The Times Are Changing

These are interesting times. I had so many ideas a few years ago, and I met with so much resistance. Even though it is not worth a penny to me, I am so happy to see the next generation implementing some of these ideas.

Once, I was in charge of designing a content management solution, and the company wanted to develop and sell it. I asked for a product manager to help on the creative side, and I wanted to concentrate on the technical side of things. But I wanted us to work together. That is not what I got! The product manager resisted and impeded my progress, and I had to throw up my hands in disgust and leave.

One of the things I was saying was that managing content was not enough. You had to manage the process of creating content, and you might even have to manage relationships between content creators and content purchaser/users. I even imagined that the tools to sell things had to come with tools to help you market or buy things etc. For example, if I give you the tools to manage content translation, I could also help you contract with and pay translators. Not everybody has an in-house translator.

Now, I am seeing people who not only provide the tools you need, but they also provide the tools for you to bring your services to the world. For example, Amazon has a co-marketing program. In my previous entry, I provided a link to this program that provides the means to market and sell applications for hand held devices. These programs free you to concentrate on development work. I am going to find more of these programs.

A Good Deal From DB4O

Let’s say that you were creating an application that runs on a handheld device, and let’s assume that you consider that the code is your intellectual property. Most applications seem to have the need to persist or save information, but your technological options may be affected by software licences. (I will say nothing about the appropriateness of proprietary software until later.) You now have a cost effective option!

The db40 micro commercial offering allows you to use db4o in software that runs on handheld devices at a unit cost as low as a a dollar. If you plan to ship tens of thousands of copies of your software, that is a pretty good price. The market for software that runs on handheld devices is huge. Vendors of handheld hardwre are finding it harder to differentiate themselves based on hardware; therefore, the differentiator is software. db4o has been very reasonable in their pricing, and I think this represents a huge opportunity for them. That was smart!

Now, if I understand the licensing of db4o, you also have the option of using db4o under the GPL license even on handheld devices. That is fine, but if you want to look for investors, this can make your business look less attractive to them. Personally, I think you can build a viable business on open source software, but not everyone understands that. At a $3 a unit for 10,000 licenses, you can deploy to your first few customers without closing the door on some sources of investment.

On the other hand, going the proprietary route is not necessary. Much of the software you deploy could be sold as part of a service you offer – the cost is for the service, but not for the software. You may not need your code to be closed. Still. db4o is so easy to use, and the handheld market software market is heating up. Why not use it – that is probably one of its best uses.

I am open to the open source idea, but I favor choice. I believe that open source is a good idea, and I think that sharing ideas makes them better. However, I do not think proprietary software is evil, per se. Being glued to the idea of proprietary software is short-sighted. You decide. However, if you want to protect your perceived intellectual property – db4o’s micro licensing scheme is a bargain.

If you have some ideas for for developing software for the handheld market using db4o, check this program out. You can be marketing and selling your software tomorrow!

My Life As A Digital Dogsbody

Since moving to Ottawa from Vancouver almost five years ago, I have found myself working for government departments. On the one hand, some of these projects have been important and challenging. On the other hand, many of them have been dull. The factors that contribute to the dullness of the work are:

1. I am almost always working with someone else’s code rather than architecting a solution myself.
2. Since each client is looking for previous experience, it is is harder to get experience in competing technologies.
3. I do not choose or recommend technologies.
4. I do not get to sell myself – I am sold by recruiters. I like selling.
5. Government departments tend to be conservative in their approach.
6. Budgets have forced many of my clients to hire very small, often one person teams. The resulting code is often good in one area, but mediocre in many other respects. (For example, there may be a well designed site sitting on a bad database. Or, there might be a great object layer, but no requirements and poor usability.)
7. I am withering on the vine from lack of exposure to innovation. My creativity has not always been required.
8. I do not negotiate the contract with the client. My recruiter does. The terms and conditions often have more to do with payment schedules than with project management or quality control.
9. My business in Vancouver was based on referrals and relationships. Selling myself through recruiters, and the nature of the government procurement process itself, does not make this easy or possible.

This probably reflects more on the ghetto I have allowed myself to fall into than on government as a whole. I have allowed myself to become a digital dogsbody.

Working with young people has been a pleasure. I like new ideas, and I need the shock of being exposed to a new perspective every now and then. But, I also suffer because I am older than many developers. It requires a certain humility to work under a younger person who is making mistakes I have already made and learned from. I know better than to criticize, but there are times when humility has come close to humiliation. I hate being paid to do a bad job, but it is often not my responsibility to make sure that the job goes well.

Therefore, I need to make some changes. Perhaps it will take a while. I need to find my own clients, and I need to take responsibility for finding projects that are exciting. I need to put myself in positions where my age is an asset and not a liability. This probably means hiring help, training others and mentoring. This probably means being paid for my advice and experience as much or more than for my hands-on work.

With my recent heart problems, I also need to diversify my revenue streams. My arteries are clean, but for some reason, my heart is weak. I have gotten to the point where I am stronger, and capable of exertions that healthy people my age are impressed by – but, I pay in fatigue.

The challenge now will be to get the kids through school, and to provide for my retirement while aging and dealing with the threat of illness. I need passive revenue streams based on continuous or metered services. I may also need a business that can continue to earn revenue on a day-to-day basis without my presence or participation. A sick day represents a loss to me right now, but I need a business that can allow me to have a bad day.

The very young have a reputation for adaptability and an ability to change and learn. This is true, but as you get older, there is still a need to change and grow. There is still a need to learn. Conditions still put pressure on you to evolve. At 46, I still consider myself young enough – but this is a time of change. Uncertainty is there, too. If you are twenty-five years old, and you think your goals are in sight, it might be hard to imagine this – goals change, something always slips beyond your grasp even as you grab a hold of it.

Basically, life finds a way to continue to be challenging. At the end of the day, it can be fun. It has to be. Now, I need to find ways to put an end to my life as a digital dogsbody. Instead of moaning about the lack of opportunities to be creative, I need to be creative.

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