Blogging about work
September 21, 2005 10:06 pm workOK, against my better judgement…
The new job has not turned out to be the opportunity I was hoping for. A number of factors have led to some conflict, and a total lack of passion or momentum.
I am currently considering my options – start a free software company (the problem is so many ideas on the one hand, and figuring out where the revenue stream is going to be on the other), re-entering the job market and just admitting that taking this job was a mistake, or try to make a silk purse out of the sow’s ear, buckle down, build character, and try to do the best I can in the circumstances.
I’m interested in hearing ideas people might have, by e-mail or in blog comments.
September 22nd, 2005 at 7:39 am
Make sure to secure something before leaving your job. But I think you are wise enough to do so.
As for the rest, I don’t really have an opinion. Good luck.
September 22nd, 2005 at 7:40 am
If you have the resources to survive without a job for a year, and business smarts start a business. Although it is though, there is a wealth of help for new businesses (at least here in the UK anyway) and you will enjoy it. Worst comes to worst, you can find another job and have had good experience (and you may have to sell some office furniture).
September 22nd, 2005 at 12:33 pm
What kind of ideas for Free Software companies do you have?
September 22nd, 2005 at 6:16 pm
Phil: Here are a few ideas off the top of my head:
* Learn everything there is to know about Asterisk, and sell Asterisk based PBX solutions to enterprise clients. Partner with Asterisk as an “official” regional reseller. Mention free software softphones like GnomeMeeting in passing.
* Specialise in Free Software development tools. Subversion, Bugzilla, Mantis, Trac, CVS, Arch, etc. Provide support, consultancy and installation services to companies interested in installing quality developer tools. Limited revenue stream…
* Training & event management. Using OSDW as a model, organise regular training seminars for programming on a free platform. Also organise commercial conferences aimed at spreading the best of free software. The Desktop Summit or OSCon are good examples of the kind of conference, but on a smaller, regional scale.
* One-to-few training. Enterprise training on everything from server installation & maintenance, through web server configuration & administration, through those developer tools I mentioned, through OOo training. Vast range of subjects, limited to 10 or so trainees per séance. Would need to have about 20 training sessions a year to keep 2 people ticking over, with potential to increase rapidly.
* Work with what exists. Become a reseller for a distro looking to get bigger. Broker partnerships between existing free software projects and commercial interests.
* Start a service company. Hot-line, installation & upport for existing projects (Postgres, for example?). There are lots of projects just dying to have more adoption that aren’t being sold, and for which professional maintenance is all to often a college graduate with 3 days training.
September 22nd, 2005 at 8:26 pm
I feel your pain, since I’m undergoing the same crisis of the soul myself. I hope you come through the other side OK; I’ll be watching for good free software company ideas so I can steal them 🙂
September 22nd, 2005 at 10:04 pm
I say buckle in, build character, and then begin marketing research on your ideas. As most of your ideas are service oriented, the only costs you would need to worry about are things like room and board, and transportation.
Unless there is something you signed stating that you can not do any other work, and your startup idea differs from your current job so they can’t cry foul when you leave, the above solution keeps the revenue coming in while you figure something else out.
September 24th, 2005 at 2:29 pm
Wow Dave, you totally capture my sentiments with this post. I too share your “total lack of passion or momentum” with my current employer and am trying to find a way to do that which I am truly passionate about (Open Source desktop development), but cannot seem to find any open doors. I’ll watch to see what you find. =;)
October 5th, 2005 at 11:54 pm
==Private joke inside==
Reviens chez Phenix, on s’y amuse toujours autant !