-Market Software or Hardware Company
Every stage of a company’s growth holds unique challenges. In my opinion, the startup phase until about $2M in revenue for a software company is the hardest. The “hardest” analogy for hardware companies would be around startup to $10M. That’s because hardware company revenue is usually higher at the same “stage”. But growing a business […]
Promoting Software and Hardware Products through the VAR Channel
Except for a few software and hardware vendors who sell super-expensive products to the largest enterprises, a large percentage of B2B tech companies use the Value Added Reseller (VAR) channel. Not all heavily but to one extent or another. So how do you best go about doing this successfully? Do you simply create a great […]
