Starting a successful business

A brief tour of hell

Most customers don’t care about FOSS

• low upfront costs

Why?

• control destiny
• may end up with less money/time (if not careful)

business cards

social skills with non-geeks (normal people)

effective communications

• client sees talking not the work

client with bad code: “This code looks novel, never thought of doing it that way, lets try ….”

https://pjf.id.au/business

difficult clients generate most work:

• special clients
• everything is an emergency
• penalty rates

intermediary clients

• no access to end clients

Hand difficult clients to somebody else looking for work

System administration

• no closure - continuous process
• most work is dull
• can’t be picky when starting

planned 2 hours a day, actual 12 hours a day.

clients need constant support; no holidays

can’t charge for all hours worked