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Micro-ISV: From Vision to Reality, $29.99
by Bob Walsh
Apress, 2006
349 pages
ISBN 1-59059-601-3
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN//1590596013/larkware-20
"Micro-ISV" is a term that's only come into vogue in the past couple of years. It describes a software company (an "Independent Software Vendor") that is so small that it has only a few employees - in many cases, only one. The Internet has made it easier and easier for micro-ISVs to compete on a level footing with larger companies, and there are lots of them out there that are quite successful (indeed, much of the software that I mention and review here on Larkware comes from such companies). Now Bob Walsh, who runs Safari Software (itself a micro-ISV) has written an excellent book to help you get started down this path yourself. Some of us, of course, have already experimented in this sort of thing, in software and elsewhere, for years, even before the term became trendy (we used to be called "entrepreneurs"). But the time is ripe for someone to take a look at how the Internet can pull everything together, and Bob does an excellent job of that.
The book starts off with a brief history of the software industry and the rise of micro-ISVs, and then discusses how to come up with an idea for your own product. I'm not sure how useful that section will be - if you've got the bug, you probably already have more ideas than you can pursue - but it can't hurt. Then comes an excellent chapter on some of the development issues that are peculiar to very small companies trying to launch shrinkwrap products, notably how to keep the quality bar high and how to run a beta program. There's a chapter on setting up your Web presence (critically important when you don't have a real office) and one on doing business (the joyous gunk of dealing with lawyers and governments). Marketing is the subject of chapter 5, and chapter 6 covers dealing with Microsoft and the rest of the software industry. The final chapter is a series of interviews with folks from existing micro-ISVs. This (and other interviews scattered throughout the book) is some of the most fascinating material here; it's good to get a sense of how other people are approaching some of the same problems you're likely to face as you try to launch your own little software business.
Probably 95% of the little nuggets of information in this book you could figure out for yourself, given sufficient research. Things like finding high-quality icons, determining the best credit card processors, figuring out how to do e-mail marketing campaigns, signing up for Microsoft's "buddy" programs - these are all solved problems. But why on earth would you spend the hundreds of hours to do all that research yourself, when you could just spend the thirty bucks to take advantage of Bob's hard-earned experience? Like any other Web-heavy book, this one will age over time as links rot and new players enter the market, but right now, it's one of the hottest information sources in town, and will save you a bundle of time if you want to launch a new product on a small-scale budget.
Mike Gunderloy is the lead developer for Larkware and author of numerous books and articles on programming topics.
Published January 30, 2006