The Old Joel on Software Forum: Part 3 (of 5) - Creating 'software product' for a client?

Creating 'software product' for a client?

This is really odd.

I use a product called Mail Washer for fight the spam and I simply love it. It is made by company named 'Fire Trust'. http://www.firetrust.com/

Now today I came across a company named eCOSM. http://www.ecosm.com/ In their products section they mention that they created Mail Washer Pro, Benign and MSG TAG (other two products) for CLIENTS.

All fire trust does is to sell the software Mail washer Pro and Benign. I think what they have added to product is full time support staff (as they mention on site).

Isn't this odd? Why can't eCOSM, try and sell the software product themselves? Or was it like, Fire Trust people had idea about product but didn't have enough technical knowledge to build it. Then they 'outsourced' the development of product to eCOSM.

This is something I never came across before. Your views??

JD
http://jdk.phpkid.org

JD
Sunday, January 11, 2004

Go to Best Buy. Look at the TV's. Note that no TV has the "Best Buy" brand on it.

Welcome to the world of retailing. [grin]

Philo

Philo
Sunday, January 11, 2004

As Joel has perfect Idea about how desktop CMS should look like and function, he can just contact these guys and get his product developed! I think it will be lot cheaper than building it in NYC! ;)

JD

JD
Sunday, January 11, 2004

Actually, this is what I do for a living :)

My company builds software from the ground up for our clients for them to market, sell and distribute. They primarily hire us because they don't have the technical skill to develop the software. What they bring to the table is money, marketing people, industry knowledge and distribution channels.

Canuck
Sunday, January 11, 2004

Exceptional Marketing and sales skills are rarer than exceptional technical programming skills. Marketing is almost always more important to a product's success than the technical aspects. (Just look at the failure of Betamax, or O/S2 and the success of bottled watter.)

You can be very successful with mediocre programming skills and excellent sales and marketing skills. The reverse is rarely true.

Bill Gates is where he is more due to skillful marketing than exceptional technical skills.

IT's tough to do it all well: programming, marketing, sales, etc. So, if you're going to outsource one of these, the technical aspect of programming might make the most sense.

(Disclaimer: I'd never do that because we do a good job with all three of these. But if I had to outsource one, it'd be the programming. The first two are our core competencies).

The real Entrepreneur
Tuesday, January 13, 2004