New, Small Software Company - Best Practices
by Scott on December 01, 2006
In 1978, Harvard Business School and MIT graduate Dan Bricklin joined Bob Frankston to create the world’s first computer spreadsheet program. I was looking through old magazines the other day and came across my July, 1989 issue of Inc. magazine featuring Mr. Bricklin on the cover with an interview inside in which Mr. Bricklin discussed his “prototypical host company of the 80’s” and “reflections on staying small”.
Dan Bricklin’s story has always been one of my favorites, even as a kid in college. And his work and writings (see his site) remain exceptionally relevant today.
With VisiCalc, Mr. Bricklin was able to identify a need, write software to solve the need, and build a company around that software. Bricklin’s story is well known and Visicalc, his creation, is sometimes credited with sparking the personal computer revolution. He really was, I think, the first MicroISV. Even the downside of VisiCalc (being beaten by large rivals on IBM-PCs in the form of Lotus 1-2-3) provides an interesting study in the software business.
But that was over a quarter century ago. Even if it was an early small software company, could his experience then still be relevant to new small software companies today? I think so and VisiCalc, plus dozens of other companies and products, formed the basis for my research into Best Practices for a New Small Software Company.
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